Playroom Ready for a Makeover & Maci Kills Another 5k!

Weekdays:

• Monday - I was actually on it and worked out before heading into the office.  I even figured out how to go to the UHC building to start my day and then head over to Optum.  I wrapped my day with a great interview with a gal that we are going to offer a role to on my team.  Great way to wrap a day! We had no to dos in the evening which made for a nice relaxing night!
• Tuesday - I had my team offsite with the leadership team.  We ended the day with happy hour and then I picked up dinner for the family on my way home.  Another nice low key evening at home.
• Wednesday - Another team offsite but this time with our extended team.  We wrapped our day with a team dinner/cocktails and secret snowflake gift exchange!  While I was having fun with the team, Clint kindly got Connor to his Faith Formation class and Maci to her finishing class.  The Hintze's helped with kid running by brining Maci home from soccer since both kids wrapped at the same time.
• Thursday - Maci's last day of girls on the run before the big 5k.  I had a normal day back at the office and picked up the kids on the way home.  Clint ran Maci to and from her 7p soccer practice and then we ended the day with some hot tub and Thursday night football.

Friday : 

• Productive day working from home for Clint and me
• We got to enjoy a live stream Veterans Program from the kids' school and my brother, Dustin, was able to dial in and watch too!  It was so well done!
• In the early afternoon Clint and I hoped on a call with our financial advisor to plan out the remainder of the year and what not
• Right as we were hanging up, the kids came off the bus and were super happy to be home - yay Friday!
• We headed to Applebees for dinner around 6p and it was packed b/c of their "Veterans eat free" program on Veterans Day but Maci and Connor loved seeing so many veterans!

Saturday :

• Clint and I started the day with a 3 mile cold walk with the dogs.
• Afterward, Clint and Connor were off to basketball practice at 1120a while Maci and I took on the playroom - it was a total disaster, I should have taken a before pick.
• We worked on that room from 1130a until 330p!!!  We had over 3 bags of garbage, an entire car load of items for a Goodwill run and a dollhouse to clean up/list on Facebook market place for sale.
• The kids BIG Christmas gift this year is redoing that room to make it a bit more of a tween hangout.  We are mounting a tv with gaming counsel, new bookshelf, high top table/chairs, been bag gaming chairs, new rug, new sports posters etc.  It looks amazing now!  We were all exhausted by 5p but we kept going and after dinner, Clint and I ordered all the items for the new playroom - it is going to look awesome!!!!
• We ended the day with a late grocery drop off & a dip in the hot tub.

Sunday :

• Up early for the big 5k!  It was COLD!
• We got there just in time as traffic got nutty and we dropped Clint and Maci with her team at 850a when the race is set to start at 9a.
• Maci's wave started at 9:24a and she was done by 9:45a!!!  SHE IS INSANE!!! She also felt pretty icky afterward but did awesome.  Clint was about 10 mins behind her.  We started to warm up, said hi to Maci's best buddy Natalie who also ran with her school and then we were off!
• We enjoyed a big breakfast at Peg's near our house afterward 
• Now we are all warm near the fire, watching football and getting ready for the week.

They are ready and we are staying warm inside before it starts!

Post Run Fun

Hi Natalie, Good luck at your gymnastics meet today too!!

They are so cute together!

We hope you all had a wonderful fall, almost winter weekend!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

Happy Halloween!!!

Excited for Halloween!

Weekdays :

• Monday - Happy Halloween!  I went into the office and rocked some spiders in my hair.  The kids both rode the bus home and I joined them all at home around 4p.  I got the kids ready to go in their costume, Clint fed us pizza and then it was 6p and we were off before we knew it!  It was a gorgeous night, if only every Halloween could be this warm and lovely!  I hurried home to watch the horrible Bengals game which I ended up turning off and going to bed.  Woof!

Wednesday Adams & Power Ranger

The Hood

• Tuesday - Another gorgeous day!  I worked from home along with Clint as we had to head up to the kid's school around 3p.  Maci had her practice 5k.  She crushed it and while it was only 2.5 miles, she finished 1st and in 18 minutes.  Maci had a wonderful day b/c not only did she have a great run, she also had a field trip at Baker Reserve - what an awesome day to have an outdoor field trip!

Maci's Class on Their Field Trip

Girls on the Run post practice 5k

• Wednesday - The warmest day yet, crazy nice - we broke a record for 74 degrees!  Maci was back to soccer with a finishing camp at night but in a dome, she was so confused on why a dome when it was so great out HA!
• Thursday - Maci had another girls on the run practice after school and then she had soccer practice with her regular team 

Friday :

• The kids had no school and we let them stay home.  That may have been a rough idea as they kept interrupting us all morning.  We finally got them to watch some movies, color and stay out of our hair until at least calls started to end come the afternoon.
• We made some LaRosa's pizza for dinner and I enjoyed a beer to end my day and working on performance reviews in our chase chair - it was so cozy!
• Clint and I watched the Shania Twain documentary before bed which was pretty interesting.

Saturday :

• Connor had his first basketball practice at 8a, Clint is helping to coach 
• I had a massage at 915 and then Clint had his at 1030a so a lot of quick running between the both of us.
• We then had nothing else the rest of the day!!!
• I took a nice long nap and Clint enjoyed a lot of college football!
• We watched the Buckeyes pull it out, a little nervous there and then enjoyed watching Alabama lose and Clemson also lose later in the night!
• We had a nice cozy night at home and ended the evening watching SNL with Amy Schumer 

Sunday :

• While I hate daylight savings, I do love an extra hour of sleep!
• We took the dogs for a walk after getting up 
• Did a whole bunch of to dos around the house and squeezed in a shower before the Bengals and Dolphins started.  It was quite the fun Bengals game considering we were up 28-0 at one point and were able to pull our starting QB before the 4th quarter started!!!  Clint was a little more nervous but they also pulled out the W.  Our other fav team the Vikings are now 7-1 on the season and looking great!
• Since football ended, we have been doing more to dos around the house.  Clint just wrapped another weekend of leaves.  Connor is playing football with neighbor boys.  I have some dinner ordered and ready to puzzle in front of football tonight and Maci is coloring.

We hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and fall weekend!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

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