Great Wolf Lodge

 Whew, what a weekend it has been. The kids didn't have school on Friday, because it's already the end of the first quarter of school (how did that happen?). So, on Thursday, after school, we picked up the kids and headed to Bloomington. We pretty much drove straight through, and only stopped at a Kwik Trip for something to eat. 

We made it to Great Wolf Lodge at around 7:30pm. It was too late to go swimming, but we had some fun with rock mining and rock climbing. Both kids really enjoyed those activities. And then, we got some wand toppers, and the kids went exploring on a Magi Quest. We made it back to the room at around 10:00pm, and called it a night. We were all pretty tired. The kids had a bunk bed again, so they really enjoyed that. 

Friday was a pretty busy day. We started at around 7:00am (thanks, Elliott). We started with the Magi Quest again, and then the kids filled their candy cups and enjoyed exploring. The kids also got to bowl, and they both really enjoyed it The waterpark opened at 10:00am, so we hit that up as soon as it opened. We had a blast going down all the waterslides, hanging out in the lazy river, and also enjoying the wave pool. We spent a solid 2.5 hours in the waterpark, before taking a break for lunch. John ran out and got some Jimmy John's, and we ate lunch in the room with all of our other snacks. 

After lunch, the kids did the ropes course. Emma was really excited, but Elliott was pretty unsure of the whole thing. They both did really well, and pretty much did every single obstacle, except for the rolling log. They both tried numerous times, but it would spin, and then they would get scared and quit. But, I was proud of them for doing everything else. They were very brave. After the ropes course, the kids put on their costumes and did some trick or treating in the lobby, which was pretty fun. 

We also played at the arcade. Emma got super lucky and hit the jackpot twice on the mallot game, and scored over 3000 tickets. She won an insanely large tie dye dog, named Tye. She now loves the dog more than the rest of us. Elliott also had good luck at the arcade and won a Charmander stuffy toy. We are almost out of stuffed animals in this family. 

We decided to hit up the pool again, and swam until around 6:30pm, and then we decided to go out and get some supper. We went to a really good Mexican Restaurant and made it back to the hotel around 8:00pm. Elliott went Magi Questing again, and then we got the kids their scoops of ice cream, and then settled into our room to watch the end of the second World Series game. It was a very fun, very busy day. 

Saturday was our day to check out. We pretty much got up, packed up and checked out. Then, we headed to Mall of America. The first thing we did was go to Lego Land. The kids loved it. They got to make their own minifigs and shop and look around at all the legos. They were in heaven, especially Elliott. Once it got too crowded in there, we went to the food court for lunch. 

Then, we just wandered around for a while and did some shopping. We timed it so that we ended up going through Mankato around 4:00pm to Trunk or Treat with Elena. The kids all really enjoyed that, and it was really good cousin time. We left Mankato around 5:30pm and headed to Worthington to go to the Forbidden Barrel, which is a brewery. It was okay, and we enjoyed a late supper of pizza and nachos. Then, finally, we headed for home. 

We got home around 9:00pm, unpacked, and then sent everyone to bed. Today, we had early church, the choir sang, and I had to teach Sunday School. So, it was a busy morning. 

We spent the rest of the day outside, because it was 65 degrees and beautiful. The kids went to Lake Vermillion with John and I went to the gym, and then caught up on laundry and cleaning. 

All in all, it was a great weekend. Now, we are catching up on homework and preparing for school and work tomorrow. Also, it's Halloween tomorrow, so that's always fun! 

Happy Halloween!!

October Happenings

 Well, October keeps marching on. We are officially 4 days away from Halloween. That's crazy!! We have been counting down for Halloween with a Halloween Pokemon Calendar (of course) and the kids have loved opening it every day to see what figure or other trinket they will get. They also have gotten some Halloween Pokemon cards, so they are doing pretty well. 

We went to a couple more Augustana Volleyball games, and Emma really enjoyed that. Elliott tolerated it. It was pretty fun to go and watch some good volleyball, and to have someone to watch. All the home games are done now, so I'm hoping there will be some playoff volleyball games at the Elmen Center that we can still watch. I like that Emma is taking an interest in sports. 

Speaking of Emma and sports, Emma started basketball practice last Thursday. We signed her up for a YMCA basketball league. She will have one practice a week and one game a week starting in November. I'm so excited for her. This will be a great way to develop her skills and meet new kids. Emma really liked her first practice, so I'm hoping that will continue. 

A couple weeks ago, we went to a Trail and Paint pumpkin event at Arrowhead Park. It was put on by Parks and Rec, and we enjoyed going for a little hike, picking out a pumpkin, and then painting it. The weather was beautiful, and we had a really fun night. 

I also went to my first LWMS Rally a couple weekends ago. It was in Watertown, and it was pretty fun. It was a lot of sitting, but I liked it. 

Last weekend, John and I went on a date night to Luverne, MN. We ended up having a lot of fun. We ate at Sterlings, which is a steak house, and then we went to Take 16, which is a brewery in town. It was pretty fun to get out of Sioux Falls, and have an adult night. The kids went to Jim and Barb's house for the night. 

On Saturday, we woke up kind of early to get ready for family pictures. We picked up kids, dressed them up, and then we went to Lake Vermillion to take family photos. The weather was gorgeous (like 80 degrees!) and the kids mostly cooperated, so we got some good photos. There were some tears, but overall it was a success. 

My parents also came to visit, and we met them at our house around lunch time. We enjoyed visiting and sitting outside for a while, before heading to the Corn Maze in Harrisburg. We had a great time finding all the spots in the corn maze and enjoying the treats at the end. The kids really loved it, and us adults had a pretty good time too. After the corn maze, the adults figured we had earned some beer, so we went to Lupulin to get some beer. The kids played games, and the adults drank, and we had a great time. 

After the brewery, we went to Ruby Tuesdays for supper, and then finally home. At home, we played some games with the kids, and then eventually some adults time and card games to end the night. It was a fun day!

On Sunday, we went to church, and then made pizzas for lunch. They were delicious. We then enjoyed an afternoon of games and visiting and washing windows. We also went on a walk, and found a lady selling Pampered Chef for really cheap, so we took advantage of that. Then, mom and dad headed for home. 

This week has flown by pretty quickly. We did spend a really nice evening outside this week raking leaves, and then letting the kids jump in them. They had a blast. We also had choir, and homework, and all the usual things. 

Today, we are heading to Great Wold Lodge once the kids are out of school. They have been counting down the days for this trip, and then are so excited. I am excited too. We are going to have a great time. So, peace out, we have a vacation to get to. 

Minnesota in October

 We are in full October mode in the Nelson household. Emma and I watched the premier of Hocus Pocus 2 on October 1st, and that put us in full Halloween mode. We spent the rest of the weekend decorating the front steps with Halloween decor and lights, and putting pumpkins everywhere. We both love fall and Halloween. 

We also had an evening recently that through the Parks and Rec department they had a kickball night at Keuhn Park. The kids had a blast playing kickball with some other kids, and at the end the parents played against the kids which was also fun. 

Elliott and John continue to go fishing on nice evenings, and they are moderately successful. Elliott is still showing an interest in fishing, so we are trying to keep encouraging that. 

Last weekend I went to a Thomas Rhett concert with Katie, while John and the kids went to an Augastana Volleyball Game. Katie and I had a blast. We went downtown first, and had some drinks at the distillery, and then we ate supper at Blarney Stone. We also did a little shopping downtown, and then headed to the concert. We were in the very top row of the Denny, but we really enjoyed our seats and had a good time. The openers were decent, and then Thomas Rhett was really good. He played for about two hours straight, and Katie and I had a lot of fun!

On Sunday, we had church, and then John and I both had to teach Sunday School (John was a fill-in). Then, we went to Hinners to watch football and eat some lunch. Then, in the evening we had a 4-H meeting, and then we met up with Jim and Barb and Jeff and Samantha and had some supper. It was a busy, crazy weekend, but it was fun!

This past week has also been pretty busy. We've been staying busy with all the homework and piano lessons like crazy, and then this past weekend we went to Minnesota for the weekend. Just the kids and I went to Minnesota, and John stayed home to work on some projects and get things done at home. 

The kids and I left Sioux Falls right after school on Friday, and we got to my parent's house around 6:30pm. We ate some supper with mom, and then Elliott went to ride in the combine with Ryan and ride with dad to the elevator. They are harvesting corn right now, and the kids enjoyed being around to see everything and get their rides in. 

On Saturday, Mom, Emma, Elliott, and I headed to Mankato for the day. On the way there, we stopped in Gaylord to see Grandma Mary. She was really happy to see us, and it was really nice to catch up and visit with her. Then, we went to Rachel's house. The kids enjoyed playing in the house for a while, and then we decided to go get some lunch. 

We ate lunch at La Terraza, and then since it was such a beautiful fall day, we decided to take the kids to a couple parks. It was a perfect day. The colors were stunning in the trees, it was about 70 degrees, a little breezy and no bugs. The kids had so much fun playing together. They brought their stuffed animals along, so they were having a blast playing with them on the playground. 

After visiting two parks, and going for a walk on one of the trails, we left to go to the Water Circus at the Riverhills Mall. It was pretty fun, and the kids were really impressed. Basically, it was a show made up of tricks and stunts. We had juggling, balancing, hula hoops. comedy, aerial stunts, and tricks on roller skates. It was fun to watch the kids watch everything. We also bought them overpriced food and light up toys. It lasted about 2 hours, and then we were all ready to leave. We got back to Rachel's around 7pm, ate an evening snack (since the show started at 4:30 and we never ate supper) and then we headed back to mom and dad's house. The very tired kids watched a little bit of a movie, and then passed out hard. 

Sunday was also a fun day. We spent the morning on the farm, picking apples, and also destroying apples with baseball bats (just the bad ones). We also found brand-new baby kittens on the farm, which the kids all loved. We also played some basketball and with toys outside, before heading over to Ryan's place to ride in the tractors some more. Emma and Elliott each took turns riding to town with loads of corn (and getting a lot of candy and pop in return). They both also rode with Ryan in the combine a little and then they just had fun riding around in the Ranger and 4-wheeler. 

I rode a few rounds with dad in the DMI. He also let me drive for a few rounds, which was pretty fun, and pretty easy with the GPS system. Basically you just have to turn at the end, otherwise it drives for you. It was really fun to have a little taste of harvest again, and spend some time with family. 

John was productive back at home. He fixed the fence post that had rotted out, cleaned and organized the garage, and helped clean around the house while we were gone. I think he missed us all by the end of the weekend though, and we missed him too!

I'm still having an extended weekend with the kids. They don't have school today or tomorrow, and I took those days off too. Today, we spent the morning cleaning rooms and the house, and then I went to the gym while the kids stayed home and Ipaded. Then, we had eye doctor appointments, and Emma now needs glasses. She's in good spirits about it, but I'm sure it's going to be quite the adjustment. We ordered her a cute black pair with cheetah print on the sides, she's pretty excited about it. 

After the eye doctor, we got some juice stop and then headed back home. Emma made us biscuits and gravy for supper (with a little help) and then we finished it up with fresh apple crisp. Yum! It was delicious. Now, John and Elliott are fishing, and Emma and I are enjoying some peace and quiet and relaxing. 

I really love this time of year, but before I know it, October will be half over. This year is going too fast!!

Visits with Great-Grandma Mary 

Lunch Date 

Cousins!

Off to the Water Circus 

Baby Kitty 

Driving tractor with dad