Timbuktu

The big event that we were back in Minnesota for was the wedding of my Dad and Kathy. I was waiting to write about it until I had the photos to include and now they are ready! The wedding ceremony took place in an area right outside of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin called Timbuktu. Timbuktu has been in my Grandma's sister's family for as long as I can remember and is a beautiful rustic cabin in the woods. I love going there and can see why my Dad and Kathy chose to get married there. Unfortunately the weather didn't quite cooperate and the cabin wasn't big enough for everyone so we braved the rain with our umbrellas for the outdoor ceremony. The ceremony was very sweet and intimate and the sun broke through right at the end which made for a beautiful finish. Here are some of my favorite pics of the day. You'll notice all of the cousins are in matching clothes, I have my sister to thank for that. For years she has been coordinating matching outfits at family events for the kids. Now I know that for years to come Addy will have a matching outfit waiting for her whenever she comes to visit for a big family event.

Snooze

While we were in Minnesota, Addy did a really good job of staying on her schedule and sleeping through the night. There was only one night that she didn't sleep very well and she woke up really early. Since I wasn't ready for her to be up for the day already, I brought her into bed with Brian and I. Normally, this would never work. She usually wants to crawl around and play and talk, but she was clearly still tired because she actually cuddled with me and then fell asleep. It was the cutest thing ever so I couldn't resist grabbing a few photos of her and Brian sleeping in.

Uncle Leo

I have known Lennard since I was about 12 years old and he is definitely like a brother to me. That's why I was so excited to find out that he was flying to MN from Germany for my Dad's wedding. Finally Addy was going to meet her Uncle Leo. Lennard has always been good with kids so it was no surprise to me that I was instantly able to hand Addy off to him and he handled it. But handing him the diaper bag to remember? Not as successful. But Addy definitely had a great time bonding with her Uncle Leo. How can you not have fun with him?

G&G E

As I mentioned Addy and I took a road trip to visit Brian's parents. It was great to see them and Addy's great grandparents came up from Iowa. She was great and had lots of fun playing in their new house. She showed off her crawling skills and of course made time to read Pat the Bunny.

High School Mamas

While back in MN, Addy and I took a roadtrip down to Holmen, WI which is where Brian's parents just moved to. Lucky for me that also happens to be the same town where my friend Megan from high school lives. She hosted a little get together at her place with our friends Kristi & Kelli. Kelli drove all the way from Milwaukee so she didn't bring her 2 kids, but I did get to meet Kristi and Erik's new little boy, Kade who was only a few weeks old. It was so fun to get together with everyone and see these ladies who I've known for over 25 years as mamas! Here is Addy and Ellie catching up, Addy interrupting Owen's game of memory, the mamas and the little ones, and Addy showing Ellie who's boss.

Cousins!

One of the best things about our trip was that Addy was able to spend so much time with her cousins. It was especially cute to see her play with her cousin Isabelle (aka Tatorbelle, TB or Sugarbaby). There were times when they were really excited to see each other and they actually almost played together, but most of the time they seemed completely uninterested in each other. It was also fun to watch Sydney and Jack as the "big cousins" take care of the little ones.

The Great Minnesota Get Together

We just got back from 9 days in Minnesota, and although we didn't make it to the State Fair I think calling our trip the "Great Minnesota Get Together" is the best way to describe it. It was a whirlwind of catching up with family and friends, dinners, dancing and more dinners. It was loud and crazy and chaotic, just like my family, and I loved every minute of it. It was great to have so much time to spend with my family and Addy was such a good girl. She did great on the flights and definitely impressed my brother by being such a "chill" baby. She loved having all new toys to play with and that there was always a room full of people watching her every move. I'm sure now that it's just back to Brian and I she is going to be bored with us. Here is a picture of my Dad & Kathy, Addy and Izzy, Brian and Tad with the girls and Addy with Aunt Keri.