February 2012

Ahhh! I can't believe how lazy I've become about blogging. I was thinking I hadn't taken any photos at all this month because we didn't do anything, but lo and behold, I just checked my camera and there were a ton! Our days are busy and they're flying by.

For mom and dad's birthday, Jenny and I made the fam a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, all organic dinner. It was insanely delicious.



The waitresses couldn't stop ogling the purple cupcakes.


The girls were so happy to get a chance to play with baby Avery! What a little dolly.


Lila and I get to have a lot of 1 on 1 time. She's really good about playing by herself while I'm busy. Her favorite things are dolls, ponies, and Barbies. Her favorite clothes are pretty shirts with leggings, only. Everything else she calls "floppy pants". Recently she's starting to like wearing pig tails and barrettes.


Making cookies one night.


Uncle John and Melinda went to Mexico and brought the kids back these awesome treats. Chocolate eggs with little toys inside! They were very excited. Apparently they have no concerns about choking hazards in Mexico. :)



I took a bunch of photos for our Valentine's day photo shoot. The kids behaved for quite awhile...


This is so cheese ball, but I love it.




...until Lila just couldn't take it anymore!


Tim went to Vegas last week on business, so before he left we took the kids to the Children's Museum.



Tonight we had Elsa's conferences. If I thought thinking about Kindergarten last year was bad, I almost choked when the teacher said that she's totally ready for FIRST GRADE! It's only Kindergarten conferences, but it's still nice to hear so many positive things, especially since she's one of the youngest in her class, with her birthday being 8/22.

January 2012

Two weeks ago was Family Night at Elsa's school. The kids danced to a DJ with their friends and had a blast. (Elsa, Lila, Gracie, Emmie.)


Last Friday Elsa went to a birthday party at Pump It Up in Ham Lake. Lila was sad that she didn't get to go to the party, but luckily, just a block down the road was Adventure Park. She had so much fun on her "special night" with us and loved running around the indoor play land. Elsa had a great time at the party - too bad I didn't get any pics of her with her friends. She's getting so big! She just turned 5, but all the kids in Kindergarten are of course turning six!


A few days ago we got a couple inches of snow, and that's been the most we've had all year! Still haven't had to plow or use the snowblower - I can't believe it. Lila was sick (poor baby... I blame Adventure Park),


but while she napped, Elsa and I went sledding. It was 45 degrees and HOT! We didn't need anything but gloves and snow pants, but we both wore all of our winter gear anyway. The sledding hill quickly turned to dirt, and while we were sledding we were running over nails, old cans, and barbed wire! We cleaned the yard up really good last fall, but with all of the warm weather that junk got pushed to the surface quick. Yiiikes! Luckily neither of us got hurt, but it was kind of rough out there in post-construction land.




Our snowman. How awesome that at the end of January, this partially dirt snowman is the best we can do. I love it.


Elsa wrote our names in the snow.


Lila, Tim and Elsa in the silo.



I get a lot of 1-on-1 Lila time while Elsa is in school, so after Christmas we busted out some of her new toys and tried them out. I built my first Lego set in...25 years?! Gotta love Sponge Bob.


Rockin' out down the basement.


Can you believe how big she looks?! I could cry.


A couple days ago we brought the kids to Celebration of the Lakes in Lindstrom. They do it every winter, but this is the first time we've attempted to brave the weather and go. They're supposed to have a big hot-air balloon launch, but of course this year it was too windy so they cancelled it both days! When we showed up to the park where it was supposed to be held, everyone was leaving. Luckily they had a few other activities at the time, including Dog Sled rides.

Here they are getting buckled in.


There they go!




After that, we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa E's house to visit and see cousin Avery, who will probably forevermore be known as "Baby Avawee". Lila doesn't even call her that anymore, but we still do! Here's the best photo of them together so far.

Over The River and Through The Woods

According to the Mpls Star Tribune, this was the 8th Brown Christmas since 1967. Yesterday was a record-breaking 52 degrees! Previous record: 51 degrees in 1936. Needless to say, we had quite a different Christmas weekend than the usual sledding, snow-fort making, and sitting in front of the fire. Instead we took a walk across the field and into the woods, over to grandma and grandpa's cabin.

We walked across the big field (our house is in the distance on the left)...




...went down into the woods and across the frozen swamp...


...and to the river, where we could finally see the cabin through the trees.


Grandpa was on the porch waiting for us!


View from near the cabin.


Everyone standing on the bridge before our walk back home.


Over the river, through the woods,


and back into the field, with home on the horizon.


The kids explored the silo and found a patch of green.


Even crazier was the caterpillar they saw climbing up our front steps! With a Christmas this nice, we definitely didn't miss the snow. There's sure to be plenty to come during the next 3 months.


Here are some photos of the girls' Christmas dance recital last week:

Elsa and Lila warming up before the show.


Violet, Elsa, and Lila, with Lila's little twin Bridgette on the far left.


One of the dance routines.


The dancers and Teacher Sue.


Celebratory dinner and root beer at Al's Bar across the street.


Christmas photos:

New cowgirl horsies! Yeehaw!


Playing in the tent from auntie Emma.


Opening presents on Christmas Eve day.


Elsa's Christmas hair-do.


Christmas morning. Tired Tim in the background, and excited kids! They slept in their clothes from the night before.


Christmas with the Williams side was a lot bigger this year with all the new babies! All 4 of us cousins now have children, all of them girls. L to R: Avery, Elsa, Mayson, Minneha, and Lila. If anyone has a baby boy he'll be spoiled rotten! :)


Christmas time is Shot-ski time! The lucky guys who married into this family. :)
Yucca, Mark, Shane, and Tim.


Bottoms up!


The cousins: Becky, Kelly, Jenny, me.


That amaretto is tough stuff. :)


My dear cousins Kelly and Becky, with Minneha and Elsa. Beck lives in France so we don't get to see her often. It's always great to have her family home for Christmas.