Preparing for Halloween Fun!

Weekdays:

• Monday - Happy Diwali!  I had some coworkers on PTO and Maci/Connor had classmates who celebrate!
• Tuesday - Maci had girls on the run after school and we once again had a quiet evening thanks to a break in between fall and winter sports - it doesn't last long!
• Wednesday - Clint had a team dinner to celebrate the retirement of his global security leader, Claude.  I was supposed to take Connor to Faith formation but I had a long day and we were all tired so we grabbed dinner and headed home for jammies instead!
• Thursday - Maci had another girls on the run after school.  Clint and I enjoyed some of the Thursday night football game in the hot tub.  No Harty's since Nate was in Ohio for work until Friday.

Friday : 

• Productive Friday for Clint and me!
• Kids took the bus home and it was a GORGEOUS fall Friday!
• That evening we headed to the MN zoo for our 2nd annual visit to the Jack O Lantern Fun - so cool!

Saturday :

• Clint worked on leaves and I got stuff done around the house in the morning.
• The kids and I had a quick run to Target to get a birthday gift.
• Then at 130p we were off to Mall of America for Connor's buddy Vinny's 7th birthday party at a Nerf Gun place.
• While he was at the party, Maci, Clint and I walked the mall and bought her and Connor some new clothes at Abercrombie and Fitch kids.
• We picked back up Connor, did a quick stop at Bath and Body works and then were on our way home.
• Once home, we got some more to dos done around the house and watched the Michigan/Michigan State game.
• At 9p we headed over to the Harty's for a fire with them and the Herness'.  Another amazing day of weather!!

Sunday:

• Clint and I woke up a bit exhausted from a late night at the fire and a few too many brews.
• We started the day with a walk in the sunshine and warm weather - this low 60s and sun in late October is amazing!!!
• Clint got some yard work done but stopped by the 12p Dolphins game, thank goodness for the W.
• I continued getting a lot of items checked off the to do list throughout the day and Clint finished yard work with the kids after his game ended.
• We just finished moving all the furniture out of the living room and office as carpets are getting washed tomorrow.  This means Maci thinks the living room is an open gymnastics floor AND Connor thinks it is a great place to run routes with the football.  HAHA
• Clint and I are both ready to crash for the night and the kids are SOOOOO excited for Halloween tomorrow and getting to ride the bus home to be ready for all the fun!

We hope you all had a wonderful fall weekend and have a safe / fun filled Halloween!!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

A Wonderful Annual MEA Fall Break!!

Weekdays:

• Monday - Super short week for all of us given school is out after Tuesday for fall break and that means Clint and I only have 2 days of work thanks to some fall break PTO!  No evening activities thanks to soccer wrapping for both kids and Maci having a break for a few weeks now!
• Tuesday - Happy Birthday Boomer - Big 13!!  AKA our Friday!!  Rosie had her regular grooming, Maci enjoyed some Girls on the Run and then when I was about to leave to a Happy Hour with former Cargill peeps, I realized they rescheduled so I wrapped work, ordered dinner.  Jacob from across the street came over to watch the kids and Clint and I headed up to Greenwood for fall conferences.  These are always fun because we get to hear all the awesome things about each of our kiddos and their amazing personalities!!  

• Wednesday - Chill day at home!  We slept in and Clint and I would keep up on our email here and there while getting stuff done around the house.  Clint got all the leaves done and lawn mowed while I got a lot of stuff inside the house done like ordering our Thanksgiving dinner sides!  We decided to hold on packing until the next morning.  This allowed for us to host the neighbors for some drinks, Golden Tee and football - Tena and I did touch screen while the guys did the Golden Tee.  Fun evening for all!
• Thursday - Up and at 'em for a 7a call I promised to join before heading out of town.  However, it got me up and moving/packing etc.  We were out of the house by lunch time and on our 2.5 hour drive to Grandview Lodge up on Gull Lake!  It was so gorgeous!!  We settled in, unpacked, explored the grounds and then headed to Zorbaz for pizza dinner and drinks.  The kids love the arcade!!

Friday : 

• We enjoyed the breakfast buffet
• Once done, we all got changed and went to one of the indoor pools where Clint and I got to hang out while the kids swam and went up and down the water slide a million times!
• Once we were done with swimming, the kids wanted to hang at the cabin for a bit and I snuck in a nap!  They played outside with our soccer ball and football before getting up and heading to the Wagon Ride and then the Face Painting.  Our kids both had to get pumpkins b/c the poor face painter was trying to get to her other job and she can do those the fastest HAHA.
• Clint and I enjoyed a beer while the kids waited and then we came back for some R&R before heading to CHAR steakhouse at the resort for dinner.  YUM!!

Pictures by the Water!

    

Wagon Rides!

Face Painting Fun!

CHAR Steakhouse Dinner

Saturday :

• Another yummy day at the breakfast buffet!
• Afterward we were off to the Fall Festival at Copper Farms - corn pit, corn maze, bounce house fun
• We then went into downtown Nisswa for the adorable shops - Maci and I had a blast - Connor and Clint sat outside often and enjoyed the beautiful 70 degree weather.
• We enjoyed a lunch at a local brewery before heading back to the cabin.  
• Once home, we quickly headed up to one of the centers for pumpkin decorating.  Maci made a witch and Connor made a Football Minion.  
• We then hot changed into suits and the kids swam in the 2nd indoor pool for about an hour while Clint and I worked on a crossword puzzle.
• We called it around 5p to head back and get ready for dinner.  We had another AMAZING dinner at Bar Harbor Supper Club.
• After dinner, we headed to Joel (Clint's leader's) new home on Pelican Lake.  It was GORGEOUS!! We enjoyed some drinks, snacks and a fire on a glorious Fall evening.  The kids behaved really well and watched some iPad to wrap the night.

Hay Maze

Shopping Fun

Pumpkin Decorating

Sunday :

• We were up and at 'em around 8a as we had to check out pretty quickly in order to get home in time for Connor's final flag football game.  While he and Clint went to the game at 12p, Maci and I started laundry, unpacked and watched the Bengals.
• What a great Bengals game it was - yay winning is fun!
• Speaking of winning, Connor's team won yet again and ended their fall season 5-1 with a Big W over the Bills today - 28-6!  Clint is likely to coach again in the spring with Marty, Brook's dad.
• We've been enjoying the warm weather, windows open and getting stuff done around the house the rest of the day.  Maci keeps saying how this was such a great vacation and she has been living it up by watching iPad and TV most of today because you know, she is still on vacation HA!

We love this Titan

They are cute!

We are all re-charged and ready to get back at this week!  We hope you also have enjoyed this lovely fall weather that seems to be sweeping the country!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

Pictures are in and Fall Soccer Wraps!

Weekdays:

• Monday - Clint left to Wichita for a work trip.  Our driveway was torn up as we are laying a brand new black top driveway.  I was a personal uber for the kids after school.  Maci had a 530 soccer practice and Connor had a 6p so I picked them up, ran M to hers, then ran C to his, ran back to get M from hers and then over to pick up C from his.  Last soccer practice for Connor man and then we were off to grab some late McDonald's dinner.

• Tuesday - No evening plans so the kids and I hit up Applebee's for a "fancy" dinner out the 3 of us.

• Wednesday - Another busy evening with M having soccer and Connor having Faith Formation at church.  However, I left work late, it was cold and rainy and M's soccer team wanted us to stay close to pick them up if the rain got bad - well that wouldn't work since I had to get Connor to religion.  So Maci got to skip soccer, Connor went to religion class, Maci and I ate Noodles and then grabbed Connor some to go for a late dinner.
• Thursday - Clint got home around 230p and they were finally able to pave the driveway since the rain delayed them the last few days.  I picked up the kids and we were able to have a chill night at home with another horrible Thursday night football game.

Friday :

• I got my flu shot after facilitating a training for 2 hours in the morning
• Got a lot more done for work in the afternoon and talked to Clint's cousin about making the transition into HR.
• My team sent me these awesome flowers for Boss' Day - So Stinking Sweet!
• Maci had Soccer at 530p and Clint ran her while I ordered pizza and paid bills, got stuff done around the house.

Saturday : 

• Cold day out and about!
• Connor had his final soccer game at 9a and scored 5 goals - his team won by a ton!
• We came home to warm up and get things done around the house before heading back out to Emmitt's football game at 1p.  His team won by a ton and ended the season undefeated!
• Afterward, Ryan and the girls + our family and Emmitt's family all went to a late lunch and drinks at a local restaurant
• We came home and squeeze in a quick nap while watching some of the TN vs Alabama football game.
• Our sitter got here at 530p and we were off to Oktoberfest at our former neighbors the Verplank's, a fun night for sure!

Cheating on Rosie at Oktoberfest

Sunday :

• Maci had 2 soccer scrimmages against other Fusion teams to wrap the fall soccer season!  She loved it, continues to improve but is also excited for some downtime until winter conditioning kicks off in early November.  She played phenomenal in both games and we are just so proud of her!
• We then had a team end of season late lunch at Sunshine Factory while Clint and Connor had to head out to Eden Prairie for his flag football game.
• Maci and I had a blast at lunch and getting to see the final plays of the Bengals game (sick of missing football!) and Connor was excited to win his game by 2 TDs in the freezing weather!
• Once home, we have been watching football, finishing laundry and doing all the weekday prep.  All of us are super excited for a short week ahead thanks to Fall Break in MN schools and a trip to Grandview Lodge up North!!

We hope you are having a wonderful Fall Season!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C