Minnesota Zoo

Long ago, when I was a kid my Grandpa would always bring me to the Minnesota Zoo to see the animals.  This weekend Minka got to visit the Minnesota Zoo with her Grandpa!

 Checking out the fish like all the big kids!

 Look Grandpa!  Flamingos!

 I am not so sure about this Uncle Matt!

The New Generation

Minka and Daddy watching animal videos and playing computer games!

I got my shoes and my purse.

Now Let's Go Shopping!

Bowling!

In early January we found a little bowling alley to enjoy a Saturday afternoon at.  Minka loved pushing the balls and watching everyone knock down pins.

She can hardly contain her excitement.

 Getting Ready

 

There it goes!

Instantly once the ball was out of her hands she was running to get the next one!

 She had to watch the ball crouching like Daddy.

 I got this, Dad.  High Five.

Family Foto

The Mr., Mrs., and M&M

Christmas Fun

Minka had a great time seeing so many relatives during Christmas!  We went to Wyoming to celebrate with Jareths family over the holidays. Before going to Wyoming Minka had opened gifts at my parents house and she was very timid and preferred to put wrapping paper away and pack up toys.  In Wyoming she started getting the hang of it opening one gift and immediately handing it to Grandpa with one hand and reaching for the next one with the other.  She ran from toy to toy once they were all opened inspecting and figuring out each one.

Goodbye Colorado

This picture was pulled from early November on Minka's last day of daycare in Colorado.

GG & GG

Thanks to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa for letting us stay there for awhile!

Cuddling with Great Grandpa

Having fun with Great Grandma!



New Year Fun

In the midst of our non-closing/finding-an-immediate-rental-for-a-home-plan we took some time to ease our minds and have fun.

**On a sidenote, my New Years resolution is to relax more in 2012.  I resolve to have less stress and enjoy my family time more.  Thus, the afternoon away from our panic home search was well deserved and enjoyed by us all**

We decided to go to the Mall of America Aquarium, Sea Life.  It was a new adventure for us all and Minka had a great time.

 Excited to go in!

 

The very first (small) fish tank we saw was met by a wide eyed Minka who exclaimed "WOW!!!"

 We were able to get up close and personal!

 Minka was very interested in all the animals. 

The tunnel underwater was very neat!  All sorts of animals swim right up to the glass and it was a wonderful experience!

Kissy Kissy Fishy Fishy

 Look at this one!

 Time for a quick break!

 Minka was SO excited to see a Blue from Blues Clues mascot near Nickelodeon Universe. 

 She couldn't stop giggling at the mascot.

 We stopped for dinner at Bubba Gumps and when I told Minka to say "Cheese"  This is the face she gave me.

 Just sitting on the bench like all the big kids sipping her chocolate Milk.

 

After dinner we saw her favorite animal as a mascot.  Because she was so overjoyed about the fish mascot earlier I thought we would wait to get a picture with this one.  She was very interested and excited.  Until we got our turn.  Faster than I had ever seen before she jolted right out of my left arm scratched her way across to my right side and was gripping on for dear life from this terribly scary froggy.

Hello January

Well, it has been 2 whole months since I last posted.  I think the last two months have been the busiest two months of my life so I have a lot to fill you in on! 

Let's start with where we live.  In mid November we traveled from Colorado and had found a home in prior lake that we were purchasing.  We had to wait 45 days to close due to us using the VA loan process and the house was a foreclosure- both instances asking for plenty of time to process paperwork and get everything lined up correctly. 

Jareth and I bounced around from friend to relatives house.  We were able to see a lot of people we have been away from a lot in the past two years so that was a benefit.  We were also 'homeless' over the holidays which was a blessing in disguise as we were planning to stay with others during those time anyway.  Needless to say after 45 days I was despising the car and especially living out of a suitcase.  I was ready for a home.  I was ready for Minka to have a room all for herself.  I was ready to decorate our house.  I was ready to settle down.  I was ready for a routine.  I was ready to be boring. 

Not so fast.

On the day of closing, December 29th.  After 45 days of being homeless and dreaming of our house, it all came crashing down.  The lender had some errors in the paperwork and the underwriter would not approve the loan they had already committed to us.  We were still homeless. 

I was mad.  I was sad.  I was frustrated.

But, Jareth and I knew we needed to find a place to live.  We needed some consistency for Minka.  We needed to be all be together.  So we searched the interenet high and low and we made phone call after phone call until we found a place to rent in Lakeville.  It is a three bedroom townhouse and the drive to work takes about the same amount of time as I was expecting from prior lake so we are all happy. 

Now we are trying to make this little place home and we have been busy at that!  Pictures will follow with before and afters.  Today we really started unpacking the boxes that arrived earlier in the week so it will be awhile before I have good 'after' pictures for you!

Here is this happy 16 month old face you have been missing.