Our adventures as MinneSnowtans

Day 3 of Christmas

2010-12-03T22:25:00.001-06:00

For today’s post I’m going to share one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I got the start of my nativity from my mom a couple years ago for Christmas. I haven’t added additional pieces yet. Frankly I’m hoping for more Christmas gifts!!!

For me this is a constant reminder of the true REASON for the season!

Countdown to Christmas….Day 1!

2010-12-02T09:17:00.001-06:00

I know it’s a day late. I plan on two posts today to catch up. I couldn’t decide on a theme for my countdown so it’s going to be a modge podge this year!

Since I didn’t post anything about being thankful last month, I’m going to start out by what I am most thankful for this holiday season.

These two little people are truly the light of my life. Though they may drive me crazy some days, I couldn’t imagine my life without them! They can be filled with silliness and let’s be honest, craziness(they get it from their dad! ) They help us to see the goodness in life. I’ve always loved the holidays but getting to share the season with my kids make it 100x’s better. Seeing the join on their faces when they found the note Santa aka my dad left in their stockings reminded them to listen to mom & dad and be good was priceless!

I was meant to live here….

2010-11-30T18:53:00.001-06:00

As much as I love having grown up on the prairie surrounded by nothing but farmland, all these trees are growing on me! On a windy, snowy day like today the trees are helping keep the blowing and drifting to a minimum.

Another thing about living where we do is location! When I was young, the only time we made a trip to the Cities(Minneapolis/St. Paul) was if we were going for the entire weekend. It was such a treat to head to the big city! Nowadays, as an adult, I make frequent trips to the Cities. It’s our closest mall! In fact, Trevor commutes to Maplewood twice a week for school.

But the best part of all……we can make frequent day trips “up north” to Duluth! If Trevor and I could move anywhere in the state, it would be a toss up between the Alexandria area with all of the lakes and Duluth. If Duluth didn’t have the dreaded hills, I think that we for sure be our #1 choice.

This weekend we were able to bring my parents up to Duluth for their first trip back in over 20 years!

It’s hard to believe something my family takes for granted has not been experienced by my parents in so long. Throughout the spring and summer, we make frequent day trips just because. The kids LOVE throwing rocks into Lake Superior.

This weekend gave us yet another reason why we love Duluth and would love to live there some day….Bentleyville!

A huge display of lights down along the bay. Admission was free and offered free hot chocolate and cookies as you began. About halfway through you can get free popcorn and stop by the fire pits to warm up. You can also grab marshmallows and a stick for roasting over the fire.

Kids and stop by for a visit with Santa or Ms. Claus.

Here’s a few more pictures for your enjoyment!

Oh how I love Duluth and long to live there some day!!! (But I must admit, snowy days like today make me thankful I’m not)

Shutterfly

2010-11-30T09:31:00.003-06:00

Here's a sneak peek at our Christmas card(well one of them)!

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

5 year old Wisdom....

2010-11-18T19:38:00.003-06:00

From our wise 5 year old Benjamin:

While driving through Grasston (a small town a few miles north of us) this morning on the way to school, Ben says to Trevor, "Dad, since there is snow on the ground and we can't see grass anymore, can we call Grasston Snowton?"

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-14T21:56:00.002-06:00

This is the sight we woke up to yesterday morning. Our first snowfall of the year and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, I am now struggling to not put out all the snowman decorations. There is a rule around us, no winter decorations until AFTER Thanksgiving. I am a strong advocate of celebrating one holiday before decorating for the next. So for the next 2 weeks, I'll just have to live with the snow as my decorations!!!!

Procrastination

2010-11-14T21:18:00.002-06:00

If you know me....you know that I always wait until the last minute to do everything. I always have the best of intentions to get stuff planned and done ahead of time but always manage to be pushy to the finish line during crunch time. I have been like this for as long as I can remember. And tonight is no exception!

I have a paper due at 11:55 pm...it's 9:20 pm right now. And what am I doing instead of my research and writing? Anything and everything to avoid it! It doesn't help that the paper is part of a project for my Professional Communication class. This project is something we are working on throughout the quarter. I have been struggling with it since week 1 and we are now finishing up week 6. The project is about Effective Communication in the Workplace. This is especially difficult for me considering I have been unemployed for almost 6 months now! I can't apply my ideas and concepts at work.

Okay, okay. Back to my paper.

A frustrated, procrastinating college student

Shutterfly

2010-11-11T13:41:00.004-06:00

It’s coming to that time of year when we start making our Christmas shopping lists and Christmas card list. Each year, I go to www.shutterfly.com to check gifts off our list. Last year, we made each of my in-laws a coffee cup with different pictures of the grandkids on it. It was a huge hit! This year, I’m going to make personalized calendars for our parents (and myself J ) with everyone’s birthday and anniversary. After the first 4 years of our marriage living away from our families, we are now fortunate enough to live close enough to have lots of pictures of all of the kids! Thanks to Shutterfly, they make it easy to create calendars. With so many options to choose from like the ones from this link, you are sure to create a calendar to meet all of your needs.

Not only is Shutterfly my go to site for customized gifts, I also head there each year for our Christmas cards! Each year they add new great designs and I’ve found this year is no exception!I am already having a hard time on deciding which cards I like the most and I haven’t even taken the pictures yet! I’m waiting for the snow to arrive in hopes of taking a cute family portrait outside in the snow. I am loving this Holly photo and think it would be perfect for the idea I’m going for.

Another great card layout is the one below. It is the perfect layout for our family of four! I think this one may be the winner but you’ll have to watch your mail to find out for sure.

No matter what products you get from Shutterly, you are sure to receive high quality products at great prices! I have been more pleased with everything I have ordered; from Christmas cards, to coffee cups, to pictures, to photo albums from family vacations!

Did you know that if you are a blogger and you write a blog post showcasing Shutterfly's wonderful products you will receive 50 free holiday cards?

Check out their offer HERE at this link. * Bloggers are eligible to receive 50 holiday cards. Free cards are for 5×7 folded or flat stationery cards. Offer ends December 31, 2010. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply

Sunday Silliness

2010-11-08T20:18:00.002-06:00

Alright...I've been wanting to get back into blogging but have struggled with what to do. So here is my attempt at getting back to it.

My kids can come up with some CRAZY stuff, as most 3 & 5 year olds do. This first one is going to come from our 3 year old. As many of you know Ben started Preschool this fall. His teacher(Mrs. Kauffman) has them all lay down for 30 min. of quiet time. The kids do not need to go to sleep but do need to just lay there quietly. One day after picking Ben up from school, I had asked him if he had fallen asleep during quiet time. He said he was started to but then his teacher woke him up. His smarty pants 3 year old sister chimed him, "Well what did she do....cough!?!?!?!" And with a little giggle said..."hehe, get it Ben? Mrs. Coughman!!!!"

Oh boy! I am proud to say she gets her clever wit from her mom ;)

Winter Fun

2010-01-22T21:13:00.004-06:00

The kids have been loving the warm weather. They finally get to go outside and play in the snow! At daycare they have gone sledding a few times and the kids absolutely love it. Unfortunately weather hasn't cooperated when we've had time to bring them. We just get bring the kids to rink for the first time this season. This is the second time the kids have been able to go, their first time being last winter.

The rink in Pine City has great poles for the kids to use that are just learning to skate. Definitely helps save on mom and dad's backs as well :)

Ben really wanted to get his hands on a hockey stick. He wasn't understanding he needs to be able to skate w/out assistance before he can use a hockey stick. Dad was thrilled with his eagerness though!

Addy loved skating so much she cried and cried when we had to go home.

2010

2010-01-08T11:49:00.003-06:00

Okay...I realize I have not posted in a REALLY long time!!! The last half of 2009 was a bit hectic for us.

We moved into a house in Rush City. Trevor started college and got a part time job working at the local radio station. And the kids started daycare. This was a big step for us because they have NEVER been in daycare before.

Fortunately we found a great daycare mom and the kids absolutely LOVE her!!!!

I promise that 2010 will be a more exciting blog year!!! I foresee big changes for our family! :)

Road Trip 2009 Pt. 1-Wyoming

2009-07-29T13:48:00.007-05:00

For the 4th year in a row, the White family vacation was a large road trip. This year we put on 2500 miles in 7 days. It's not our biggest, Alaska to Arizona tops them off and was our first in 2006.

This years trip brought us out to Lander, Wyoming for a memorial service for Trevor's Aunt Gladys who past away in March. We hit the road about 6 o'clock Tuesday after I got of work. We stopped at a rest area in Sundance, WY for a fews hours rest before hitting the road again.

After a stop at Hot Springs State Park for lunch, we made our final leg of the 1st half of the trip into Lander. Wednesday after noon was spent visiting family. Trevor and I have been married almost 5 years and this was the 1st time I had met many of his aunts and one of his uncles.

Tim, Trevor's older brother who lives in Austin, Texas, made the trek up to WY for a job interview and surprise some of the family(I knew he was going to be there!). It was great seeing him and being able to visit since we haven't seen him since we made our 2007 road trip to Texas for Jennifer & Tim's wedding!

As the sun was setting we headed out to Sinks State Park to see Bam Bam the Ram and the Sinks itself. It is a river that flows into to a cave and no one knows where it comes out. They have tried many different experiments but have had no luck.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

2009-06-11T14:52:00.003-05:00

If you're anything like me, I love lasagna but dislike the time it takes to make it. Found this recipe on Kraft Foods and had to try it out last night. It got thumbs up from everyone and was very easy to make! With the help of Trevor it took us about 45 min. to make.

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 2 lbs. to feed more ppl!)

2 green peppers, chopped (I used 1 1/2 big peppers)

3 gloves garlic, minced

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 2/3 cups water

1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters

1 cup Mozzarella Cheese

The how to:

Brown meat in large saucepan; drain. Add peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water, and dressing. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Cover and cook on medium low for 10-15 min. or until the noodles are tender. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

We made cheesy bread to eat with it. I mixed in cheese before I topped it. Was much easier and less time consuming than regular lasagna!

Grand Marias

2009-06-09T13:20:00.009-05:00

This past weekend our family ventured up to Grand Marias. I hadn't been this far north so I was excited for the venture! We made some stops along the way to break up the drive a little bit. We stopped at Temperance State Park for a picnic and had planned on spending some time there relaxing and enjoying the State Park but unfortunately because of the fall like tempurates and gnats we only stayed long enough to grill and got back in the car.

We made a stop at Palisade Head our way north. It was a great time to stretch and enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Superior!

Addison enjoyed watching the geese floating in Lake Superior right outside our hotel room window.

After church on Sunday it was time to head back home, but not before stopping off for some world famous donuts!

Sunday happened to be the day that admission was free to all State Parks. The park system does this every year to encourage people to come out to the parks and enjoy our state's beauty. We have always wanted to stop and see the Split Rock Lighthouse but haven't wanted to pay for it. So we took advantage of the day and stopped off for a tour.

Luck....

2009-06-04T14:57:00.002-05:00

We were outside watering trees the other day and saw a patch of clovers. I was looking and them and found a 4 leaf clover and thought...wow LUCKY! Then I saw the 8 leaf clover and thought to myself....geez if 4 is lucky how much is 8!?!?!? I'll be buying a lottery ticket next time I'm in the gas station :)

They grow so fast!

2009-06-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

Ben went swimming for the first time on his own (with a little help from the life jakcet) this past weekend. He thought this was so cool and quickly confirmed that I need to sign him up for swimming lessons this year! He spent 2 hours swimming around the pool all by himself and playing with his cousins Jordan and Eli and Grandpa Aker too!

And we're off to the races.....

2009-05-27T15:07:00.006-05:00

On Friday night after I got off work, we headed off to the lake(like a lot of weekends in

the summer!). The kids were busy helping Daddy pack so they were exhausted for the 2 1/2 hour drive. Ben watched movies almost the entire drive....thank goodness for DVD players!!! Addy quickly crashed.

On Saturday night we headed to the races! This brought back many childhood memories for me. My Uncle Butch raced for years so I spent many Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights at various race tracks. This time we were there watching my cousin Troy(Butch's son) and my cousin Travis race. Both did a great job coming in 3rd & 4th places! The kids really enjoyed it! Especially when the saw Mater(the tow trucks!) The highlight of their weekend was when Troy, as well as his parents, spent the day with us on Sunday at the lake. In toddler fashion, they understood who he was when I said he was like Lightening McQueen!!

On Monday, we woke up to clouds and wind so we packed up early and headed home after lunch. The kids had so much fun over the weekend that they slept a lot of the drive home.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Even though we did spend the weekend at the lake we did not forget to remember the reason for the holiday! Being a military family, holidays like this mean more to us than they used to. Those that made the ultimate sacrafice for our country and those that are currently serving will always have a special place in my heart! On this day, I especially remember my Grandpa who served in the Navy, my husband, and our good friend Arturo who is currently serving one year in Iraq, as well as all those we have met along the way that are currently serving or have served.

Never forgotten.......

Cheapskate-Thrifty Thursday!

2009-05-21T12:56:00.004-05:00

My husband says I can be a cheapskate sometimes! I like to refer to myself as thrifty. If I find something I like but don't want to pay the price for it, I'll try to figure out if I can make it for less. My latest find are these Kiss toe & finger nail stickers. There are a few different designs and for less than $2 you can pick them up at Wal-Mart. So now instead of spending $30-40 on a pedicure to get pretty toenails, I can do it at home!

Father Hennepin

2009-05-18T12:20:00.004-05:00

I realize it has been a few months since I've posted but now that the weather is finally warming up I'll have more to blog about!

This weekend was a busy one! Friday night Trev and I had a date night. We went to the movie Ghost of Girlfriend's Past. It was alright...your typical chick flick. Saturday we were off to get Addison's two year pics taken...finally! We had tried right after she turned two but the little stinker would not let the photographer take a picture. So after a few months we finally got her too! She had fun and we had some good pictures to choose from. Saturday night I was off to Anoka for a scavenger hunt with the girls! A good time was had by all!!!

Sunday was family fun day. After a bit of cleaning after church we hopped in the car and headed north to Mille Lacs Lake and Father Hennepin State Park.

Showing the kids a crawfish.

Life is a walk on the beach when I have you as my friend...

Had to make a stop at DQ!

And a trip into Garrison to see the giant walleye!

5 years ago....

2009-02-17T09:22:00.002-06:00

Five years ago I took my leftover student load money and flew to Alaska to spend Valentine's Day with a guy I had known for 6 months! Who knew that 6 months later we'd be getting married.

I have very fond memories of my first visit to Alaska. Though I had lived in snowy Minnesota all my life I had never seen blue snow. It was the first time I saw mountains. The sites were AMAZING but the company was better. Valentine's Day 5 years ago we said I love you for the first time.

This is the first picture that we ever took together! In front of Maynard Mountain near Portage Glacier. We took many many drives down to this spot and back over the years that we lived in Alaska.

It was a love hate relationship with Alaska. I hated living there when we were there and now I'd love to move back!!!! It wasn't the state I hated, it was starting a new life and family so far from everyone I loved. And now after having lived so far away for so long I'm okay with it! Hopefully on our 25th anniversary we'll take a trip back.

Date night...

2009-01-21T13:24:00.005-06:00

On Friday night Trevor and I were able to go out on an overnight date. We headed to Duluth for a UMD hockey game. It was a fun game to watch and the Bulldogs won!

We got a room at the Radisson Hotel just a few blocks from the hockey arena so we could just walk...and freezes our buns!! Little did we know there is a skyway that we could have taken all the way from the hotel to the arena w/out going outside. We found that out too little too late :(

After the game we went back to our hotel room and enjoyed some pizza before crashing for the night. After we enjoyed sleeping in without having a kid or two crawling into bed with us we headed up to the top of the hotel for breakfast in the revolving restaurant. For those that aren't familiar with Duluth, the Radisson has a restaurant at the top of the hotel that revolves 360 degrees to get all the views of the city.

There was a light snow falling while we ate and we even saw a dear on the hillside.

Trevor and I enjoyed a day of shopping without the kids. It was so nice being able to browse around stores without feeling pressured to hurry because of screaming impatient children! I even got my cartilage pierced...I blame it on a quarter life crisis! What started as finding out how much it was going to cost us to get Addison's ears pierced turned into me doing something I've wanted to do since I was 16 but never had the couraged to do!

So after a day of marriage revitalization we headed home to get the kids. Even they had a fun weekend with Grandma & Grandpa. So much fun they didn't want to go home with us!

Where he gets things from...

2009-01-15T11:55:00.002-06:00

Trevor was explaining to Ben and Addy this morning that they are going to stay at Grandma & Grandpa's tomorrow night....we're having a date night! So here's their conversation....

Trev: You guys are going to stay overnight at Grandma & Grandpa's tomorrow night.

Ben: Oh cool. Is Emma & Lucy too?

Trev: Nope.

Ben: Is Zach?

Trev: No. Just you and Addy.

Ben: Hmmmm...how much is that gonna cost yah? (with true concern!)

Where does this kid come up with some of this stuff!!!!

trying...

2009-01-08T14:49:00.009-06:00

Okay I'm trying to figure this blogging thing out. It's been a bit difficult for me to play around with this since we do not have internet at home and I have to do it at work! I would love to post more often but am going to do my best to keep you all updated!

Christmas is over and the tree is being taken down but I wanted to share some photos anyways!!!

The tree was decorated.....

and the stockings were hung.....

All the kids on Trevor's side. The boys are out numbered right now so let's hope Baby White is a boy! (Trevor's brother Tim and wife Jen are having a baby in Sept.)

Not the greatest family pics but it's all we got other than what we had for our Christmas card!

Cars card games from Grandma!!! YAY!

Our little princess all dressed up!

Officially a blogger!

2009-01-02T15:57:00.000-06:00

It's official. I am now a blogger! This is for all the friends we've made through the years and family to keep track of our ever busy and adventurous family!

Big changes came for our family in 2008. We started out the year living on Luke AFB in Glendale, Arizona. My parents came for a visit in January. We were able to take them to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam. In February we celebrated Addison's 1st birthday! March brought us the long anticipated move back to Minnesota. We were able to surprise almost everyone with our move back! The move was expected but not as early as it came. The kids LOVE being in Minnesota to play with Grandma's and Grandpa's, Aunt's and Uncle's, but especially cousins!!!!! Trevor's discharge from the Air Force was official in April. May found us at the lake for the first time this year. In June I got a job as an office manager in Pine City. It's nice only having a 4 mile commute to work! July was a busy month with trips to the lake and Duluth to enjoy the Minnesota summer. In August Trevor and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. Ben celebrated his 3rd birthday in September. October found us bundling up more than we had the year prior. For the first time we had to keep snowsuits in mind as we picked out Halloween costumes for the kids. Ben was Mater from his favorite movies Cars and Addy was a lady bug and a cute on at that! November was full of time with family. It was wonderful to be home to celebrate Thanksgiving with both families. December was also a busy month because of the holidays. It was the first time since Trevor and I have been together that we were able to spend the Christmas at home in Minnesota with family! The kids LOVE snow and are very content being home in Minnesota. Though Addison is too little to remember her time in Arizona, Benjamin still talks about his friends Lovietea, Ontario, Vonye, Lexi and Karmichael! The last 8 months have definitely been an adjustment for our family and though we do love being back home, at times we do miss military life. I must say it was a love hate relationship!!!

There were big changes for our family in 2008 and we pray for even bigger changes in 2009!!!!!