Halloween Fun

We just LOVE holidays here and Halloween is always a treat! We've done family costumes a few times and decided it would be fun again this year. After much discussion, the girls and I decided on an idea (poor hubby doesn't get to choose!). Jolie, Benoit and I would all be Minions and Belle would be Scarlett - she wanted something fancy. Luckily, I had recently ordered a red dress for her and thought it would be perfect with some long black gloves, black tights, etc. Well, she was not as excited about that idea. So 6 days before Halloween, she really was sad about her costume and I realized that she will only dress up and trick-or-treat with us for a few years before she's too 'cool' for it all. Off to Target we go!

She fell in love with a Snow Queen costume but it was $30 (really, ya'll!) and they didn't have her size. That night I found it on Target.com for $21 with free shipping and 5% off - hurray! I did pay the extra shipping to make sure it would arrive on time for her Harvest Party at her school Friday. But she was thrilled and counting down the days until it arrived.

Jolie was still proud of her costume choice and happy to be dressing up with Mom and Dad. Score for the parents! We had a great time walking with neighborhood friends and just being kids again ourselves. Now, we have too much candy and will be donating it soon. After picking out some of our faves, of course. :)

Jolie at the Harvest Party at school with her Dad.

Belle and me at the Harvest Party.

At the community Halloween Party with games, treats, and a spooky house!

Three Minions and a Snow Queen!

Me and my mini-minion!

Sweet Cody always looks so handsome in his Dapper Dog costume!

The Snow Queen and me!

Fall For Family

October is just flying by and we are having fun! This month, Belle lost her second tooth and was so excited for the Tooth Fairy to visit. She drew a sweet picture and asked for 'lipstick please.' She also asked for a picture of the Tooth Fairy's tooth collection. Well...Belle was a little disappointed when she awoke to find a sparkly dollar (fairy dust, you know!) and a note that said she could use the money to buy lipstick (or gloss, as her Mom prefers) and that while the Tooth Fairy did not have a picture of her collection, she did have a special place for her tooth. Oh well. A small disappointment now is a good way to learn to manage expectations and how to bounce back! Here is Belle's sweet note to the Tooth Fairy.

Our girls LOVE piggyback rides up the stairs for bedtime! My husband gives the best in town and last week, he decided to up his game with a double. He had Belle on his back holding on to his neck and then Jolie climbed on top and he held her wrists as they hiked up the stairs. Well, either with just the pulling motion or maybe she got twisted when she rolled off at the top of the stairs - we are not quite sure - Jolie dislocated her elbow. She was in a bit of pain but we didn't know if she was being overly dramatic or not. It's just so darn hard to tell sometimes. She went to bed and fell right asleep, so we thought maybe she was just exaggerating. The next morning, she still refused to move her arm. We ended up at the doctor's office and in 2 seconds, she was good as new! On the way to school, we stopped at Arby's for her fave - curly fries! All was forgiven!

We are lucky to have Grand-maman visit this month and the girls had a blast with her. They played card games all week and learned how to play solitaire, the clock, and war. Over and over and over! We also visited the Minnesota Children's Museum, which is always a big hit. The girls have a blast and it's just fun to watch them. With both girls now in school, we don't get to go very often but they were out for MEA, the MN version of fall break. So glad to spend this time with Grand-maman!

My hubby and I had some time to go for one last drive in the convertible. This was our 10 year anniversary gift to each other this year and each time we take it out lately, it's the LAST time. You just never know what the weather is going to be like in Minnesota in October! But we are thankful to Grand-maman for a quick little mini-date!

Now, we are prepping for Halloween and I'll post about that another time. Enjoy the fall and your family!

Fun family weekend

We love weekends! My husband often travels for work, so we cherish our family time on the weekends. Our girls worked quietly upstairs for an hour creating the 'Sister Cafe' so we made sure to enjoy dinner at the new restaurant. They had a tablecloth, place mats, coasters, utensils, napkins, and even menus. We had to honor the ice cream menu for dessert, of course!

Fine dining at the 'Sister Cafe.' 

Super proud of my hubby who completed the 50 mile Tour de Tonka in 3 hours and 20 minutes! Once upon a time, he biked across country from Seattle to Washington DC to raise money for Bike Aid. Nowadays, he pedals around the town on Saturday mornings. So the 50 miler was a good test for him and he did an amazing job. The girls and I were waiting at the finish to cheer him on!

Proud of their Daddy!

Crossing the finish!

The results are in....

Three weeks ago, I started my 21 Day Fix Challenge. I hosted a free online group and completed the Challenge myself too. My group lost over 30 pounds!!! I am crazy excited for each of my challengers for taking charge of their fitness and making huge strides to a better, healthier self. As for me, I lost 6 pounds and 7 inches! This was no magic pill or potion. Just plain 'ole exercise and eating right. You know, the same mantra your doctor preaches. And I had fun! I loved checking in with my Challengers, seeing what recipes they were making, hearing how they squeezed in a workout into their crazy, busy life. It was inspiring and kept me motivated through the three weeks!

For me, it was powerful to see the impact my workouts had on my two sweet girls. I started getting up a little earlier to squeeze in the workout because once the kids get up, I'm in full mommy-mode for the day and it's hard to break away for 30 minutes. But some mornings, they would wake a little early and make their way to the basement and snuggle on the couch and watch me finish my program. They would occasionally join in and do some of the routine with me. I know they are watching everything we do as parents. I love that I can be a positive influence and inspire them to live a healthy, active life! If you are looking for a personal coach or a new challenge, message me! I would love to help you reach your personal goals. :)

This is one of my workout buddies cheering me on!

Exciting New Venture!

I am so excited to share that I  joined Team Beachbody as a Health & Fitness Coach! I am passionate about healthy eating and fitness and I love encouraging others to make healthy choices. Beachbody is a perfect fit for me because it gives me the opportunity to talk to people about a healthy lifestyle every day. I get to continually improve my fitness with their incredibly popular and effective programs. My faves are PiYo and the 21 Day Fix! I just started Shakeology and love the taste and knowing it's my 'Healthiest Meal of the Day' because it's loaded with good stuff for my body. I feel so encouraged by the Beachbody community and am thrilled to have the chance to make a huge, positive impact on the health of myself, my family, and friends!

For this reason, I'm renaming my blog to represent my lifestyle and passion. There will always be family updates but now new healthy living posts too.

Stay tuned for the results of my 21 Day Fix Challenge! And if you are in need of a coach, cheerleader and fitness partner, I would love the opportunity to encourage you on your fitness journey! My girls are loving the healthier, more energetic version of me too. Here we are celebrating all things silly!

A Grand Visit

We were blessed to have Grand-maman visit during a special week of celebrations. Jolie turned 5 years old and Belle graduated from Kindergarten! It's always fun to have her here and spending time with our family since she lives so far away but especially fun to celebrate these important milestones with her. She always asks for a project when she comes, which is super helpful, so this time she painted my mudroom/laundry room and my main garage wall that was hideous. I LOVE the bright new laundry room - it may even make me excited to do more laundry! Well, maybe. And I'm thrilled to pull into a garage that looks a little less 'garagee' and more put together. It's the little things!

I promise she didn't work the entire visit - we did have a fun family night cheering in the Saints at their new stadium!

Jolie and I went for a nature walk with Grand-maman at Minnehaha Falls, which was very peaceful and beautiful.

Of course, all sweet Jolie wanted to do was dip her toes in the water. She just can't resist kicking off her shoes wherever we go!

Proud to Be An American!

May 26 marks a special day for our family - Benoit became a US Citizen! On this special day, we all attended the ceremony with over 400 other individuals to celebrate Benoit's nationalization. The judge was enthusiastic and offered his congratulations along with a moving speech about rights and responsibilities as citizens of this great nation. Jolie wanted to know if we would meet the President at the ceremony, and although we did not, President Obama did make a video appearance congratulation the newest members of the USA. She also commented that she was thirsty and it was dry as a desert there and wondered why she had to get dressed up for this BORING ceremony. It's tough to be four!

Cheering on Dad!

Welcoming our newest US Citizen!

Beach Bums

Spring in Minnesota is tough for me. As a southern girl, I am ready for flowers and sun and water in March. For me, it just can't come fast enough. So this year, we extended a multi-family Disney trip with a few extra days in the Florida panhandle to soak up the sun! My Mom lives about an hour away, so we enjoyed some Nana and PawPaw time. My amazing brother even flew in from CO and stayed with us! The weather was perfect and I could not get enough. What a perfect beach week!

I ate seafood everyday. I sat at the beach and read Gone Girl (yes, I'm a little late to the party) ever day. I watched my girls play in the sand for hours every day. I had beers with my brother every day. I stayed up late talking with my Mom and stepdad every day. I was happy. Every day.

Loved spending full days with my Kindergardener!

Belle was a real trooper with her broken arm. She just played in the sand for hours and had a blast!

Belle and Jolie showing off their sandcastle which kept growing every day.

Jolie could spend every waking moment digging in this perfect Florida sand!

If it ain't broke...

Well it is.... Belle broke her arm in April during gymnastics class. She was doing a cartwheel off the balance beam and fell on her left arm. She cried only a little and continued with the class after a quick ice pack. There was no obvious indication that she had broken her arm and we thought she was just fine. But she kept complaining about it that evening and even took Tylenol (gasp!). She despises medicine so much, that I knew something was wrong. We saw her pediatrician in the morning and they said she had a buckle fracture near the growth plate and wanted her to see an pediatric orthopedic physician that day. After another doctor visit, she is comfortably in a sling for the next four weeks. Little does she know that we've been planning a beach/Disney trip for the past year! Ugh. But she should be able to enjoy most of the rides with no problems and we are lucky she does not need a cast because she would not be able to go to the beach with it. Silver linings!

She was all smiles and ready to show her friends at school the next day!

Singing in Church

Audrey's preschool class sang at church this weekend. She did a great job and was so excited! See the link below. On Friday, I was able to volunteer in her class for the day. It's always a treat to observe her and her friends, how they play, what she enjoys doing in class, who she hangs out with. A four year old only tells you a sliver of what goes on at school. She was proud to have me there and wanted to sit in my lap during circle time and hold my hand when we walked to the playzone for gym time. She asked me to go with her to the bathroom and admitted she was always a little scared to go at preschool because she is nervous about the loud potty. She hates flushing potties everywhere! She wanted me to read her a book and soon my lap was full of kids. They rehearsed their songs for church, so I got a preview. It was a great day!

Shepherd's Flock Preschool Sings at Church

Saving Money and Playing Nice

Welcome 2015! One of my goals is to document this beautiful life a little more frequently. So here goes!

This week, Sophie left me a note in my bed for the first time. She has a goal of purchasing an American Girl doll and she has been diligently saving her money from allowance, extra chores, gifts, etc. for several months. She wants to make and sell paper airplanes and paper boats. She found the directions for the paper boats in a library book and can get about halfway through the directions before she needs my help. She currently has about 20 airplanes and boats if anyone would like to buy one. She has priced them at $1 each or 100 for $1. She may need a class in business.

"Mom, Look under the book 'cause there is something for you to do but there is something under this paper."

Audrey has made a new friend at preschool, Emerson, who lives in our neighborhood. Her mom and I finally realized we could set up playdate exchanges so now we swap out Monday mornings. This Monday, Emerson came to our house and the girls played and had lunch, then I took them both to preschool and then Emerson's mom picked them up. They have a blast and the moms get alternating breaks. Win-win! Audrey loves playing with Emerson but still gets upset when a friend plays with her favorite toys or plays with her toys in a different way. She will get mad and then go to her room to be alone. So we are still working on being a good friend and being kind to a guest. At 4.5 y/o, that's still a little tricky.

We enjoyed a pillow fight this week, which is always fun. Audrey attacks over and over and Sophie stays along the edge and jumps in occasionally when my back is turned. Here we are post-pillow-fight taking a break. Good stuff!