Um, gross!

Once and a while, I go to clean something, like the front of the air return vents in the house, and discover something I don't want to see. Like this.

Time to have our vents clean out I guess.

And something like this under Reese's dresser. She likes to save and hide some items. Like toilet paper rolls. 

Just a bit ago it was summer. Now this. Not ready for it to be winter yet...

Tonight was also the wild and rowdy Park Terrace Halloween Dance. The kids have a blast but it does get pretty out of control with some of the kids just running around like crazy and parents not watching. Mr. Downs does a GREAT job with the kids and they just love him!

  Miles and Reese                            Reese and Kendall

The Ericson boys - Sven, Gus and Miles. So glad we have gotten to know them! 

 Isabella, Jack and Melissa!

 Two tired out little girls after dancing the night away & then having to help with clean-up!

Lynx Championship Celebration

Today the Lynx were holding their Championship Celebration at the Target Center - their 3rd time winning! Since the kids are on MEA break and since it is "FREE (is anything really free?)" we decided to head down and then stop and see daddy at work. 

We haven't watched too many Lynx games but this is pretty exciting. They are the ONE MN team that is actually doing good! The kids had fun seeing the players (though it took quite a while for the celebration to start since they were parading through downtown Minneapolis!) and we can say we were part of the celebration!

  The Lynx had their "senior" cheerleaders come on stage! So hilarious! 

 Coach Reeve with the trophy! 

Way to go Lynx!

Playdate!

I love all the nature around us. There are so many "helicopters" out right now and the clouds today were so amazingly pretty!

Kendall had her friends Stacy and Evelyn over today. We were supposed to have them over towards the end of the summer but Kendall was not feeling well that day, so this was our "reschedule!" The girls were really excited. They saw that the movie THE DESCENDANTS was on and it was almost over. There was some song at the end, which they all knew and they started to dance and sing! It was so funny! The did lots of playing - outside, twister, they had a picnic lunch and then they played the game HEADBANDS. It was pretty cute to see them trying to guess their card!

                                  

Carter started a bonfire tonight too. The kids were running around playing outside and having a blast! Matthew stopped over and neighbor Evan came over, too. It is pretty funny to hear their conversations - talking about neighborhood boys that like friends sisters and such! Oh man!

Today is pregnancy loss and remembrance day. Lit a candle for Jen!

Corn Maze & a Troll House

It is going to be an 80+ degree day today, so we decided to head to a Corn Maze in Shafer that we drive by on the way to Grandpa & Grandma's house. It wasn't too busy when we got there but when we were leaving it was pretty busy.

It is a bigger corn maze - there are a few activities that the kids can do - a little obstacle course, a little petting zoo, some footballs and of course the mazes - one big one that is 2.7 miles (that can take about an 1 to 1.5 hours) and a little one (that takes about a 1/2 hour).

First, the kids pet the animals - honestly I think they all thought the little pigs were the cutest. Then they tried the little obstacle course. They needed a little help to get started on the hay roll they needed to get over. Then it was daddy vs. the boys on a tug-of-rope. Daddy won - the grass was a little wet and Carter slipped in the mud. Then it was daddy vs. the rest of us. This time daddy lost! 

 Carter and Kendall decided to let go and see if daddy and Dawson fell down...

 Nope!

 Guess its been a long day for Carter! Big old yawn during the photo!

The kids wanted to do the big maze first. I have never been in a BIG corn maze (that I can remember) and it was fun for a while. Carter wanted to take the lead. We were good for a while - we found a few of the "check stations" that we were on the lookout for. Then, it became a little bit hairy when we got a little "lost." That is when an employee, who was probably a little bit older than Carter, came along to give us a little guidance. We took the route to the last clue, #6 and then headed out of the maze. Then, Carter, Kendall, Dawson and I went back in to find the 1st clue - that took us about 15 minutes!

 Look, I made it!

It was HOT in that maze. Reese gets so warm, so she did not want to go back in the little maze. Her and daddy sat in the courtyard - she played on the big haystack that they had.  Carter, Dawson, Kendall & I headed into the little maze to find those 6 check points.

On the way home, we always pass by Sven's. Last year they built a little troll home on the side of a little hill (Dave said it is probably their septic system). It is so cute. Reese asked about it. I told her it was a troll house. I asked if she knew what a troll was. She said no. We asked her if she wanted to go visit them. She thought about it and was very concerned about them and asked if they bite. Oh, this girl. She sure can make us laugh!