Visit to Grandma and Grandpa

We were getting cabin fever staying at home.  No school, no church, no therapies, no nothing.  And since school was all virtual, we might as well be some place fun!  We packed up and went to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Minnesota.

I've never been to Minnesota in the spring. Usually the kids are in school so it's not a possibility.  It was so beautiful to see the forest behind Grandma and Grandpa's come to life.  The forest is one the kids favorite parts of Grandma's house so we spent a lot of time out there.

After a few days at Grandma's, we packed up the car again and drove to Wisconsin to Grandma's cabin.  My kids still talk about going to the cabin, they loved it so much! The only problem was the mayflies. There was so many, you can even see them in our pictures.  They covered everything!  We spent a few days indoors or by the campfire to keep away from them.  Once they died down a bit we were able to enjoy being outside more.  

Any trip to the cabin is not complete without a trip to Tremblay's candy shop.  We were lucky they were open!  We practically had the whole shop to ourselves.  Evy was in heaven being able to pick out her own candies.

The last couple days at the cabin were warm enough, calm enough and not too buggy enough for us to get on the lake.  Evy loved the rush of the jet ski and Nate loved the peacefulness of the kayak.

And we fit in a few more cookouts too!

Then it was time to head back to Grandma's house for some more fun.  We made even more crafts. Evy was also a super helper washing cars and planting flower pots with Grandma. We even pulled out the Rokenbok from when daddy was a little boy.

Too soon it was time to head back home.  On our way home we stopped in Winter Quarters.  The visitor's center was closed, but we were able to see the statues and the temple!

This trip was nearly perfect.  Not sure if it was the magic of Grandma and Grandpa, but the kids were so well behaved and we all had such a great time.  It definitely left me feeling like we should try it again sometime soon.

Easter

Evy Turns 5!

She's been waiting and waiting for this birthday and making plans all the while.  She had definite ideas of what she wanted to do. She wanted blueberry pancakes for breakfast, go on her field trip, eat Chik fil a, dress as a princess and have Nate be her prince, and have perfectly pink princess cake.  We did pretty good at giving her the birthday she's been dreaming of.

Christmas 2019

At our house, the Christmas season starts when the tree goes up after Thanksgiving.  With the trree comes a very special delivery of Christmas jammies to wear throughout the season.

Before Dec 1st rolls around, two other things show up: 25 wrapped Christmas books and our gifts of togetherness advent. Some of our advent activities were making snowflakes, delivering neighbor gifts, going to a Christmas concert, watching Christmas movies, helping the kids pick out gifts for each other at the toy store, and looking at Christmas lights.

One of our new favorite traditions is making gingerbread houses with friends.  I make graham cracker houses, everyone brings candy, and the kids go to town decorating their own houses.  It's crazy and so much fun.  All the kids eat way too much candy, but we don't care too much since the adults get some time to talk.  It's so much fun.

This Christmas was definitely one we're never going to forget.  On Christmas Eve, Nate and Evy were in a big fight.  They needed sometime to cool down so Brad sent Nate to the top of the stairs and Evy to sit at the bottom.  Well sneaky little Evy climbed up the stairs to keep bugging her brother. I went up to investigate the mayhem and was just in time to see Nate push Evy into the wall.  Her shoulder hit the wall first and then her head bonked. Nothing that bad.  At least nothing, until Evy started throwing up. Again and again.  Thankfully, Grandpa and Grandma Packer had come for Christmas so Grandpa did a neurological exam on her.  If she didn't stop throwing up in an hour it was time to call our pediatrician.  Well she didn't stop, so we called our pediatrician who told us it was time to head to the ER.  Christmas Eve in the ER wasn't near as busy as I expected.  They got us right in, got some tests done, and got us some meds.  The nurses even brought Evy in a gift.  Evy was so nervous she was going to miss Santa.  We eventually had to get an IV in to administer meds and fluids, but Evy finally stopped throwing up.  We made it home before Santa came.

The next day, Evy was still not herself.  She made it through opening presents before she lay down in the family room and took a nap.  Nate declared it the best Christmas ever, not just because he got Lincoln Logs, but because Evy didn't play with any of his toys.

We're so glad Grandma and Grandpa could come.  They made this Christmas so special.  Nate and Evy love hearing Grandpa's stories and no one is better to snuggle with them Grandma. We love Christmas with our family!