That’s right! I haven’t killed the tomato plant yet!!! Amazing!!

It’s getting pretty tall and bushy! Check it out:

Go tomato plant, go!

June was cold, cloudy, rainy, not nice. I was concerned cuz I knew our BFFs were planning to come visit in July and I didn’t want them to be too cold! They live in the desert of Phoenix. In the past, they have come to visit between Christmas and New Year’s, but we decided it would be much more fun if they would come during the summer because we could get out of the house and actually DO fun stuff!

Becca, Brent, & their little dude Brady arrived to our house on Thursday afternoon. We played in the back yard for a while, then grilled up a yummy supper of pork chops and (my favorite!) tin foil potatoes. Delish! We walked to the park after dinner and played with the boys for a while. Then it was back home and tuck them into bed so the parents could indulge in a few adult beverages! Here are some pics from our first afternoon/evening:

Playing on our swing set

Playing at the park

Becca and I enjoying a couple drinks and a few laughs!

Friday we went to Lake Minnetonka Regional Park for a while in the morning. It was a beautiful day and a great time at the beach! Brady and Adam had a blast playing in the sand and we were all able to go for a few dips in the water:

Adam and Brady playing in the sand

Becca and I lounging

This is the only picture from the whole weekend of all 6 of us!

After the boys had their naps, we went out for supper, then back home for a bon fire! Adam and Brady found a bunch of frogs in the yard and had a blast playing with them. Then we cooked up some s’mores! Yum!! After they were in bed for the night, we burned our Christmas tree!! It was cool! We lit it in 3 sections and we probably had flames 15 feet high!

The boys cooking

Christmas tree in flames!

Saturday we woke up and went to the Minnesota Zoo!! Another beautiful day to be outside! We saw the dolphin show in the morning, then wandered through the zoo for a few hours after that. We stopped for lunch at the restaurant in the farm area. The boys had so much fun and it was great for us to watch them interact with each other and the animals!

Adam and Brady checkin out the leopard

They wanted to hold hand while they walked. So sweet!

After the zoo, the boys napped, then we were off to the lake for a boat ride!! We love being on the boat and wanted to share it with our friends. Brady was a little nervous, but he was a trooper. It was another fun outing!

Adam and Brady ready for the boat ride!

After the boys were in bed, the parents played with the Xbox Kinect! It was pretty fun!! Here is a shot of Becca & Brian doing a running race. It was a lot longer than they had expected and they were wiped! It was hysterical to watch!

Go! Go! Go!

Sunday morning we went to the Pancake House (of course!). Then we stopped to play at the park for a while, then played in the back yard for a while.

Looking for more frogs in the yard

Driving the Jeep!

One last self portrait at the park!

They left at nap time so Brady could sleep in the car. Duluth was their next destination to visit family!

Thank you, Himebaughs for another wonderful visit!! See ya in Phoenix in the fall!!  🙂

It all started with redoing Adam’s new room (we’re still waiting for his furniture by the way…). We decided the guest room could use a headboard/foot board and new comforter set. I decided to get some curtains too while I was at it. And since I was online ordering a comforter set for the guest room, I figured our room could use a new set as well…..and some curtains too, of course! And Brian was anxious to get something on the windows of the family room.

I would like to thank overstock.com for the bedding; Kohl’s for the curtains in the guest room and our room; JCPenney for the window treatments in the family room; and Mr. Guy (no idea what his actual name is!) from Craigslist for the great headboard/foot board at a super great price! Here are the results:

Guest room. New headboard/foot board, comforter and curtains.

New comforter set and curtains in our Master

Window treatments on the large family room window. There is a smaller window with smaller treatment also

It all looks pretty nice! It’s amazing what a few new comforters and sets of curtains will do for a home!

I was off work all of July 4th weekend and it was wonderful! I was able to see my brother and his family and we all hung out at my parents’ and played on the lake. The weekend started out a little iffy. I swear Mother Nature has it in for our family and doesn’t want us to get together! There was the blizzard in December, and tornadoes on July 1st!

Brian had been in Iowa all week and wasn’t getting home until late Friday night, so I decided to head out to my parents’ to see Adam (he had been staying with them since Brian was gone and I was working evening shifts) and to welcome Seth and his family. All was going well until just before I reached Glencoe. I looked off to my right and it looked pretty ‘swirly.’ Then all of a sudden the wind picked up and it was SO STRONG! Debris and trash were flying everywhere. I was terrified. It was like a scene out of a movie. I came upon a weather spotter truck that was pulled over and gathering info, so I knew this was definitely something. All I could think of to do was to just keep driving as fast as I could and get past it! I started to hear a really weird noise from my car. I couldn’t tell if it was the wind or if I had a flat tire or what. So I pulled over to check it out. Luckily, I didn’t blow away! The tires looked fine, so I kept going. I finally got past the awful wind and made it into Glencoe. I continued to hear the weird noise from my car, so I pulled into the DQ parking lot to have a closer look. Tires still ok, so I looked underneath the car and found part of my car was falling off! I must’ve run over some debris or something to knock it loose. Great. 6 PM on Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend, husband still in Iowa. I called Brian and sent him a picture over my phone. I was able to pull off part of what was hanging, and looked to be a cover of some kind so we decided it would be fine for me to finish my drive to my parents’.

Meanwhile, my brother and his family were making their way from Omaha and ran into some storms in SW MN. They weren’t allowed to drive through Redwood Falls because the storm damage was so bad! Eek!! Eventually, I made it to my parents’ and I was greeted by a super excited and surprised Adam! So sweet!! Then Seth arrived a short while later and we were all safe and sound. From then on, the weather was gorgeous for the rest of the weekend!

Brian came out to my parents’ Saturday morning and brought the boat.  My uncle brought his jet skis and we tried out my parents’ new Aqua Cycle. We were able to play on the lake all day! We grilled up a yummy supper and had a bon fire to make s’mores. What a wonderful day!!

Adam and I heading out on the Aquacycle

My dad on his 2nd full day of retirement. He's lovin' life!

Seth and Taylor on the jet ski

Grandpa & the girls on the aquacycle

Grandma made pancakes for all her grandkids!

Sunday was spent playing more outside and hanging out at my parents’. We went home Sunday night and the 3 of us played more on Monday the 4th. We took Adam fishing off the dock in Chaska where he caught a ton of sunnies!

One of Adam's big catches!

We took a dip in the pool:

And after Adam was in bed, Brian and I enjoyed some fireworks courtesy of our neighbors from the comfort of our cul-de-sac!

Then it was back to work for me on Tuesday…..

We finally upgraded Adam from his toddler bed to a double bed! We also figured it was a good time to move him into a bigger, quieter room. He has been sharing a wall with our bathroom, so he would sometimes wake up way too early when I would be getting ready to head to work for a day shift.

Over a few days’ span, I prepped, primed, and put on 2 coats of paint in Adam’s new room. It turned out pretty well and I’m pretty proud of myself! It was a lot of work! We also picked out some new furniture to go in his room: a bed, head board, night stand, and dresser. I found some bedding and a whole mess of accessories to decorate his new room.

While I was at work today, Brian and Adam went and ordered the furniture and brought home the bed. We got the bed set up and the curtains hung. Enough for him to be able to sleep in his new bed tonight! He was so excited!! Here are a few pics of the process. I will post more once we have the furniture and the room is officially complete!

Adam helping me paint his room. He had a blast!

Adam took a picture of Brian and I hanging the valance and curtains!

New bedding theme: Turtles and frogs

Adam showing off his new bed! He's very excited!

Tucked in with plenty of room for his guys!

Night night! Sleep tight! Love you Buddy!

I would like to thank my friend and coworker, Erica Scheffler, for switching shifts at work with me so I was able to take Adam back to the Mall of America today for another fun Toddler Tuesday. We had a great day!

I discovered late last week that The Cat in the Hat was coming to the Mall today. Adam is a HUGE fan of his, so I was hoping to be able to take him. We arrived at the mall about 15 minutes before the Cat’s arrival and waited in line for Adam’s chance to say hello. The Cat showed up and Adam squealed with excitement! He wanted me to hold him up so he could see and he wouldn’t let me put him down. It was finally Adam’s turn. He walked right up and posed for a couple pictures. The picture on my phone is probably the best one. With Brian out of town, I sent it to him right away! Here is one off the camera:

Adam with the Cat in the Hat!

After our visit with the Cat, we decided to wander into Nickelodeon Universe. Unbeknownst to me, ride wrist bands are discounted for Toddler Tuesdays and there are actually quite a few rides my little man can ride! We decided to give some of them a whirl. We started out on the carousel and he picked out the ostrich:

Adam on the carousel

Another ride we tried was ‘Swiper’s Sweepers.’ It was cars that would go around in a loop, but we got whipped around the corners! It was a blast!!

Getting whipped around the corner! So Fun!

Then we did the hot air balloons. This was kinda relaxing and I could easily have gotten rocked to sleep!

Ready for the balloon ride!

Adam and I were getting pretty hungry, so we set off to find some lunch. Adam remembered the Rainforest Cafe and wanted to go back for another lunch. We got to sit by the fish again, and we had another delicious meal!

Adam loved this yellow fish!

This fish would keep coming to the bubbles for a little bubble bath and just lay in there for a few minutes!

Huge icky eel

On our drive home Adam told me his favorite part of the day was meeting The Cat in the Hat and his favorite ride was Swiper’s Sweepers! It was such a nice morning and I’m so thankful to be able to have these days with him!

We’re planning to go back next week for the Kiddie Karnival! I would like to try the Build-a-Bear Workshop with him one of these days too!

Adam loves tomatoes. No, I mean looooves them! He would live on them if we let him. It’s amazing really.

I hate gardening. It looks hard on the back and knees and very dirty. Anything I’ve ever tried to grow, I’ve managed to kill in about a week. I simply forget to water it. And don’t get me started on pulling weeds. NOT my idea of a good time! I know many people who absolutely love gardening and look at me like I’m crazy when I say I don’t.

Since Adam loves tomatoes, I decided it would be an alright idea to get a tomato plant I could grow in a pot on the deck. I’ve been guaranteed by several people I won’t be able to kill it. I figure if I see it sitting there every day, I’ll remember to water it. Plus, Adam is on board with this idea, so he’ll help too.

Today was the day to get our plant and get it planted. Adam and I wandered through the Home Depot garden center looking for the tomato plants. I kept muttering under my breath, “where are the dumb things?” Finally I spotted them. They come super tiny. I was hoping for a little bigger and mature….less chance of killing it I figured.

I decided on a “Patio” tomato plant. Sounded like it was just what we needed. From there, I wasn’t sure. A pot? Some dirt? Do I need a cage? Right on cue a garden center employee walked by and I admitted my complete lack of knowledge on the subject. She pointed me in the direction of a pot and size I would need; potting soil (with Miracle Grow of course!); and a cage.

Adam picked out a bright colored cage, then he decided on the pot as well. $27 later, we were ready.

I was looking at the cage and I was pretty sure I knew the answer to my question, but sent an SOS text to my friend Shannon (one of the many guaranteeing me this will work) to ask which way the cage goes! Yup, I’m that dumb….

We got everything out on the deck. Poured in the soil, tucked in the plant and stabbed in the cage. Added a pitcher of water and Voila! We have a tomato plant! Stay tuned…….

Adam is very excited about our gardening adventure!

It looks kinda sad so far....

Thanks to my gardening family and friends for your support and words of encouragement during this trying time!  😉

That’s right. I was one of the crazies that woke up at 4 AM to watch the wedding of William and Kate. I was recording it on the DVR as well just in case I wasn’t able to convince myself to open my eyes. But once I rubbed my eyes and grabbed the remote, I flipped on the TV and I was hooked. I turned it on to see William making his way to the Abbey. Wow! Looking good! (I met William when my friend Becca and I went to London in 2004….well, we actually only met his wax figure at the Wax Museum, but pretty close, right?!)

Just watching everyone arrive for the wedding was so entertaining. The hats; the clothes; the tradition. So cool!

Then Kate arrived. I could feel the excitement building as we were waiting for her to get out of her car and see the gown everyone has speculated about for weeks. The moment arrived. One word: stunning. Her dress was beautiful. Tiara was simple (as far as tiaras go!) but lovely. Gorgeous veil and train.

During her long walk down the aisle I kept wondering what was going through her mind? Me, I would have been bawling! That much fanfare would have brought me to tears. I’m impressed she was able to hold it together. And how hard it must have been for William to stand there with his back to his bride while she made her way toward him. I loved how Harry peeked at her, then surely made some smart ass comment to his brother.

The ceremony was great. I loved the little looks and smiles they gave each other. It’s obvious they are so much in love!

Like most, I was disappointed by the first kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. I said out loud, “that’s it?!” I’m so glad the crowd made them try a second time. Much better!

Such an amazing day! I’m so glad I got to see it! It’s not every day that an ‘ordinary’ girl gets to marry a prince. It’s like every little girl’s dream coming true!

They’re replaying the wedding this evening on CNN and I’m finding myself getting sucked back in again! Oh no!

Just for fun: a pic of Becca and I in front of Buckingham Palace in '04!

According to the calendar, it’s Spring. However, take one step outside and it is clear that Mother Nature hasn’t looked at the calendar. It’s cold, windy, cold, and we’re supposed to get some snow tonight! I’m not impressed.

Since outdoor activities aren’t real fun yet, I decided to take Adam to the Mall of America today to see the Easter Bunny for the ‘Toddler Tuesday’ activity. This was our first Toddler Tuesday. Adam has never been to MOA and it’s been a while since I’ve been there. I’m one of those dorks who thinks the Mall is pretty cool and fascinating, so I’m always looking for a reason to go there!

With my lack of experience traveling there, I managed to park on the wrong side of the Mall, so we had quite the walk in order to make it to the Best Buy Rotunda. Soon after we arrived, the Easter Bunny showed up. Adam was so excited!! We were a few rows back, but Adam was smiling, waving, and saying ‘Hi!’ I was hoping he would feel the same way when we finally got to the front of the line. He did, and here’s the cute pic!

Adam with the Easter Bunny!

After visiting the Easter Bunny, there were stations set up in Nickelodeon Universe where the kids could get treats. We wandered through and found the goodies, and Adam thought the place was pretty cool! We got pretty hungry from all the walking around so I decided it would be fun to take Adam to Rainforest Cafe for lunch. He thought all the animals and fish were so neat! We got seated right next to a fish tank and he couldn’t keep his eyes off the fish!

Table by the fish at Rainforest Cafe!

After our yummy lunch (Adam ate every bite!) we wandered back to the car and hit the road for home and nap time. We stopped for one last picture:

Outside Rainforest Cafe after lunch

It’s days like this that make me even more thankful for my job. I am so lucky to be able to work but also spend wonderful days like this with my favorite little man!

So we’ve been home from vacation for about a week and a half. Boo Hoo!! It’s been busy since we got home: Brian went to Iowa the morning after we got home, and I took Adam to grandma’s for a few days cuz I had to head back to work! Nothing like a jolt of reality to get us back into the swing of things!

Our vacation was wonderful!! We love Beachscape Villas a little more each time we go there (now 3)! We were a little disappointed that our room wasn’t quite as ocean view as we had hoped, but it ended up being pretty convenient cuz it was close enough to the pool/lobby (where there is free wi-fi) that we were able to get internet in our room! This was very handy for when Adam was napping or in bed for the night.

Our days went a little something like this: wake up; have breakfast at the hotel overlooking the pool and ocean; head back to the room for a little bit to get on swimsuits; go to the pool for while, then to the beach; enjoy lunch on the beach; back to the room for Adam to nap (a few days I soaked up more rays by the pool during nap); head to the pool or beach to swim some more; shower and head out for supper; hang out in the room or outside for a little while, then tuck Adam in to bed. Brian and I would surf the web or read after Adam was in bed, but we had a hard time staying awake past 9! All the sun makes ya tired!

We had delicious meals, absolutely perfect weather, and an all around fabulous time! I cannot wait to get us back there! I’ll have a hard time waiting a whole year!  😉

As promised, here are a few favorite pics. You can see the rest by clicking on “see our photos” on the right—->

Absolutely unbeatable beach at our hotel. Our favorite place to be!

Brian and Adam in the ocean. Their suits match the sky & water!

Adam scooping sand into his bucket

Self photo of Brian and I with Adam behind us

Family photo standing in the beautiful Caribbean

Standing outside Senor Frog's with our balloon hats we got during dinner

I think Spring has finally arrived! It’s been pretty nice around here lately and today, I was able to go for a run outside for the first time. It was so nice! Now I’m super excited for it to continue to get warmer so I can continue running outside! Bye bye treadmill!!

Hope everyone is well and having a nice weekend!