70 Degree Weekend in November!

We Love Our 'Hood

Weekdays : 

• Monday : I went into the MN Rally office for the first time since mid March - while I likely won't do this often, it was nice to see the office and have some socially distanced/masked hellos with those who are working in the office
• Tuesday : Election Day - thank goodness Clint and I voted in person weeks earlier so we just sat back and watched the coverage come evening
• Wednesday : Another busy day, Clint took a turn with Maci and her monthly religion faith formation in the evening.  We are so proud of her, she had worked so hard to memorize the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be prayers and recited them for her teachers.  She will now say these to a priest at her First Reconciliation at the end of the month.
• Thursday : Clint took Maci to an eye doctor apt at the end of the day since she has complained of her eyes itching or feeling hot.  Turns out perfect 20/20 and nothing wrong, she simply needs to get more sleep - ugh Maci!  At night we enjoyed the hot tub and football with our Harty's

This Girl 😃 - How she takes her morning zoom calls on Tues/Thurs/Fri

Oh Connor - Such a stinker and so cute

Working on shapes and patterns

Weekends : 

• Friday : Clint took the day off and had our furnace annual check up, washed cars, finished leaf yard work (now that the snow melted) and generally just enjoyed the awesome weather!  I got quite a bit of work done and was happy to wrap up a long week!  We had gymnastics and afterward we came home to enjoy some quiet down time as the kids went to bed.
• Saturday : Maci's FDP soccer program launched for the winter session.  She now plays inside a dome at 8a every Saturday morning.  Due to the virus, only Maci is allowed to go into the dome so Clint dropped her off and swung home to get Connor for haircuts.  While they got haircuts I picked up M.  Then I dropped her off and headed to my monthly massage, ah so needed!  On my way home, I heard the election results and decided to blare CELEBRATION on the way home with the windows down.  The neighbors had a good laugh when I got home.  Once home, I folded laundry outside while chatting with Tena and watching kiddos play.  Clint and Nate rented a bucket lift to do both of our houses lights outside.  By evening, we were both fairly tired so enjoyed a night on the couch watching OSU, Notre Dame and SNL.

The Men at Work on Both Houses

Thank Goodness Nate knows what he is doing and has proper fall/tie off equipment

End Result ❤️

We just need to add our lights on the bushes and house light up wreath

• Sunday : I enjoyed CBS Sunday Morning and Meet the Press while Clint picked up donuts and made breakfast for our crew.  I crushed another Peloton ride with my gal pals and Ally Love, one of my fav instructors.  We then both got a ton of stuff done around the house since neither of our teams were on at 12p - Bengals are on a bye and Dolphins have a 330p game.  The kids played at the park with the Harty boys for almost 2 whole hours this afternoon while Clint and I started to watch his Dolphins game and I got things prepared for the week.  Clint is now running to get us some KFC for dinner (YUM!) and the kids are still outside enjoying this crazy 70+ degree temps (even if it is a bit windy)

We are so thankful for the weather we had this week as things are going to go more normal this week - starting with 67 and thunderstorms tomorrow before colder more common temps from there.  We hope you also enjoyed a wonderful weekend and hopefully some sunshine.

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

Happy Halloween & an Extra Hour of Sleep!

Weekdays : 

• Monday - I had a virtual happy hour with my former colleague/pal Nikki after kiddos went to bed
• Tues/Thurs - Had some nice bundled up walks with Tena to get some fresh air before it gets way too cold to do so 

Friday : 

• After Maci finished her schoolwork, she watched some Halloween shows before heading outside to play with the Harty boys
• We all headed to get Connor and off to Gymnastics 
• We ordered Papa Johns once we got home and while we waited on it, Clint and Maci carved pumpkins while Connor an I supervised
• Once done, the kids headed to bed while Clint and I watched random TV

Dry Run as a Dead Bride for her Class Zoom Call 

Stumbled Upon this in her Writing Journal ❤️😍

Neighborhood Buddies Playing Driveway Rollerblade Hockey

Pumpkin Fun

Connor's Spot HAHA

Saturday : 

• Happy Halloween!!
• Clint picked up "Chicken place" for breakfast
• We hung out around the house an enjoyed a quiet early afternoon
• The kids played outside until 4p when we decided to do the piñata with the neighborhood kids
• Afterward, we ate pizza with Harty's and Kavanaugh's before finalizing costumes and heading out for trick o treating 
• We used a trailer that we pulled with Sarah's SUV which had us cover so much amazing ground in our neighborhood 
• Once back home at 8p, we helped the kids sort candy and head to bed
• I realized that I too was exhausted so Clint and I hung back for the night and hit the hay around 9p
• The kids said it was the BEST Halloween ❤️🎃

Clint and I met Halloween Weekend 15 Years Ago

Time to Reminisce on a Few of our Fav Halloweens

Night We Met

Couple Costume

Wee Ones

Mi Familia

Piñata Neighbor Fun

The Trick O Treat Ride

Best House

Sunday : 

• LOVE gaining an hour of sleep - we got up at 8a which would usually have been 9a
• We got stuff done around the house and enjoyed CBS Sunday morning
• Before I knew it, it was 11a for Ally Love's ride on the bike - I hit a personal record and enjoyed the message so much!
• I then enjoyed watching the Bengals WIN 🐅and Clint very much enjoyed watching his Dolphins 🐬WIN!  Oh and Connor was happy the Vikings WON!
• We then finished our usual Sunday chores, prepared for the week and are now about to call it for the night - I am tired again, even if this is usually only 8p 😉

We hope you all have a great fall week ahead!  We are getting back into the 60s so we are sure to enjoy all the final warm temps and sunshine we can get!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

SNOW - We have snow in mid Oct!!! 🥶

Weekdays : 

• Other than getting about 5 inches of snow on Tuesday and abnormally cold temps (Thanks 2020!!), we had a fine week as a family!
• Everyone was back to their respective routines which was nice after the MEA break.
• Clint had the guys over on Wednesday for Golden Tee and I joined them for one beer
• Thursday we enjoyed the hot tub and the chilly weather with the Harty's

Friday : 

• Clint had a coffee happy hour with his 2 leaders while I wrangled the kiddos to gymnastics and finished some of my own work for the week 
• Afterward we grabbed some Chipotle and watched The Haunted Mansion - some older movie with Eddie Murphy 
• We all headed to bed after a good but long week 

Saturday : 

• No soccer now that outdoor wrapped and indoor hasn't begun
• Instead we went to a drive thru flu shot clinic and got Clint and I taken care so now the whole crew is set!
• Afterward we enjoyed some Perkins as a family and caught up about the school week that just concluded
• We then came home to a lazy day on the couch - watched a lot of college football with OSU YAY, MN boo and UC YAY
• We rarely left the couch and needed a weekend day like that after last week's wildly productive weekend

He is a goober

Sunday : 

• Started the day chatting with my mom, putting away laundry and riding the Peloton with some co-workers and Ally Love!
• After doing a few other items, it was time for the Bengals game.
• I am currently watching the end of another close one! 🐅
• After my game ends (🐬are on a bye this week), I am doing religion with Maci and then some of my own work prep.
• We are doing some fun Halloween nails and getting ready for the upcoming Halloween weekend later today as well!

We hope you had an enjoyable weekend, no matter what you were doing this fall weekend!  Best wishes for your week ahead.

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

We Survived MEA Week!

Weekdays : 

• Busy work days for me with our Quarterly Business Reviews most of Monday and Tuesday
• Continue to enjoy my Peloton rides with a variety of co-workers each week :)

• Kids did not have school Wed-Fri for annual MEA (MN state wide teacher in service/fall break)
• Wednesday both kiddos went to the same no school care at North Woods Elementary 
• We had Maci's fall conference with her teacher and she is doing great at math, growing in her reading and is a super social kiddo who loves to engage in the lesson - YAY!
• Maci then also had her last outdoor soccer practice Wednesday night - thankfully it was the last as they called it early due to extreme wind and cold at 730p - even the boys hid in the car with me while she was practicing 😏
• Thursday - Connor went to the same no school location while Maci went to her Mini Hops camp
• That night we enjoyed hot tub fun with the Harty's and were planning out our super productive weekend plans

Friday : 

• Clint took the day off to help the Harty's with massive landscape demo in prep for some re-plant in the spring + get a jump start on our hot tub water change etc this weekend at our own house
• Maci was home with us and Connor went to the same no school location as he needs a little more entertainment/focus
• Before we all got started on our day plans, we had Connor's fall conference - he is known as a good friend, super easy and go with the flow and they enjoy him being in the class - YAY!
• I had a good productive day on the work front as well - nice mix of getting work done and taking some meetings
• At 3p I loaded Maci in the car and grabbed Connor for the annual flu shot trip - somehow Clint conveniently got out of it again this year 😉
• Connor was SO brave and didn't cry, Maci had a little bit of a panic but the nurse was awesome - got her breathing and spelling car so that before you knew it she was done.  They each had an air head candy from mom to bite down on during the shot!  YAY done again!
• We got home, I got a few more emails done while Clint wrapped some yard work and then we headed to Gymnastics
• We ate at Sunshine Factory after Gymnastics and then came home to crash after!
• While the kids and I crashed, Clint watched Drew's last football game - unfortunate loss but it was fun to see him play from time to time this fall!

Father Daughter Yard Work 💕

Saturday : 

• We slept in straight until 830a and I credit our new comforter that we got on a good sale from Macy's - so cozy!
• We got up and at 'em and I took Maci to her last outdoor soccer game of the season - a nail biter win (closest it has ever been) 6-5 - while I was at soccer, Clint got a head start on fall yard work and hot tub water fill up 
• When we got home, I started helping Clint to organize the garage, bring in all the outdoor furniture as we are getting ready for winter.
• Clint continued to do outdoor needs between our house and the Harty's while I conquered all sorts of indoor needs, including ordering Halloween goodies and a piñata as I am worried trick o treating is gonna be a bust. 🎃🎃
• Around 4p I hopped in the shower and started to get ready for Date Night!!!  Wahoo!!
• We were putting away our delivered groceries when the sitter got here and then we were off around 6p for dinner at COV (yum!!) and then we stopped at Medina Ballroom near our house for drinks and 3 games of bowling - Clint won the first 2 but I got him the last round OH YEA!!
• We got home by 10p and crashed, ah nice to have a fun night but also get a good night sleep after a busy day!

The Boys ❤️

This Girl and Her Hide and Seek Spots 🤦‍♀️

Date Night Selfie & My Winning Pose

Sunday : 

• Maci and I already got her religion done for the week and we are working on memorizing the 2nd prayer she needs for November's First Reconciliation - she almost has the Our Father down but now we have started the Hail Mary - only have the Glory Be to go next week 🤞🏼
• Clint ran and got donuts while we were doing religion
• Clint is now making a buffalo chicken dip for the games and pork roast we are going to smoke all day!
• Kids are outside playing with the Harty's while they wrap up their yard work efforts for the weekend - it is too COLD for me, feels like 20 something 🥶
• I am about to hop on the Peloton for an Ally Love ride with some of my pals and then will plop on the couch for my Bengals game.

We are looking forward to being back in our "routine" after the MEA break but are not looking forward to the 3-5 inches of snow we may get on Tuesday of this week nor the highs in the 30s which is unseasonably cold 🥶

We hope you all had a great week and are eager for the holiday season around the bend ❤️💕❤️

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

Fall Weather at It's Best!

Weekdays : 

• Monday : I had a killer ride on the Peloton, such a motivational ride and a great message from the instructor Alex!

• Tuesday : Maci had a great day at Mini Hops and instead of doing a ride at night, I enjoyed a long walk with Tena - something we haven't done in a while since all the kids are back into sports

Taken by Clint on his run

• Wednesday : Maci missed soccer practice b/c we had her monthly faith formation at church.  While she learned with her catechist, I joined the parents in mass to learn about the content/materials we will teach at home between now and Nov 4th, next session.  Also with reconciliation, Maci has 3 prayers she needs to memorize this month - Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be - I am trying to think of fun ways to get this accomplished 🤔

• Thursday : Another busy day but ended it by meeting my former co-worker/friend Laura at Rush Creek for a late dinner.  After I got home, Clint and I headed over for some bags at the neighbors.  It got interrupted due to a COVID need with work but we still had a good time.

Friday : 

• Super busy day starting at 7a with a call about said COVID need at work
• Tried to help M with her school work in between several meetings
• While it was a super busy day, it was a good day, lots accomplished and I am getting better each day with taking things in stride ❤️
• Clint took the kids to gymnastics since they start at 515p and I had a call that went until 5p.  I then picked up coffees and met him at the gym
• We headed to El Azteca for some Mexican dinner after gymnastics
• Once home, kids went to bed and Clint and I watched our nephew Drew's playoff football game - he had a great game!!  🏈
• I cleaned email while we watched the game and then when it was over we saw our fav Bond movie was on, Casino Royal so of course we had to stay up and watch it

Saturday : 

• Clint and I took a morning walk to try and wake up after staying up way too late
• Clint and Connor then got a haircut while I got M ready for her soccer game
• Maci's team had another great soccer game and she played some great defense!
• When we got home, I laid on the couch and snoozed fast for about 2 hours 😳 I had to then get up b/c well I fortunately had a 1 hour massage scheduled - AMAZING!
• I bought a few cute pairs of earrings after the massage in the boutique area and I headed back to relieve Clint of the kids who were helping him with yard work
• I got laundry rolling, Clint got a ton of yard work complete, including leaves and we ordered some Benihana for dinner
• After kids went to bed we joined the Harty's at their fire as did The Jonas' + The Kavanaugh's and our new neighbors - Zach and Carrie - such a fun night with great people!!!

Sunday : 

• We started the morning with another gorgeous walk after sleeping in until about 830a 😃 When we got back Connor begged to try the BB gun so Clint spent some time outside with the kids learning some gun safety and enjoying a gorgeous morning
• After a lazy Saturday, I got quite a bit done around the house this morning and then road the Peloton at 11a.  After my ride, I got some laundry put away around the time my Bengals came on.  It was an ugly game so I multitasked throughout
• Clint ran the kids to get some pumpkins at half time 
• I ordered groceries and finished laundry 
• Now we are watching the Dolphins while the kids play outside but we are about to clean the guinea pig cage, prep work for the week and do Maci's weekly religion 

While watching them shoot, I enjoyed the beauty of the yard from our deck!

We love a beautiful fall weekend around the house!  We hope you had a similarly wonderful weekend!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C