Weekend Wrap-Up/2023 Wrap-Up

Hello all!  We are wrapping up 2023 today.  Can you believe it?  But first, I have to wrap up the weekend.

On Friday the girls went with Boom and G-ma to the Swedish Museum!

On Saturday we hung out at home for most of the day, and then Hanna and I ended up getting a pedicure and margarita, while the kids hung out with the boys.

Today is the end of the year, and the only photo I took was of Luna in the little bit of snow we got.

Now onto the Yearly Wrap-Up.  Here it is...2023!

Happy New Year!  Bring on 2024!

A Picture Update

Happy Friday!  I can't believe the girls have already had most of their winter break, and I also can't believe that the beginning of the week was CHRISTMAS.  It already feels so long ago!  It has been a whirlwind!  Here are our pics...

Monday was Christmas!!  We woke up and wore our matching jammies...and the girls got their Santa gifts.  

Uncle Dan, Auntie Hanna, Mitchell, Isla, G-ma and Boom came over in the morning for brunch, presents and fun play time!

We also got to FaceTime Auntie Cat (who was in Canada for a fun Canadian Christmas adventure!).

Later, we went over to Uncle Dan, Auntie Hanna, Mitchell and Isla's house and got to hang out with them (again) and Pa!  There were more gifts and playtime and a yummy spaghetti dinner...and SO MANY Christmas cookies!

Also, this girl is such a sweet goofball.

The girls went over to Boom's right away on Tuesday morning for a full day of fun and a sleepover, so I took that opportunity to attack their RIDICULOUS post-Christmas (and let's be honest, mostly all-the-time) rooms.  I started with Callie's room...and it took all morning to clean and organize.  You can see the before picture below on the left, and the after picture on the right.  

Maya's room was my afternoon project...I thought it wouldn't take as long, but the girls had so many bins filled with so much random stuff.  It took forever!

Meanwhile...the girls got to go to "A Christmas Carol" with Boom and do fun things at her house!

This morning the moon and clouds looked cool when I was on my run with Luna.  After I got the girls back, Cal and I played a new game, Maya played with my phone, and the sunset was pretty.

When it got dark, we headed to the Viking practice facility for a drive-through light show. It was pretty cool!  Lots of funny lights.

Maya played with one of her new presents when she got home, and then realized what having a hood on all day does to her hair... 

On Thursday we got Lucy for the day!  We went to the Minnesota Zoo and met Auntie Hanna, Mitchell and Isla there.



We missed Mila (AND AVERY!) of course!

That night I made a yummy chicken and pepper sammie with potato wedges, which I was proud of...and the girls played together nicely.

Today was Callie's birthday party!  Boom and G-ma took the girls for most of the day so I could have the house to myself to get ready.  She had 5 friends over around 4pm, and they hung out it her newly clean room, had hot chocolate and snacks, sang karaoke in the basement, ate pizza for dinner, and then made gnome cookies for dessert! I was able to sneak one picture when they were drinking their hot chocolate, and then I left them alone. ;)

As we head into the end of 2023, I’m feeling grateful and also tired…ha! My goal is to put together a 2023 wrap-up post on Sunday, so come back for that! In the meantime, click here for some videos from the week.  

Timehop Wednesday

Ooops! It’s that week of the year when I never know what day it is. 

Here are my Timehops…all 14-year-old related!

And then…me and my mom when I was 14!

And braces and bangs in 1996…

Merry Christmas!

We hope you all have a wonderful day!

Weekend Wrap-Up: A Birthday and Christmas Eve!

Hello everyone!  Merry Christmas Eve! 

We had quite the weekend. Friday was Callie's birthday, and it was an awesome day.  She came downstairs to a Taylor Swift pile of presents and cookies.

A bit later she opened presents and did my makeup.

We met Auntie Hanna, Mitchell, Isla and Pa for lunch at Olive Garden (Uncle Dan stopped by too!) and enjoyed a big lunch (and some Taylor Swift tattoos).

Callie wanted to get acrylic nails done, so both girls got a little pampering after lunch.

The day ended at Boom's house, with more Taylor tattoos, Punch Pizza, presents and cookies with Auntie Yoda, Uncle Craigles, Lucy, Mila, Boom and G-ma!

I think she had a pretty great day, and I love the fact that even though she's now 14, she still loves herself some footie pajamas!

Yesterday was a down day to get stuff done: lots of laundry, lots of cleaning, lots of purging stuff we don't need or use.  It felt good!

Today is Christmas Eve Day!  We always open our family gifts on the morning of Christmas Eve Day.

Chris and I even got gifts this year...homemade pillows!  

We went to the 3pm Christmas Eve service at church, and then went to Auntie Yoda and Uncle Craigles' house for a Christmas Eve celebration and dinner with them, Lucy, Mila, Boom, and Craig's parents Mark and Mariellen! There was wine and presents and a delicious fajita dinner and a FaceTime with the Sharpe/Ekeberg clan and then yummy sweets!

And as we drove home we passed the house in their neighborhood that goes all out with Christmas lights every year.

Last, but not least, the sweet little elves have been up to no good on their last few days with us this season.

We hope everyone has a wonderful and merry Christmas!