M-I-C-K-E-Y......

The V's are going to visit Mickey soon! In 26 days to be exact! We cannot wait, to say the least. :)
P was in a Disney kind of mood the other day and found these really cute sweatshirts online for a steal! You got to pick a character and they put a name on them for you.....so the little V's now have matching sweatshirts! I attempted a photo session, but they insist on taking turns not cooperating! See for yourself....

Goofy face N....

Mis M busy planning an attack...:)

Goofy face N....

Cute N....M wasn't looking

Cute M...N not looking...I give up!

A friend of mine just went to Disneyworld last week and offered to send the kids a postcard. I thought it would be fun, so I took her up on the offer. I only wish I would have videotaped N while I read him his postcard. He was so excited. It was adorable. She wrote it from Mickey, who he LOVES. He makes a point to tell me every coulpe of days, "you know mom, I really love Mickey Mouse." After I read him the card, he sat on the couch, just staring at his mail from the big guy and suddenly shakes his head and says "oh Mickey, Mickey, Mickey." Cracked me up! He will be so much fun on this trip!!

Bittersweet

A couple months ago, P's airline was sold to another airline. When this happened, it was announced that all of the jobs at corporate for P's airline would be moved to Memphis within the next two years. This really just broke my heart because I loved my airline and had put ten and a half years of myself into it and had also spent that long with the most wonderful group of people that anyone could ask to work alongside of. These people were absolutely what made this airline so great and had become family over the years. Now we were all faced with some tough life decisions.

I knew that moving to Memphis was not the path that we wanted to go down with our family. I was also a little worried because I LOVE the aviation industry and it is a shrinking field to work in in the MSP area and the thought of having to leave it made really sad.

Then, the most amazing thing happened....my old Manager at the airport, called me the week after we were purchased. He told me that he had taken a job at another company and thought that I should be the one to replace him. I was beyond excited! Not only was it an airline(sort of) job in MSP, but I absolutely love working at the airport. It is where I feel most in my element! Talk about one door closing and another opening!

So, I applied...and I interviewed....and a couple weeks later....they offered me the job!

My last day at Mesaba was last Friday. It was so sad for me to leave those great people and to think that this great team was being broken apart. It just so happened that they had a company BBQ that day, at which I took a few photos. I was also fortunate enough to have my friend BF arrange for a happy hour for me that night.

Our CEO and VPs grilled for us! :)

Happy hour...me and BW!

My wonderful hubby and kids came and brought me flowers!

Then, on Monday this week, I began my new adventure. Most people, when they start a new job, have to meet all new people and learn from square one. My Monday was like a reunion of old friends! All of the people that I used to work with at the airport are now part of  a new company, called Regional Elite(where I now work too), and gave me such a warm welcome that it was the best first day ever! They all told me how excited they were to have me back, which really makes a girl feel good! :)

My old boss is sticking around for a week to train me, which I am so thankful for. I will be over ops and deice, the two areas that I worked in for years. A lot has changed while I was gone, but it feels good to have a base on which to build. I have to say, I feel pretty darn lucky in life right now! I have wonderful friends that I hope to keep in touch with at Mesaba, great friends that I am now being reunited with at the airport, and the most wonderful and supportive family a girl could ask for! So happy!

:o)

P 

Happy 3-2 Birthday to S!!

We busted out the birthday hat and helped S ring in the big 3-2 with a little "Happy Birthday to you!"

Yay!!!

We love you S and feel very luck to have you in our lives!

A new Mrs. C!

The C ladies are a small group, but on August 21, a new one joined the ranks! P's cousin JC got married to Lady D in a beautiful wedding. They also had an awesome reception at the MN Zoo, which I forgot to bring my camera.

The Bride and Groom

Cousin BC

Cousin SC

Attempted family photo! :)

M and the Grandma's

Last week JC and BC were in town and we went pver to Grancy's for dinner. Miss M has a grand time both emptying her Granny's purse and playing with two of her great-grandma's that evening.

Blueblockers and and a harmonica   :)

Who would have thought only the baby would look!

J and K's Bday party

My cousin JN's kids have birthdays only abouta  week apart. So, they had a joint bday party at the waterpark last weekend. The kids had a blast!

Here is birthday boy K

N, coming down one of the slides

Trying to master the lily pads!

There's my cousin JN, helping N off the big waterslide

Must have missed a pic of the other bday boy!

What a fun summer day!

Lake Roosevelt Fishing Tournament

One of my favorite things that we do every year it to go up to the cabin for the fishing tournament and Grancy's birthday, which always are at the same time. We have been doing this for years and this year, N got to fish in the tournament for the first time. All of my relatives come up and fish and we hang out at night and have bonfires and play cards. My relatives have four different cabins in a row on this lake, which makes it very very fun!

Miss M and DH enjoying the Lake early in the morning

Playing on the pontoon

Another excellent part of the weekend was that JC and BC were able to join us for a day! They were coming to the cities to fly out to the Dominican Republic and came up to the cabin for awhile. So fun!

This weekend was N's very first time fishing! He caught three fish! Of all the fun things we did up there, if you ask him what his favorite thing was, he says "fishing." He would get so excited even when someone else would catch a fish and he would yell "I wanna touch it!" I think he touches every fish caught on our boat all weekend. My favorite though was when DH caught a Northern and he yelled "oh my gosh, you caught a shark!" N you make me laugh!

My big catch!

This is what N talked about the whole drive up North....driving the boat!

Hard to see on the picture, but there is the biggest grin on N's face here! We could hear him giggling as they took off around the lake! I also got to take him out on their waverunner, which he loved. He kept telling me to go faster and laughing really hard when I would whip us around. So much fun! I even got to water ski, which I haven't been able to do in years! I am usually pregnant or the boat is broken. :)

TH coming in on the waverunner. My favorite activity! I always say when I am rich, I will buy myself two of these and a trailer. Hope I am still young enough to drive them! :) Though maybe you are as young as you feel. On Monday, my mom, DH, and some others kayaked all the way across the lake(like 3.5 miles) and we met them in town for lunch. Then, my cousins and I did the return trip. Whew! That was a workout! When we got back, my 87 year old Great-aunt walked down to the lake and got in a kayak and tooled around along the shore. I hope that I can do things like that when I am her age! Way to go Aunt Dilly!

It was a wonderful weekend. Tons of fun activities, great times with my family. Can't wait until next year!

Also, a HUGE thank you to my family for being so wonderful with my kids! My cousin JN watched Miss M so N and I could fish and my other cousin AN took N on the four wheeler and pulled us behind the boat. My two cousins MH and TH are always so nice to my kids and play with them. You were all wonderful and I feel very lucky to have such a great family.

Love,

P

Family Fun Time

A couple weekends ago we wanted to go and visit G & G in St. Louis, but on the day we were going to leave, flights were suddenly too full. We were all very sad about this, so to make up for us losing out on some fun down there, we had a super fun family weekend here. We started out by going to the Embassy Suites on Saturday night. The kids had a blast swimming in the pool and playing in the room.

Two little monkeys, jumping on the bed.....luckily no one bumped their head!

I think M was trying to swim away here!

Chilling in the pool

This one made me laugh because it looks like N is jumping right over us!

Then, on Sunday, N and I took another dip in the pool before we headed home for a family bike ride. This was a blast! It was the first time N had really got to use his new bike that hooks onto ours. He LOVED it! As we took off, he yelled "hey, Mom, I can pedal! How did this happen?!" About a month prior to that, he had still been a bit too short. We went a whopping 17 miles! We went all the way to Lake Harriet and got Sebastien Joe's ice cream(P's favorite! Yummy!) and then back home. As we pedaled around the lake, I said "N, you are doing so great!" He enthusiastically replied "I know!" :)

Here we are! Look at that big boy! ....and the little escapee in the background!

She was not thrilled with her helmet at first, but eventually got used to it.

S pulled Miss M along in the Chariot. She took a little snooze and missed out on the ice cream.

I think she was happy to be free by the end of that long ride!

As we were approaching the final hill between us and home, I told N that I would need him to help pedal. He was all about helping me the whole ride. We got about halfway up the hill and I heard a sad little voice from behind me say "Mommy, I'm so sorry, but I just cannot pedal anymore! We are too heavy!" It was too cute. He asked "can you do it without me?" Luckily I had it in me! :)  I love that he is big enough to have these fun adventures now!

Happy Birthday to J!

Little N and Miss M's cousin, Miss J turned five on July 25! I cannot believe she is this old already and will be off to school in a few weeks! We attended a very fun birthday party in her honor and I did a poor job of taking pictures, but here is what I got!

All the kiddos, playing very well together!

It was a fun day of swimming in the lake, playing on the beach and at the park, and the guys even got in a round of golf!

Playin' Bags

S' Thursday night softball team had a late game one night, so they all came over to our house for a BBQ before the big game. Some of our friends brought their Bags game, so S and N were playing a very wild game of it together!

Such concentration....

Go N! What an arm!

Sweetie girl

M and I were home alone a few weeks ago and she discovered N's armchair. She was feeling a little silly so I thought I would get out the camera!

Ooooh!!

Feeling like a big girl! So proud :)

I cannot get enough of this cuteness! How can you look at this and not smile?

Love you Miss M!

Basilica Block Party

I'm a little behind on the updates, but in July S and I went to the Basilica Block Party. It was my first time. The Barenaked Ladies were playing, so we thought we would head out for a night of fun and music outdoors with some friends. It was a great time and didn't rain until after the concert! :)

Great music!

Good times! I know this is blurry, but S and I never take pictures together and this was the only one!