Fun in Minnesota

Miss L and I have been back in the sunshine state for about 2 weeks now, after a 17 day hiatus across the Midwest. We had a ton of fun, along with some bittersweet moments and several "until next time" {read: goodbyes} to our cherished friends in Minnesota. Here are days 1-5...in Minnesota.

Travel Day: Tuesday

We I had our first near-panic attack as we temporarily set Miss L in my car as J and I transferred our luggage from my car to his. As quick as we set her in the back seat, we gently shut the door to get past each other and CLICK. Yep, Miss L had my keys and hit the lock button. In 1.4 seconds, I think about the 100-degree heat and my sweet princess being locked in the car. Thankfully, J kept his cool and we yelled for her to "hit the button" and with a big sigh of relief - she hit the right button and we opened the door! {Lesson Learned}

We had the best travel day at DIA as one of J's staff members drove us to the airport {no lugging luggage on the bus}, followed by curb side check-in {they kindly overlooked my 59 lb baby named Samsonite} and we went flying through security as J has special "employee clearance" with his role at DIA. The cocktails on the plane were a nice cherry on top, that is, until Miss L spilled her daddy's drink all over his lap! {Lesson Learned for Daddy!}

 Day 1: Wednesday

After a GREAT night of sleep in our own bed/crib, we wake up to greet the movers at 8am, they are nice and friendly. The move becomes very "REAL" when the big semi truck is parked in the cul-de-sac. Us girls make impromptu plans with Kelly and her Miss C for the "foot ponds" in Burnsville {perfect for the hot, hot day!} followed by lunch plans with my cousin/Miss C's daycare provider.

Wednesday evening included a dinner out with friends from my former work at the Club.

Day 2: Thursday

Off to a playdate with our friends {few of them we met in our Mom & Baby Class shortly after the babes were born}.

This group gathers twice weekly during the summer to rotate pre-school type fun and learning activities. This play date's theme was "Bunnies." Bunny faces, hats, the Bunny Hop, carrots for snacks and activities...you name it! These moms know how to have fun - and we were lucky to join them today.

The fun continued Thursday evening with "Ladies Night" hosted by my friend Kelly. Heather and lil' Miss K joined our fun with amazing martinis, delicious Thai food and great conversation. I am already missing these fine ladies. :(

Below is Miss L and Miss C in the Sandbox.

Day 3: Friday

While Jer was at our home with the movers, Miss L and I had lunch with my coworkers from my former job {Yacht Club} - we had a great time and she did awesome considering we didn't leave the Patio until 3pm!

Sniffle, sniffle moments included:

• Miss L running into the Dining Room {former toy room} and asking "Where are my toys?"
• Seeing her nursery empty, aside from the vinyl decal on the wall of the tree, birds & flowers.
• Watching the semi truck leave the cul-de-sac :(

Day 4: Saturday

Fun at the Park with {yet another} Miss C.

Followed by 2-year photos with our cherished MN photographer, whom has captured our family during these exciting and ever-growing years.

We met our photographer, Danielle, at a beautiful park in Edina, MN...ironically, it is steps from the hospital where Miss L was delivered. The park offered a few lakes {of course, because it is the land of 10,000 lakes!}, rocks, steps, greenery, you name it - lots of photo opps! Photos with a {near} 2-year old is quite challenging, but our photographer manages to always surprise us with the quantity of "good ones!"

Below are a few shots mommy took as we explored the park on our own. We finished our day in Edina with a visit to the Creamery at 50th & France. Miss L loves ice cream, just like her daddy and just like her grandpa L!

 

Day 5: Sunday

We enjoyed visiting some of our former neighbors, J left to return to Colorado and we finished our day with an "Ice Cream Social" with our favorite neighbor kids and friends. Miss L enjoyed jumping on the trampoline with the big kids.

 

Day 6: Monday

We had our two-year check-up with our beloved Pediatrician - he says, "she is perfect!"

We had just a little time to kill prior to hopping on our plane, so we grabbed lunch and had a picnic lakeside at the very spot J, me and Miss L picnic'd on about Day 4 when she was a newborn. Then, we stopped at Mall of America {since it is on the way} and Miss L loved watching the fun at Nick Universe.

Enjoying watching the fish from the Dock during our picnic.



A visit to MOA and Starbucks for pumpkin bread {for the babe} and my fave: Pomegranate Refresher



Watching the rides!

 

 

Then, we flew MSP > MDW > DTW. This is the biggest "low" of the trip - over exhausted baby + lost misplaced {gate checked} stroller + extended "stay" at MDW = hell for mommy & baby.

It was bittersweet to say goodbye to our friends {and family!} in Minnesota. We are excited to be in Denver...but the memories and people in our Minnesota experience will remain in our hearts forever.

 

 

 

New House New Life

While waiting for J to arrive home from the airport tonight, I found a new show to enjoy on HGTV called New House New Life. It follows families looking for a change {escape the rat race} and they up and move to somewhere else. One family moved from Chicago to Santa Fe, NM...then the next family moved from NYC to Colorado. It was super fun to see the 3 homes/areas that they explored with their move to Colorado. In fact, one of the 3 was our new town.

The premise of the show hits close to home. As these families move elsewhere for a different {perhaps better} life, they must leave behind family, friends, jobs and a life of familiarity. It is always tough, no matter how many times you go through it. "They" say moving is nearly as stressful as death and divorce in one's life. Well, we've been through it all...AND a few moves. Despite all of the stress and anxiety, this move feels different...already.

While talking with my baby sis today, we concurred that Colorado is warm and sunny for me, and keeps Jeremy from longing to move to SoCal.

Then, tonight while having dinner with a friend from college that moved out here about 18 months ago {from Michigan} exclaimed how much I am going to enjoy winters here. {I kind of gathered this already, but wanted to hear his perspective} He said it the snow is different, and it melts faster...and when it does melt, things aren't "wet" like they are in MI. The Cherry on Top: It never gets gray-black and ugly. It's either white and pretty...or back to 55 and sunny. Perhaps a "lorryn-kind-of-winter!"

I've already picked up on the so-called "300+ days of sunshine" - it is kind of unreal and brings me much happiness...daily.

Below are some pictures of the route either along the expressway or on the main road to our new house, it certainly is a different kind of life. I cannot wait to see what is in store with the new house...that we will be sleeping in, in one week!

Girls Will Play While Daddys Away

I'm not going to lie - the last couple of days have been a bit painful. J departed to Phoenix on Tuesday morning for a short work trip and I am holding down the fort solo.

The days become really long as a single parent, but to make matters worse the only other mom-tot friend we have is out of town for a few weeks...so solo is an understatement.

We started off the week with Miss L spiking a slight 101.1 temp on Monday afternoon and we enjoyed lots of cuddle time together. Our Tivo just so happened to have a recording of Despicable Me and I thought I would press play for the lil' sick baby. She cuddled on my lap for 2 hours straight!

It was soo cute and very fun! This movie-watching thing was a first for us. We've definitely logged our hours of Sprout {which I have managed to wean her off of the whiny Calliou character while in MI}, Sponge Bob and countless Baby Einstein videos...but to have the attention span for a "movie" and watch it together - 1st and 1st!

Since Monday afternoon, I can count at least 4 repeats of Despicable Me. I guess this is what happens when Daddy is away.

We have managed to get out daily for walks and park time. Tuesday, we strolled our local mall and shared a double berry smoothie together.

Yesterday, we strolled the outlets {note: amazing outlets just 10 minutes from our new house!} and shared a single ice cream scoop. I cannot wait to go back {with money in my pocket} to hit up the Crew Cuts section of J.Crew. the Olive Oil store and the H&M under construction.

I must admit I love Banana Republic Factory Stores...but walking through the store yesterday made me a little sad, as I miss the business world. I miss getting dressed up daily, doing something with myself {hair/make-up}, running {some days, literally} around the Club all day and feeling uber productive, excited and successful.

I know my days will be wildly busy unpacking hundreds of brown boxes, soon enough.

We have managed to have some fun while J is away, but we cannot wait to see him this evening.

Miss L at the Park yesterday morning...sooo tired.
I thought she was going to fall asleep on the swing in front of me!

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Miss L is such a bright, shining star in our world. Her little voice is so sweet, her mannerisms are adorably cute, and her personality is sparkly and fun.

These days, her vocabulary is full of surprises...and keeps us laughing, too! When asked "where is our new home?" She responds with "Denver, Colorado" but the "Colorado" turns into 6 syllables instead of 4. We STILL need to get this on video.

She may be the most polite 2 year old ever...accurately using "please...thank you...no, thank you...and 'bless you"...most times without being prompted.

She appears ready for life post-diapers...but mommy is desperately trying to hold off until after we move into our new home.

We had a few fun family celebrations back in Michigan for the respective families. Daddy even skyped us during one party!

On her actual birthday, our day included:



 - Daddy working from home in the a.m., so we all enjoyed breakfast at Panera Bread, where Miss L thoroughly enjoyed her Pumpkin Muffin.

- J drove to Colorado Springs {aka "The Springs"} for the day for work...and us girls enjoyed time at the Pool and a long nap

- Dinner out at The Cheesecake Factory. The super thoughtful server started off our table with a "baby plate" of sliced bananas and sliced bread for Miss L. By the end, the team joined us in singing Happy Birthday to the lil' girl while she blew out the candle on a cheesecake.
- Didn't arrive home until 9:30pm; where she opened the gift from us {we want to get her a kitchen...in the new house, but gave her a "Kitty Piano" for the day of present}. I'm not sure which she enjoyed more - the Kitty Piano {keyboard} OR the music + lights birthday card I handpicked. She continues to run around the apartment with her "birthday card."

It certainly was a fun and enjoyable day by all! Thanks to everyone who have shared in her world the past 2 years. xoxo

Another reason to {Heart} Target

I had the pleasure of residing {for a short while} in the home of Target. Minnesota boasts a SuperTarget every 3 miles {fact check: Lorryn} and is always a pleasant shopping experience.

I am happy to report a really new SuperTarget is just a few miles from our new home and I have already become a frequent customer of this particular location.

Of course, our Target visits aren't complete without a stop @ Starbucks for "Pumpkin Bread."
I was excited to see these little cupholders that attach to the grocery cart for ease of toting my fave beverage during my shopping trip. Leave it to Target to think of everything!

 

 

 

Miss L loves her Pumpkin Bread.
Mommy is enjoying a Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! After the short "holiday week" last week, we were afraid this week would feel extra long. Thankfully, with such an exciting week with the house - it really flew by!

 

 

Here are a few pics of silly Miss L from this week...

 

Both babies are in the box with Miss L

Mmmm...ice cream while dining al fresco and watching the Colorado sun set over the mountains!

Pool time on Thursday. She picked out the swimsuit and of course had to have mommy's wristlet at all times.

After about an hour at the Pool, I said: "Let's get out and go upstairs for lunch."
Miss L: "I want to stay at the Pool"
{ah, she is my daughter!}

This was mommy and daddy's treat - Tres Leche cake....probably my favorite dessert of all time!
 

Goodnight, Denver

Miss L absolutely loves playing with and reading books  - both the classics and new age prints. The collection started with the many books we were gifted at our baby shower{s}. I also started a tradition on our first family vacation in 2012 to Palm Desert, CA to purchase a new book from every trip - which adds even greater fun to the library.

Recently, Miss L has initiated this quirky obsession with a particular few paperbacks - the Goodnight series.
We have:

• Goodnight Moon
• Goodnight Ipad {a hilarious parody written by "Ann Droyd"}
• Goodnight Minnesota
• Goodnight Michigan {xmas gift from Grandma Lyn}
• Goodnight Chicago {from our April trip to Chi-Town}
• Goodnight Denver {gift from daddy}

Below are some photos of how Miss L travels around our apartment with her beloved Goodnight books...



Jeremy and I burst into laughter when we walked into the Bathroom to this sight!

Miss L loves "stacking" these books next to her on the couch.

Soo happy with her collection {et al}

This is Miss L "running away" {her words, not mine} with her books.

Goodnight, Denver!

A place to call home!

It's official - we are under contract for our new home in CO and could not be more thrilled!

It feels so good to know the mission is accomplished, as well as to have found a home that we love in a neighborhood that seems to fit us like a glove- complete with Parks, Trails and a Pool {and Kiddie Pool}! Even though this is "home offer #2," it feels even better than the home we lost last week. Another testament to "everything happens for a reason."

The front of the home features tudor-style architecture - which I enjoy, but J needed to step inside the double doors to truly appreciate this beauty!

Below are a few sneak peak photos - mind you, it could be a Pottery Barn model home, so I am going to take a plethora of photos during our inspection to try to mock the current admiral and trendy style.

Welcome to the Homestead!
Office to the immediate left - which will inevitably transform into Miss L's play space
Sitting Room on left, followed by Formal Dining Room

Hello, Pretty! I am soo excited for this kitchen!

The all-important "Guest Bedroom" - there is always a room at our Inn



The nicely appointed Ensuite Bathroom for the Guest Bedroom

Nice patio and fenced in yard with the Greenbelt {walking trails, green space} on the other side.
I plan to roast loads of marshmallows for s'mores on the gas fire pit!

23 months

Wow, just one more month until Miss L turns 2! There is no doubt that her beautiful smile and sparkly personality fills our lives and hearts.

I'm not quite certain on her stats and measurements at 23 months - she seems about the same size the last few months as physical growth has slowed down, but her cognitive skills continue to grow by leaps and bounds!

She is very talkative these days, often holding a conversation back and forth with us; yet, practicing a little "stranger danger" with people on the street.

A couple of common phrases include:

• Did you hear that noise? {referencing a noise we all heard}
• Pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread! {usually is exclaimed from the comfort of her car seat...as we pass by a Starbucks - I wonder who got her started on THAT!}
• "How I wonder what you are!" {shouted out loud, and sometimes followed with the remainder of Twinkle, Twinkle - her favorite nursery rhyme.

Miss L counts 1-10, ABC's, identifies most colors and shapes. She {usually} sleeps about 11-12 hours each night and then naps in the early afternoon for 2-3 hours.

Tonight, we enjoyed a quick dinner at the nearby Mall {it happens to have a great outdoor section - "The Vistas" which is like a big play ground for these two...}, followed by a grocery trip to a new Super Target, of course!

Hanging with Daddy at the Mall this beautiful evening!

Her favorite foods include: fresh raspberries, oatmeal, anything-pumpkin, and everything smothered in creamy peanut butter goodness.

We have found a "trick" to getting Miss L to eat lamb from our gyro - we give it to her on a toothpick! Of course, we are careful with this endeavor, but it works like a charm...every time!

Since our move to CO - swimming is our favorite past time...hence, the attempt to wear our swimsuit below...

Only one more month until we have a 2 year old, I'd better stock up on some wine! {tear}

Colorado Update

After our 14 hours of fun {previous post}, us girls have spent the last 14 days in beautiful Colorado! So far, I think Colorado is the new Florida - full of transplants {hence, no one is "from" Colorado} minus the mass quantities of senior citizens, 300+ days of sunshine per year, and it feels like vacay-land to me! Also, Denver has EVERYTHING as far as restaurants and retailers that has shut-down in other areas we have resided in - It's like the land where everything stays open! This is kind of the cherry-on-top, aside from the mountain views!

The {Temporary} Homestead: J secured a one-bedroom furnished apartment in the popular Greenwood Village, near DTC {code for: Denver Tech Center}. It is a condo-style hotel place with some people using it as a hotel and some people using it as a long-term apartment = a strange dynamic of professionals, families, and leisure travels...BUT it has a Pool and that is a "must" for the Colorado Summer {so I gather}.

The initial days included unpacking our boxes of food, clothes and supplies that we traveled 14 hours with to make this house our home, that is, for a little while.

Daily challenges include the size of this place is maybe 300 sq ft...yep, less than 10% of the size of our previous home which makes everything smaller - less seating space, less room to run for Miss L and Mr. Cole, the bathroom is teeny-tiny, and of course the galley kitchen is less than adequate...basically, I feel like we are "camping" or roughing it! The one bedroom translates to little girl sleeping in her pack-n-play in our room which often involves less-than-great sleep for all 3 of us. She has started a habit of waking at 5:30am, jumping for joy from her pack-n-play, as she can visually see mommy and daddy from her bed. Miss L runs the roost for an hour and then heads back to her sleeping quarters to sleep until 9:30...maybe 10am...which kind of throws off our day. Good thing I'm a "go with the flow mommy" and threw out "schedules" before she was born!

The {Future} Homestead: We have toured about 20 homes, in 4 different areas {suburbs} of Denver, while on a mission to find the right area. With J working at the airport and the airport located in God's country, far, far away from life in Denver; it poses a big challenge to find a home in an area we like, with an acceptable commute.

The next and perhaps inherit challenge is- this is our 4th home purchase {5th "property" including our hi-rise rental}. With every new/next home, it is human nature to want it better, sometimes bigger, but definitely more your style with less sacrifices. Some people don't purchase 4 homes in their lifetime, let alone, 4 homes in 9 years!!

The last challenge and a bit one at that - homes in Colorado are far different than what we are used to in the Midwest. Each geographic area of the Midwest has it's strong suits in house; however, once you head west, things are different. Smaller lots {less to maintain + cost of land}, less green space {to counter high irrigation rates}, fewer vaulted ceilings {more energy efficient} and when you add them up you find tons of beautiful homes that are RIGHT next to their neighbors and offer very little {sometimes NONE} lawn. It is difficult to quickly adjust to the "Colorado way." Full disclosure: there are tons of neighborhood parks, trails, community spaces and of course a million acres of "playground" to go and explore here.

We are feeling really good about one area in particular; just 10-15 minutes away from the best mall in the City, tons of restaurants, the main highway, best school district in the state, 2 miles to a brand new hospital, mountain views from most roadways and walking paths, etc...etc... We find a house that exceeds our anticipated budget, but we drool and we run to our excel spreadsheet to "crunch the numbers" and we decided to put an offer on this beauty {on Friday}, only to find out we were in a match with two other buyers and one in particular that "wanted it at all costs." Sigh...back to square one.

Pit & Peak
Something J and I "borrowed" from the Kardashian family a long time ago was to identify the "pit and peak" or "high and low" of our day/week/vacation/etc. I would say we mostly use this communication tool after vacations, but I think it is handy to ask whenever!

My Pit of the past two weeks have been feelings of guilt as a mom, being frustrated spending every waking minute with Miss L. For nearly the first 10 days, I never left the apartment alone to do anything - sun bathe, grocery shop, get a pedi, etc. I just don't think it is healthy for anyone to spend every waking minute in this situation; everyone needs a re-charge and some personal time. I really felt guilty for feeling so bad about being a stay-at-home-mom. I understand this is what I signed-up for, I understand this is the hardest job in the world, but I kind of really missed getting dressed up and feeling so fulfilled. {insert typical mommy guilt - to work or not to work} I have since communicated this to my partner and have physically escaped the 300 sq ft apartment on a few occasions...even to read by the Pool!

My Peak would have to be this morning. Miss L slept in until 8:30, I made us pumpkin pancakes to share and then while Daddy golfed with some friends, us girls packed up and went to the Farmers Market in our new {hopeful} home town of Parker. It was an awesome Farmers Market and the weather was amazing. We loved strolling the charming downtown village and reading about the historic landmarks on the side streets nestled within the large Victorian homes. It really felt like "home" to me and Miss L loved seeing all of the 4-legged friends strolling the marketplace. Below is snapshot of our fun!

14 hours of...

________ . Let me fill in the blank with the highs and lows, as we make our way {nearly} across the country .

Saturday morning, we woke up at 5am to make the final preparations to leave our Minnesota home. Our home went on the market at 5pm Friday evening with all showings starting on Saturday; so we are feeling pretty good leaving and knowing that our home is in the best possible shape - glowing granite and fresh vacuum marks on the carpet throughout. :) We leave at 6am feeling anxious for our first showing scheduled for 10:30am.

6:00am | Put the princess in her carseat, praying she stays asleep. {not a fat chance}

6:22am | "I wanna get out" {of her car seat}- Miss L says, as Mr. Cole begins to meow. This is this equivalent of "Are we there yet?" Jer and I give each other a nervous look and wonder how the next 13.5 hours are going to pan out.



Mmmm...hot cakes!

7am | Stop at McDonald's for breakfast. We are delighted as Miss L devoured all three of her hot cakes. Finally, a meal that didn't include peanut butter!



 



7:30am | It seems that maybe she is going to experience a "food coma" and looks sleepy; meanwhile, Mr. Cole is still meowing. We decide to let Mr. Cole out of his cage...wrong decision. Miss L has a new found excitement for her furry brother. Uh oh!


See Mr. Cole as "high" as he can go!

9am | 3 hours into the trip, time to change drivers - we stop at a Kum & Go Gas Station - interesting "Iowa gas station" - Daddy and Miss L pick a "flower" for mommy, while I go search for coffee as it is my turn. I am overjoyed as this coffee station has tons of coffee varieties AND a massive coffee creamer station with all of my faves - I had a hard time selecting. I decide to go "house blend + caramel macchiato creamer"

10am | Naptime through Iowa - peace and quiet for mommy to reflect. As I drive across the prairie lands, I experience a feeling of anticipation that might parallel our early American settlers as they "headed west" in search of gold and prosperity.

I drive as the rest of the car naps



Iowa's many windmills

An Iowa Casino...LOL!

11:30am | Enter Nebraska...or rather enter Omaha, as this is nearly the only thing is this VERY long state. We decide I-80 in Nebraska is to Colorado, as I-75 in Georgia is to Florida. It is long and never-ending leading into your final destination.

1pm | Stopped at Lincoln, NE Airport for gas {thank you, Hertz!} and went downtown for some Chipotle. We ate outside for fresh air and found downtown Lincoln to be a really cute, nice and clean college town. Hard to believe we are still in "Big 10 Country" though...this is far from home!

1:45pm | Back on the road - time for mommy and baby to nap.

2:10pm | I awake as I receive a call from Tom, our realtor. We have one offer on showing #1 {which happened to arrive at 9:30am, instead of 10:30am}, but we have at least one other offer coming in...and we will have a total of 12 showings today. Great news, we are thrilled!

{Too excited to sleep}

2:45pm | 3 offers are now on the table, all showings have been through and all realtors have been offered a chance to make an offer on the home.

{Insert about 4 phone calls with our realtor}

5:15pm | Home is sold - we are feeling victorious!

5:30pm | We enter Colorado!

There is nothing around...so we finally stop at a little gas station. The ladies Rest Room makes me thankful Miss L is not potty trained yet, as I think we would have been slapping a diaper on her instead of using this Rest Room. There was a fun dinosaur statue out front to play on, and we said hello to a few doggies that were also making a pit stop. Back on the road...Mommy's turn to drive.

5:40pm | Tons of lightening and dark skies ahead as we are in the dessert plains of Colorado.

I pull over to let Jer drive when the tumbleweed are blowing across the road and it looks as if we are driving into the eye of the storm. We unknowingly stopped next to an extremely large cattle farm. as I opened the door, I thought to myself "what dirty diaper did we leave in the car!???" but the smell was that of 1,000 diapers made me quickly realize...it was manure...and it lingered in the car for a bit, but we become distracted by the storms ahead. I turn on a local FM station and learn that we are driving through a Tornado Warning. The muted green sky is quite scary and we decided to power through as fast as can {after all, the speed limit is 75...which translates to 85 in our car!}

6:20pm | Back to blue skies and sunshine, we both are relieved as we continue to listen to the radio meteorologist tell everyone in the areas south of us to take shelter. We both view the storm in our rear, via the mirrors.

Look how dark it is behind us from the mirror. We were already in blue skies and sunshine.
 

8:00pm (7:00pm MT) | We have arrived, Yay!!! Thanks to our Lord for watching over and guiding us..

Summary:
Just over 900 miles and 14 hours from Lakeville to Denver, including 2 hours {lunch + 2 stops}
Miss L napped for just 3.5 hours of the 14 {a lot less than expected}
Her favorite toys included: baby doll + bottle, her baby laptop, books, cell phones, and of course the ipad..oh and Mr. Cole! She did manage to eat 2 of her 3 meals while traveling in her car seat, her "food bag" was packed solid prior to leaving!

It wasn't nearly as bad as we anticipated and leaving/arriving in the daylight was really helpful.

Now, we begin making our {very small} furnished one-bedroom apartment a little more like home; while we search for our next permanent home. I have already found library storytime for toddlers, the nearest Starbucks {someone was up at 5:45am this morning}, a park and a community waterpark/splash pad. Now...I just need my car to arrive either Monday or Tuesday!

Oh, and a celebratory dinner tonight! :)