Another awesome winter weekend. We decided to take the day & drive up north to do some sap collection with my dad... hoping that with the warm temps & sunshine it will be running so we can make maple syrup. Last spring with covid just hitting we missed our opportunity. Today, the weather was perfect... or so we thought. When we got there the trees were barely dripping so we decided to head to the lake for some ice fishing, hoping that when we got back it would be flowing a little faster. 

Love this crew.... just missing my mom. 

The girls had fun riding around on the 4-wheeler & running to the tip-ups when the flag popped up. Only caught 2 little fish, but the kids didn't care. They had enough fun just playing on the ice together.

Margaux with the littles...

Maeve got to bring a friend. She was excited to show Eva the syrup making process...

Marin also enjoyed the fresh air. It was much needed for everyone & my dad was so happy to have us all up there for the day. Next time we need to plan better & spend the night.

Even the parents enjoyed the togetherness. Gary & Mike enjoyed themselves a little more than Katie/myself. The two of us drove home! haha

Love this picture of my dad in his happy place. 

We all had such a fun day. When we got back to the red cabin the syrup was still not really moving as much as we had hoped. The kids did not care at all, they busted out the game of Clue & played two rounds while eating everything in sight. Apparently always starving. I'm sure tomorrow will be the better day for sap, just our luck. But we can't complain, it was an enjoyable day. xoxo

 Gary was so excited to head to Upper Michigan this weekend for his first race in a long while. This weekend was the last of the Marquette events for him, he's now completed the whole series. (Same as the 100 mile run he did 1.5 years ago & the 50 mile he did this past summer.) This one is called the Polar Roll, a 36 mile snowshoe race through the trails of Marquette.  They really lucked out with weather, the temps were perfect. Gary even contemplated wearing shorts with temps in the high 30's. 

Overall a great run. They trained in snowshoes a lot the past month or two. He said the only hard part about having mild winter temps was some of the trail heads didn't have snow cover so they had to transition in & out of snowshoes. Not hard, just time consuming switching back & forth.

It is so beautiful all times of the year up in that area. The girls & I opted to stay home (their rental was not that big or nice enough for me to justify packing us all up!!!) but after seeing all the photos he sent, I regretted it a bit. They definitely had a beautiful weekend. 

Gary signed up to do the 100 mile run again in September. Something tells me we'll have our share of opportunities to visit again in the future. Glad they had such a great weekend & were able to finish the race without issues! xoxo

 We have had weeks of freezing cold temps. Windchills into the negative 30's, not idea temps to be enjoying the winter. Through it all, my friend Jenny & her family worked to create this amazing igloo in their yard. It took an entire week of freezing ice in plastic shoe boxes overnight, building during the day & then repeating the process until it was complete. Basically a full time job for them! The big girls went north with Veraghens for the night so Gary & I had Maeve to ourselves today & decided to pay the igloo a visit. So much fun! It was so cool to feel how warm it actually was inside... almost 30 degrees warmer than outside. We even stopped for igloo treats that Maeve shared with the Longlais kiddos.

After our fun visit there we made a trip to Barnes & Noble for Maeve to pick out a few new books. She was so darn excited & was reading as soon as we got home. She decided on Chipolte for dinner & of course requested to sleep in our room.... again. She's lucky she's so cute!!!

She's had a fun few days. Yesterday I dropped off a special lunch for her & Mrs. W to celebrate Mrs. W's birthday (Which is Monday but I have to work). They had Noodles & Co. for lunch & some chocolate for dessert. Maeve was pretty excited for her lunch date. Something different & probably much tastier than the peanut butter & chocolate chip sandwich she eats every day!

Tomorrow the big girls come home & Maeve's weekend as an only child will be done. She actually told me tonight that she misses the girls & the house is too quiet! haha She'll be happy when they are home. Unlike her, I actually don't mind a little peace & quiet!! xoxo

 Happy Valentines Day! Tonight we had our traditional candle lit family dinner... minus Marin. She opted for a dinner with her "galentines." This years dinner was creamy poblano soup & a big selection of desserts. More than anyone needed as usual. Always a treat getting this crew to all look at the camera... smiles are an added bonus! Maeve celebrated in her favorite outfit, her pajamas!

Marin & her friends had dinner together as well. No night is complete with out a photo when it comes to these girls. They are all looking so grown up.

Fun evening for all. I am ready for bed after all the eating & sugar! Happy Valentines Day! xoxo

We've had a long winter with no snow... until now. This was our first big snowfall & we were all anxious to get outside. Unfortunately, there is a cold front coming through & the girls were only able to enjoy the snow for a day/night. The littles headed outside after dinner & stayed outside until almost 10:30pm. They had so much fun. Gary was eager to get outside for a run this morning & the temps definitely fell overnight. -30 windchills this morning. He was frozen (literally) when he got home. It took a bit for his eyelashes to thaw out, not sure how he thinks that is fun?!?

Marin was also outside last night with her friends. They had so much fun together. Nice to see them outside vs on a device!!! Looks like she's about to get a snowball to the face in this photo...

Now we're stuck back inside because it is so darn cold!!! The snow was fun for the short period of time, hopefully this cold weather doesn't stay too long. The fresh air felt so good. xoxo

 Big girls have been asking for a second piercing for months. With covid & many stores being shut down for quite some time it was hard to make it happen. Now that the stores are back open via appointment we decided to go get the piercings... finally!! (per Marin) Margaux was brave & opted to go first. She handled it like a champ, not a peep out of her.

Marin was next & she was way more of a baby. Still did well, but she whined a little more about it hurting. Made us laugh. The videos were so funny.

Glad it is done. They'll be anxious to change those studs in 6 weeks. Let's hope they'll keep them clean & we can steer clear of infection. Marin already asked for a 3rd piercing up higher on her ear on the way home. One at a time Marin... xoxo

 When I arrived at school today Wendy walked by the classroom I am subbing in & we just looked at each other & laughed. We may spend a little time together, haha. Not the first time we've dressed the same unintentionally. Always funny. 

This pic of Gary is from a few days ago when we ran errands together. This was the highlight of the shopping trip. He wanted to bring this home so badly. Too bad his birthday is just past. I think this piñata would have made his day if I had it filled with Reeses peanut butter cups!!

Anything Fortnite/Playstation related makes him happy. Child trapped in a 41 year old body. Next year, maybe he'll be lucky enough to get a Playstation piñata! xoxo

 This afternoon while I was teaching I received an unsettling phone call from Gary. "Hey, Maeve cut herself at school, they've been trying to get a hold of you. She most likely needs stitches. I am on my way but it is going to take me 20 minutes to get there." Ugh!!! Being that my school is right next door, I left immediately to go grab her. Surprisingly, she was in much better spirits than I expected. The secretary said she was in shock. Her hand was all wrapped up so we just left it & went right to urgent care.  She had been cutting cardboard in her classroom for a winter village project. The tool slipped & cut right across her knuckle, pretty deep & all the way across.

She was happy to see one of our neighbors was going to be her nurse. I think that put her at ease a bit. Upon being checked in, they unwrapped her finger & it had to soak in a bath to wash out any germs, etc. before they stitched it up. They knew right away once they unwrapped it that it was going to need to be stitched. We spent our time watching Barbie movies while she waited & tried to keep her mid off the bath of bloody water that her hand was soaking in. Gross.

Felt like we were there forever! But once the block/numbing shot was done she was good to go & back to smiling. Poor peanut didn't like that big shot, but it was necessary because they were not able to numb around the area because it was bleeding so badly. A little ibuprofen & a fancy wrap/band-aid & we were good to go. 

Once we got home she rested a bit & her very first concern was if she would be able to sleep in our room (of course!!!). She was happy to nestle into her nest on the floor with her hand elevated. The doctor suggested that to help with the nighttime throbbing. Overall, she was far more calm than we would have imagined her to be given the circumstance. This is her second time with stitches. First time was years ago behind her ear after spinning & hitting her head on the table at grandmas. Hopefully this is the last. No PE class & has to take it easy for her for 10 days until the stitches come out. It's in a spot that would rip a stitch easily. Glad it wasn't worse! xoxo

 The Packer win while we were in Florida brought the team within one game of the Super Bowl & also a lot of excitement. Gary decided to really class it up by dressing for the occasion. Shorts, tank top & mustache. Seems fitting, except we planned on tailgating at Katie & Mikes outside and it's the middle of winter. He's crazy! We watched the majority of the game outside, until they were not playing well & we decided we needed to switch it up and watch in the garage in hopes of a better game.

No such luck. Packers lost, but we sure did have a cute cheering squad.

The kids didn't really watch the game. Maybe it is their fault the Packers lost! They spent the majority of their day either snacking or sledding. Fun afternoon for them regardless of the loss. Not the outcome we were hoping for... a Super Bowl would have been so fun. Next year! xoxo

 HBD to me! Just as I thought we'd had enough cake... I was surprised with another one. And it was an awesome one... Peloton!!! Gary sure knows the way to my heart. These kiddos were happy to have more cake too. Fortunately it was a different flavor at least. 

My day was spent doing a whole lot of nothing. Lazy day & it felt great. We had dinner at Johnsons & then cake to follow. The girls all made cards for me & Marin hit the nail on the head with how I feel some days. Someone who cleans the house...pretty much sums up most of my days!

Crazy to think that one year ago we were on the beach in St. John. Life really took a turn shortly after that trip. I am still so thankful we got that amazing trip in before the world shut down due to covid. Now we just dream about the day we can go back. Our plan was Jan/Feb of this year, however that is not happening at this point. Hopefully someday again soon... xoxo

 HBD Gary! Our birthday week continues now that we are home. Today we celebrated Gary.. and Margaux again. I surprised them with a Star Wars/baby Yoda cake this evening. It turned out awesome, even glittery. 

We've gotten a little used to sharing cakes during our crazy birthday week. Margaux usually steals the show the majority of the week because it's not about Gary/myself anymore. To be honest, not a whole lot of excitement in turning 41!!! haha

Margaux got a few small gifts for her birthday {we do her big gifts on her 1/2 birthday} and Gary was like a kid in a candy store when he received a Playstation gift card from the Veraghens. He's excited to spend his money on Fortnite crap. His love for video games has not dulled in his old age! haha

Fun little celebration for Margaux. You'd think she would be celebrated out... not so much. Still soaking it all in. xoxo

 We had our last day in the sunshine yesterday & now today we are home. Being our last day we hung out at the resort pool & at the condo pool for the day. Some rain during the day but the kids loved swimming in the warm pool even with the cooler temps. We got so lucky to have an entire week in the 80's. The last day of rain made it a little easier to leave this morning. One last night in the pool/hot tub for the kids before we left last night while the parents packed up and watched the Packer game. Now this was my view as of this morning...

Back to school now. The girls & I have already logged in since arriving home & I have taught a virtual class... it's not even 10am! The whole district is virtual this week after the holiday so it is nice to be home. Our landing was a little rough this am too! We are happy to be here.... just a little late landing. Great week for us all & we are so happy to have been able to finally travel. Makes us look forward to spring break & warmer temps. Seems so far away!!! 

 Happy Birthday Margaux!!! 

Who wouldn't want to celebrate their 12th birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth?! Being that this trip was a surprise for the kids, she was pretty pumped that she'd be at Disney for her actual birthday. Today we had a great day today celebrating Marg at Animal Kingdom. The weather was perfect, overcast & about 80. Upon entering the park we were sure to find Margaux a birthday button right away. It was fun hearing everyone wish her happy birthday all day. Looking back, we all should have had birthday buttons with our crazy week of birthdays, but it was fun to see Margaux get all the extra attention on her actual birthday.

Avatar was our first ride & it was amazing. So much fun to feel like you are flying through the rainforest. Second stop, the highly requested {by the whole crew of kiddos} Starbucks!!! They were kind enough to write birthday wishes on her cup as well.

The day was again filled with rides & experiences for all. The safari was fun for the kids, so many animals to see & a break from walking which they all enjoyed.

Expedition Everest was the big girls favorite. Like many of the other rides, the line was short & they were able to ride and get right back in line to do it again. I swear they could have done that all day long. After Slinky Dog, we were not getting Maeve on another rollercoaster so while the girls & dad did the coasters we roamed the park seeing all the characters. She was so excited to see them & at this point below Minnie even posed for our photo from the boat which made Maeve so happy!

The ONLY unmasked photo of our group from our two days in the park. We took the opportunity with no one around to slide them down for one photo in front of the Tree of Life.

Another successful park day for our crew. The kids rocked it & did a great job telling us when they needed breaks & needed a few minutes rest. With the short lines & low park attendance it was easy to keep going all day long. Despite having to wear masks, it was the perfect time to visit. So glad this last minute surprise for the kids worked out. We had a blast!!! We stopped on our way home for take out dinner. Margaux's choice Panera Bread. We also hit up the grocery store for cupcakes & ice cream cones for her bday dessert. We'll celebrate with a cake when we get home. The kids were so anxious to get in the pool as soon as we got back to the condo. We were shocked they all were not exhausted. 

Happiest Birthday Margaux!!! We love you!!!! xoxo

Happy New Year from sunny Florida! 

We spent our NYE day riding a whole lot of rides & enjoying all things Star Wars/Toy Story. First stop... Slinky Dog. The parks are still at 30% capacity because of covid & we had to be 100% masked all day while at the park. The girls did great. We took breaks as needed & it was easy to wear them while having so much fun.

Day one at the parks for our girls & they all did great. Maeve was a little anxious about the rides, but in all she did much better than I anticipated. She got on Slinky Dog & as soon as we finished she said she was not doing that one again!! haha. The one & only roller coaster she rode the entire time we were at the parks. Needless to say, it took a little hoaxing to get her on the rest of the rides... but she did it!!!

The Star Wars world was just amazing & so fun to look at. The rides were so great, felt like we were right in the movies. Maeve rocked them too! A lot of hiding behind me waiting to get on the rides, but she did it. Even the big girls were a little anxious but they loved every min of the rides.

How cool are these Storm Troopers??!! 

The whole park looked so cool at night, the Star Wars area especially.

At the end of the night we split up a bit because the bigs all wanted to do Tower of Terror. NO WAY we were getting Maeve on that ride. So the dad headed that way...

And Maeve, myself, Wendy & Bhodi went back to Toy Story World aka Maeve's happy place. We also went back to a Mikey & Minnie ride that she loved. 

We had a great day, such a fun way to spend NYE after a crazy year of being cooped up at home. Hollywood Studios closed at 10pm & we were there til the very end. The kids all did so great & were ready to go  home & dress up in our pool findings from yesterday. A little too much fun for Maeve. She came home & curled up on the couch pretty much instantly. She slept for about an hour before getting up & dressed up with us. 

Look at this fun crew...

We really hit the jackpot with these costumes. Something fun for all.

Happy 2021! Cheers to what will hopefully be a better year ahead.

 Today is NYE but because of vacation, I need to cover a couple days leading into 2021 since arriving in Florida. Day two we decided to hang at the resort pool again. Our arrival day was short after the flight & the kids wanted some more pool time both at the main pool & at the house. The resort pool brought some unexpected fun... there were 100's of boxes from Party City in an area near the pool that were donated to someone affiliated with the resort at some point. We had no idea. But that afternoon, someone decided it was a good idea to open boxes & let the visitors pick through & take things for free! Wendy & I had so much fun...

Gary was delighted to find himself a Superman sweatshirt. Wendy & I loaded up on costumes that we thought would be fun for our New Years celebration. Also found buckets, shovels & boogie boards for the beach the next day! It was pretty fun. That evening we hit Disney Springs for the girls first taste of everything Disney.

Day 3 we decided to drive to Clearwater Beach for a day of relaxing before our 1st park day. 100% our happy place is the beach. Both of our families are big fans of beach vacations, so this was a perfect way to spend a day.

We were not at the beach 10 mins & Marin got pooped on by a seagull. Made us all laugh. Thankfully she was a good sport & just went right to the ocean to wash her suit.

Mustered up the strength to ask a stranger to take our photograph. I had to of course sanitize the phone after the photo was taken. Such an odd world we live in right now & I am obviously paranoid. Perfect beach day, just what we needed. 

Love this crew. The kids are all so great together & make traveling easy {most of the time} on the adults. It was a great low-key day for us all before our much busier next few days. xoxo