Wild World

So, I know I should hold off on giving you guys "peeks" at the Twins Halloween Costumes..but I just can't. If you know me well..If I get an idea in my head I have to run with it and do it RIGHT away. My supervisor at work likes this trait in me, but sometimes it drives me crazy inside.

You guys are crazy and wild..just like the world we live in that is for sure. I am happy though about our new home. It was much more "wild" in the big city and knowing I am raising you away from the Metro and closer to Family makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I know some people thought "Mandy living out of Minneapolis?"... She won't like it, she will hate it, etc. I don't know if these people understand the first 18 years of my life I grew up in Rochester, MN and Ostrander, MN. Now Rochester is MUCH larger than Ostrander but I can live this small town life. St. Cloud is 15 min from me and is about the size of Rochester, just a tad smaller (20,000 People Smaller). Then after those 18 years I moved to Mankato for 4 years..that is a college town the size of St. Cloud roughly.

I know I will miss parts of the big city, but going for the weekend to visit friends will be so FUN! See I didn't really get to go out when we lived there anymore due to lack of babysitters. I mean who can I trust with you crazy wild babies?

So lastnight you guys went to bed at 7pm and I went into "town" aka St. Cloud to get somethings at Target and check out their Mall Finally!


The only thing I need to get used to is the drive from St. Cloud back home at 9pm. I am NOT on an interstate with bright lights. I am on County Road 2..and it seems SO DARK TO ME. I just felt like I was driving a black tunnel lastnight and not knowing what was in front of me made me feel weird. Pretty sure I will start to hit Deer now that I live out here.... I had my BRIGHTS on and everything and I felt really lost...

I know you kids will LOVE this neighborhood. It is packed full of families, babies, kids, dogs, etc...

This Little Piggy....

Weekend Recap

We stayed home all weekend..hung out. Didn't make it to the Orchard as planned but I did make it to Sam's Club and Target with Lilly. $600 later I have a house full of diapers, wipes, toilet paper, food, pop, lots of groceries...and....and...wait for it... Next STEP car seats! Pics to come on those. They are still in the box out in the garage.

Bag Lady?

I"m sorry when I see this video I can only picture on old bag lady pushing her shopping cart down the street :)

She did this this morning and is already more stable than she was in the video. She gets mad when she gets to a wall....so her Daddy rushes over to turn her around so she can do the length of the room again.

Our Hand's Are Full

Sometimes to avoid more than one trip from the basement we "consolidate" our belongings. Laundry..Check... Baby...Check... Bottle of Pop (aka caffeine) CHECK. One trip Adam had this upstairs and sister was here to greet him!

Obituary For Gma Lilly

http://grandstrandfh.com/pages/show_content.php?siteid=100&action=1&value=12&obituaries_action=2&obituaryid=56101

Grandma Lilly

"She is at peace now." I always thought this line really didn't hold water or mean much. It really does to me today.

Gma Lilly passed on this morning at 2 am.

I will never forget:

Your Rice Pudding. I plan to buy a double cooker/boiler(not sure the official name) and make it just like you. Hold the raisins and extra cream. I know Charlie and Lilly will LOVE this!

Your Swedish Sayings that you taught me.

Your Songs you would teach me and we would belt out together. "Pickelo Pete Goes Tweet Tweet Tweet, On the Pickelo (Insert me yelling "PO PO)

Your Christmas Dinner's that consisted of Potato Sausage from Orval's Meet Market, and Lutefisk. Your homemade gravy...WOW... Your marinated veggies.... your cookies...your bars..I'm so hungry thinking of it, Grandma

How you would wipe off my face full of food and say..."Get over here and let me wipe off your POOCH"

If we got out of line..you would threaten us with a SHLAP!

Your question "How much do you love me, Mandy" I would say "A LOT!"... This was followed by...OK take this bucket of food out to the pasture and dump it.

The smell of your wood burning stove. I have always and will always think of you when I smell a wood burning stove/oven in someone's house. This wood burning stove was your hobby. You kept that thing full 24/7. You hauled loads of wood from the "chicken coop" until you were almost 80 years old. YOU GO GIRL!

The volume level of you TV to ensure you didn't miss anypart of 1. Jeopardy 2. Wheel of Fortune 3. Price is Right. The theme songs to these shows will always remind me of you , Grandma.

Your love for Polka Music and anything with an Accordion in it.

The Farm...hunting with dad and Erick. Or fishing down on the St. Croix. Coming back with our catch..watching Dad clean them, then watching Gma Prepare them for supper. Lilly you were a GREAT COOK. Down Home Cooking!

You and Grandpa Harold have been apart for 23 years. I am sure you guys missed eachother. Enjoy your time and I will see you down the road. Now when I hear thunder I will grin and think "Oh Harold and Lilly are out bowling tonight" So go enjoy your time with your HUBBY I bet he is really wanting a nice SMOOCH on his POOCH!

Already In Adverstising....

You guys are pretty darn cute. Parents always think their kids are cute...but I know others adore you as well. Gma Pam adores you so much she used you guys in her weekly flyer that went out for Schmidt Goodman. She had some editing help from her pal Cindy G. You guys will be in front of a lot of business people within the next month!

P.S. Halloween is just around the corner and I am having the HARDEST time deciding what to dress you up as. There are so many cute costumes out there!!

Saturday Fun

So I found a local boutique already that is going to be trouble. They have the cutest jewelry, clothing, accessories, purses, hats..etc..


So today while your Dad tested out our NEW Vacuum on the WHOLE HOUSE, I snuck us into Lilly's room and snapped some pics!

Unconditional Love

Part of being a parent is loving your children no matter what. When I am on my last straw and in tears due to unruly babies....I still love my babies.

With that said..Part of being a Vikings Fan is being a FAN through "good" and "bad." I was really hoping to start the season off with a W...but it didn't. I still love you Vikes!

My Boyfriend's Back And You're Gonna Be In Trouble...

Evan and Charlie in March of 2010
Lilly and Evan September 2010


This weekend we had visitors and one them was a BABY!!! 6 month old EVAN!! We think him and Lilly will be Boyfriend/Girlfriend. We think him and Charlie will be buds once Charlie isn't so crabby, too.

Tooth Shot

Can't see the bottom two...but I finally got a tooth shot! Lilly was all Gums..until yesterday! Bottom left is through!

2 Years!

Happy Anniversary to US! 2 years have flown by and we have 2 9 month old babies. WOW. Twins offically turn 9 months old tomorrow. Same amount out of time out as they spent "in"

Lilly now has 1 bottom tooth that popped through today. It was a nice laid back labor day weekend. We had visitors and Lilly's future boyfriend Evan stayed over night Saturday. He is 6 months old and a very cute match for Lil.

Crabby Pants

Sometimes photos makes raising Twins seem easy......it isn't. The past couple days have been pretty rough. Poor Charlie is not taking this Teeth business very well, and has been very crabby. Both Charlie and Lilly have been having BLOW OUTS everytime they got #2. Up the back all over the place. I do laundry all the time and am constantly soaking articles of clothing, sleepers, sheets, blankets, etc. Adam and I have changed sheets at 4am for Charlie. I know this is a phase and they/we will get through it as we have before. Lilly I think is possibly getting teeth but NONE through yet, and Charlie has his top 2 and bottom 2. He even has the BREKKE space between his top two. It is really cute. I have tried to catch the teeth on Camera but it is very difficult.

Lilly is still as happy as ever and is even trying to Cheer her brother up.
Today Lilly and I had some "retail" therapy and went to Albertville Outlets and Target. I picked them up their winter hats with matching gloves.

Charlie's Face most of the day if he isn't crying :) Hang in there buddy boy..this will pass and you will be back to yourself in no time.

P.S...tomorrow is Mommy and Daddies 2nd Anniversary!!

Lilly, How Big Are You?

I have always thought kids were so cute when they did this. Gma Nellie taught you this very quickly!!

Charlie you are in LOVE with Gma Pam's new toys she bought you. Fake Food...yes 2 crates of fake veggies, bread, cheese (below), lettuce, etc. I am guessing you will have a fake kitchen by Your First Birthday or Christmas. Both are very close to eachother!!
Take note in this picture, Charlie is not feeling the best this week. Mild Temp, "the Runs", etc. I think tooth #5 is making its way. Hang in there buddy.

New Daycare

On Monday August 30th you guys started at a new daycare. Now this would be a very terrifying day for most moms....

Not me... Your new daycare is your Grandma Nellie's Daycare! I had no worries at all. You will fit in just fine with Carson, Carly, Page, Ethan, Regan, etc....

I didn't get a shot of Charlie before we left, due to him sleeping until 7:30 and I finally had to wake him up change him and get us on our way. Charlie even got his morning bottle in the van :)

This is one of my favorite shots of you lately, Lilly. The only bad part is that you are in a size 12M skirt from Auntie Kelly Fogarty.