The Holidazzle Parade

I know that this picture is a little late- but I wanted to show everyone our first Holidazzle Parade picture. For those who don't know, the Holidazzle is a parade that takes place on Nicolet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. It takes place in the evenings and the floats and people are all lit up with Christmas lights. The girls really enjoyed the twinkle lights and Christmas songs. Santa and his reindeer even finished up the parade. We went for the first time this year with our good friends Kati and Jeff and their children Natalie and Leah. We got a parking spot just as the parade was starting, so we sort of had to hurry. Sadly the drive out of the parking garage took longer than the entire parade. Somehow we got lucky and only waited 20-25 minutes to get out of downtown Minneapolis, Kati and Jeff had to sit for 45 minutes. Yuck! Next year we will head up super early and camp out on the sidewalk so we don't have to hold the kids on our shoulders the whole time. Annika had the best view of all, atop Daddy's shoulders.

Yippee!

Hi everyone! Yippee.....we are now home in Lakeville after a great week up north in Two Harbors. It was so much fun playing in all of the snow and hanging out with family. But as always, it's nice to be back in our own home. The mountain of laundry is shrinking and the pile of snow clothes is packed away- now on to the rest of winter break! We are excited because we get another whole week of family fun. First we are going to spend a couple of days hanging at home and then I will head off to school for a few hours to get ready for the next two weeks- a teacher's work is never done! I am sure we will sneak in a trip to the Minnesota Zoo as well as maybe the Children's Museum in St. Paul. Then on Wednesday Grandma Bakke, Jason's mom, is coming up to the Twin Cities to celebrate a late Christmas with us and Uncle Chad and Aunt Jenny. We will spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in New Prague at Chad and Jenny's house. I am going to head over to our local party store and pick up some hats and noise makers to help the girls ring in the new year. I'll be sure to post some pictures, too.

Sledding Fun and Almost a Disaster!

Some Christmas day fun was in store for the Bakke family today. We are up at my parent's house where they have over two feet of snow to play in. The girls have been loving their sledding adventures- their giggles are awesome. Today we almost had a disaster, we can laugh about it now, but I wasn't laughing when it happened. Daddy and Grandpa thought that the sledding was more fun (fast and slippery) on the driveway. For those of you who don't know, my parents live on the only highway that leads from Duluth to Canada along the north shore of Minnesota. It is a very busy highway. Well.... Annika was on her way down the "hill" and Grandpa was supposed to catch her...well after first trying to stop her with his boots, then failing with his hands, he finally went diving for the sled with Kate in his hands and saved her. They were still a good distance from the actual highway, but I was scared! Thank goodness no cars were coming! So.....Momma has decided there will be no more sledding down the driveway. Later in the afternoon Jason and I and Marc and Tina went snowshoeing on my parents 40 acres. It was amazing!! For those who don't know Marc and Tina are getting married on January 9, 2009. How exciting! Enjoy the videos, pictures and giggles. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the North Shore!

A Very Snowy Day!

It has been snowing since eight this morning and it doesn't show any signs of stopping! So I ran to Target and picked up some supplies for baking and bought the girls a big girl sled! Our neighbors have a small sledding hill in their backyard so we headed over there for a little. The girls had fun and thought it was silly. They especially loved throwing snow on Ginger- so funny! Right now the girls and Jason are napping and I am enjoying George C. Scott in the Christmas Carol and some yummy eggnog. I LOVE winter break! The snow will probably cancel my dinner plans with my college friend Jodi, but I would rather not end up in a ditch in St. Paul or worse. The temperature is supposed to drop dramatically tonight and the wind chill will hit a lovely -30 again. So the blowing and drifting snow will create a frozen tundra out there. I am glad that we got outside to enjoy a beautiful snowy day. God bless!

Christmas Cookies

It is Christmas cookie time! The girls and I cheated the last few nights and made store bought sugar cookies. Kate and Annika had so much fun placing the cookies on the sheet. First they were all along the edges, then stacked in towers, then spread all over the place. They were being really silly, but they loved it. This weekend we will do some real baking to get ready for my annual cookie baking get together with my college friends Jodi, Jenni and Laura. We've been getting together every December since 2002. This year the event includes doing all of the baking ahead of time and then just relaxing with some appetizers and wine while the husbands and children play. We usually spend an entire day mixing, baking, cleaning and sorting all of the goodies between the four of us- this year we decided to just have the fun part together, rather than the work. I think it will be great! Hopefully the next two snow storms won't interfere with our plans. We are going to get more snow tonight into Friday and then again on Sunday. We are heading up to Two Harbors on Monday morning for a week up north. We are looking forward to some time away in the great northwoods of Minnesota, plus all of the yummy food we plan to make. Jason and I are going to attempt to make Norwegian Christmas bread and sweet soup this year, just like Grandma Luella. Cross your fingers!

A Winter Wonderland

We are in the middle of a wintry blast of snow and wind. It started yesterday afternoon, unfortunately Jason was out running in it- yuck! Today our high temperature did not get above -1 degrees with a windchill of around -28 degrees. BRRRR! For a few days it was around 33 degrees and the snow was starting to melt, but after last nights snowfall we are all white again for Christmas. My parents had a blizzard over the weekend and ended up with about 12 inches of snow- we can't wait to see it! Only four more days until winter break or rather a much needed mental health break- ha!

A New Adventure....

We are officially potty training! We are using big girl pants, well sort of-they are called pull-ups. Annika doing great! She told us three times today that she had to go potty and she did! She was so proud. We keep asking Kate if she has to go and she just says, "No, I'm good." Typical! Annika has always been the leader of the two, so I am sure Kate will follow in her footsteps quickly.

A Gingerbread House!

Tonight we decorated a gingerbread house with Grandma and Grandpa Cloutier. It was a lot of sticky fun. Thanks to Uncle Nathan and Auntie Jen for a great early Christmas present.

Cousin Fun!

Last weekend we were back in Avoca at Grandma Bakke and Great Grandma's farm. The girls got to see their cousins Brooke and Brayden. They haven't seen each other since summer, but they picked up right where they left off....having fun!

All I want for Christmas....

Last night when we got home from our trip to Grandma Great's farm Annika was playing with her stickers. The girls use them almost everyday and it's really good fine motor skills practice for them, well.... they are almost all gone. So Annika came up to me and said, "Mama, do you think Santa could bring more stickers for Annika?" I chuckled and thought that Santa could probably handle getting some stickers!

Then today at daycare the girl's friend Natalie was holding her new baby sister Leah. Well, Annika wanted to hold her sister too. I guess she wouldn't let Kate go. She wanted to be just like Natalie. Gotta love it!

Preschool Fun

The girls were practicing a color recognition game tonight that they had gotten from our daycare. We are very fortunate that our daycare does a preschool curriculum. She has been sending home games for the girls to practice with us everyday. It's really special to see their love of learning start so early. Yea girls!

Celebrate with Great Joy!

Hi everyone! I know that there are still 6 days until December....but the Bakke house is all decked out for the holiday season. Tomorrow we are heading back to Jason's grandma's farm for Thanksgiving, so this past weekend we put the tree up along with all of our other decorations. The girls had a lot of fun putting up all their special ornaments as well as watching daddy and Uncle Chad string the lights and put the star on top of the tree. I think next weekend we will start making some Christmas cookies to put in the freezer, maybe even a gingerbread house. I can see it already....frosting and candies covering the girls from head to toe! We have a special night at church coming up. Every year the women of the church have a worship service and tea called Advent by Candlelight. It is really special and I can hardly wait.

My goal of having our Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving may not quite happen- but I did come close. I only have three people left to buy for- all of the other gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Even our Christmas cards are being printed and the letter will be typed soon. Unfortunately I have been sick for the last few weeks, maybe it has something to do with all of the stress I am feeling at school. So today I am home drinking tea, wearing comfy slippers, and resting- I hope I can recover before the long weekend.

Time to go and rest, but some parting thoughts as this holiday season begins.... it all started in an unlikely place where unimaginable hope was born- Celebrating the hope that lights our lives in this season of love. Celebrate with great joy! Nehemiah 8:11. God bless and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A Fun New Look

So I discovered this website www.thecutestblogontheblock.com and I love it! They have free backgrounds for blogger sites and it is so easy. So....don't be suprised if I have a little fun changing up the look of our blog and as always I will try and post new pictures of the girls too!

It's beginning to look a lot like......

Well, to be honest it doesn't look a lot like Christmas today, but we have had a few mornings with snow. Last week it was great to wake up and see the white stuff covering everything. The girls really thought it was cool that they could wear their snowpants and winter boots. Ever since last week it has been cold and windy, but not enough of the white stuff if you ask me. I love the snow....well basically I love every season and look forward to each one. It's a good thing that I live in Minnesota, you betcha!

Speaking of Christmas, I have started to sneak a few decorations out of the crawl space. Everyday a little more red and green makes it way out of the Christmas bins. We will officially put up our tree this weekend, along with our outside decorations and nativity set. We are decorating a little earlier this year because we won't be around for Thanksgiving. We are heading back to Westbrook and Great Grandma's farm on Wednesday after school- if the weather permits. My parents will be alone this Thanksgiving, but they will have a full house come Christmas! We are excited to spend Thanksgiving at the farm this year. Our sister-in-law, Jen and niece and nephew Brooke and Brayden and Grandpa Doug are all coming from Arizona. It will be a very full house at the farm. Dare I say, close to bursting.

This past Monday the girls started back at their daycare. They were SO excited to see their friends again. They started their preschool curriculum again, which is wonderful! Our fridge is full of craft projects again and they come home exhausted. We love our daycare!!!

The girls have been into making towers. Really tall towers and then of course knocking them down. They are too cute! Enjoy the pictures!

New Family Pictures....

Hi everyone! Our new family pictures are now posted on our friend Matt Addington's website. Click http://www.mattaddington.com/ and then go to Your Photos and you will find them. Let us know if you would like to order any- you won't be able to download them off of his site. Enjoy! Here is a little preview.....

It's beautiful out!

Today the temperature reached 70 degrees. It made me wonder, is it really November? Hard to believe. But, unfortunately I am sure that the cooler weather will return this weekend. The girls had their bikes out today after school, without any jackets. Now that just doesn't seem right for Minnesota on November 3rd. The video is of the girls saying, "It's beaaauuutiful out!" I thought it was pretty cute.

Enjoy the pictures of the girls reading. Annika's favorite new thing to do is change her clothes, like 20 times a day. Now she likes to put on "comfy clothes or comfortables". Kate really likes to read on her bike and inside our IKEA shopping bags. Enjoy the start of your week everyone! Hugs and kisses from Kate and Annika!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! Tonight we had a lot of fun trick or treating and handing out candy. First we started out getting the girls into their Care Bear outfits, which they loved! They wanted to take their red wagon around the neighborhood, so daddy pulled them to a few of our neighbors. I think they had more fun just saying, "Trick or treat!" because they could care less about the candy. We even took a little drive to south Lakeville to visit Kati, Jeff, Natalie and baby Leah (our daycare friends). Then we came home to hand out candy and the girls were great little helpers. They really liked handing out the lollipops for some reason....

The girls decorated pumpkins last night and Jason carved up our largest pumpkin. We used finger paints and the girls had SO much fun. It was all over the place. Then today they made Halloween cupcakes with Aunt Jenny who came to watch them because we didn't have daycare. They even helped dump the eggs in, stir up the batter and of course EAT them!

Tomorrow we are going to a belated Halloween party at a friends house and then daddy is eldering at church for the first time at the evening service. Sunday we are taking family pictures for our Christmas card with our favorite photographer, Matt Addington. After that we are heading over to Uncle Chad and Aunt Jenny's to have some good quality family time. The weather has been great, in the 60-70's these last few days, so we hope to get a few more trips to the playground this weekend as well. I heard that we might get some snow next weekend- oh well. Welcome November!

Annika's ABC Puzzle

For the last week or so, Annika has been working on an ABC puzzle. It's a giant ABC train with picture clues on it. Well, Annika has it all figured it out. She can put that thing together with hardly any help at all. She does ask a lot..."Mama what's next"... but then she gets on a roll. Pretty impressive for a two and a half year old. I tried something new on my camera, even though I've had it for five years, I have never done a video clip. So this is my first try. Pretty bad for a former techy teacher. Not to be outdone, while Annika did her ABC's, Kate of course offered her own version. Enjoy!

A Good Ol' Pile of Leaves

The girls and I had a great time this afternoon playing in our huge piles of leaves. Jason was working on the raking part and we were just working on the silly playing part. Gotta love fall in Minnesota!

October Fun

Hi everyone. I know it has been a couple of weeks, so let's get an update. No marker incidents lately, no car repair needed lately....but let me share some of the funnier moments from the past weeks.

I always find it funny, yet very cool that I can now have conversations with Kate and Annika. Serious, actual conversations. Well, Annika was being a little naughty the other day and I went upstairs to have a good talk with her. I asked her why she was climbing on her bookcase after I had asked her not to....she said that Kate told her to. Ha! I thought, "Who should you listen to Annika?" "Grandma and Grandpa" she said, "Who else, Annika?" "Daddy.....and Ginger." (Our dog!) "Who else, Annika" as I am trying not to laugh out loud, "Ummmm, mommy?" Great! Now do you see what I am in for...... for the next 20 plus years. Oh dear!

Another Annika moment, we are sitting and eating dinner and Grandma Cloutier tries to trick Annika. Little Annika is telling Grandma all of the foods that she LOVES. After her extensive list, Grandma says, "and....broccoli." "I like broccoli Grandma" "You do?" "Yes I love broccoli........" Annika tilts her head and looks right at Grandma and says, "I no like broccoli!"

During the last two weeks we have been up north to Two Harbors to visit Grandma and Grandpa Cloutier at their house and see Uncle Marc and his girlfriend Tina. Then Grandma came back to Lakeville with us to watch the girls during our short MEA week. This weekend we finally went to the pumpkin patch. The girls see the pumpkin patch everyday on the way to daycare. They have been asking when we can go there for about a month. So they were very excited when we told them we finally get to go to the PUMPKIN PATCH!!! We had the whole patch to ourselves and the girls had a lot of fun trying to pick out the best pumpkin. They would walk over to a pumpkin and try to lift it and then say "So heavy!". We ended up with three cute little pumpkins and a HUGE pumpkin for daddy to carve up on Halloween.

This weekend the girls and I are home with Grandma and Grandpa and Jason is back in Westbrook for his cousin Sara's wedding. We are looking forward to Monday when Aunt Jenny is coming over to watch the girls while we are back at work after our nice long MEA weekend. Soon October will be done, I can hardly believe it. Where did 2008 go? Oh well, it just teaches you to enjoy every moment you are given......and that is what I plan to do. Enjoy your moments this weekend. God bless!