Vegas in Black and White

Hi friends! Again...I've fallen behind on keeping current pictures up on the blog. This is surely a sign that summer has commenced! We've been getting out of the house enjoying the sunshine and beginning a whirlwind season of travel. First stop....Las Vegas, Nevada, where sunshine and smiles were plentiful! We planned this trip to help Chris' sister, Carrie, ring in her 21st year of life with style, and Grandma and Grandpa Petersen were glad to take on some babysitting responsibilities! (For some more pictures- in color- check out Grandma Petersen's blog!)

Kendall was stylin' for her first dip in the pool!

Grandpa's beard was fascinating and funny!

The girls got out for a trip to the outlet mall. This kid was tuckered out by the end of it all!

The Petersen family.

The brothers at our Margaritaville gathering.

And the girls, dressed for a night out!

Crib with a view! Below is Las Vegas Blvd.

Welcome, Spring.

Hello from bright, sunshine-y Duluth, Minnesota!
At this time last week I was wearing snow boots and drinking hot chocolate as I watched 2 inches of snow fall during the second week of MAY.
Today, it's nearly 80 degrees. It definitely made coming home from Las Vegas a bit more bearable.
Sure, air conditioning would be nice, but we can't have EVERYTHING we want, now can we? ;)
We thought a family outing down to the lakefront for a cold malt shake was in order this afternoon since Chris got home from work early, and it couldn't have been more beautiful.
Roses are in bloom, the lake breeze was refreshing, and a sweet treat hit the spot.
Now, If we could just bottle some of this warmth to use in December...

This was from our porch on May 9th.

We opted for sandals in lieu of snow boots for our date at the Malt Shoppe.

The Malt Shoppe is located along the lake front (Lake Superior).

The Lake Walk Rose garden is abloom!

I really, really don't mind living in Duluth on days like this.

The Apple of my Eye

Nearly four months ago, I was laying in a hospital bed when, in the early hours of the morning, a nurse wheeled you in and said "she wants her mommy!"
It's the first time I felt like a mom.
Now, I love being with you as much as you love being with me.
I will always remember how you snuggle up to my chest and suck your thumb.
I treasure every smile when I appear over your crib.
It's almost heartbreaking how fast you are growing.
My face is always sore from smiling so much.

I am so lucky to be your mommy.

A Mommy's Love

In Your Eyes

In your eyes, Mom,
I have always been the prettiest,
The smartest, the funniest
The one with the potential
To do anything.

In your eyes,
My failures are but
Practice for success
My weaknesses
But strengths in the making
My mistakes
But an opportunity to learn

In your eyes,
I am the strongest
And the softest.
I am the shoulder
The world can cry on
And the rock
It can lean on

In your eyes,
I am the most creative
And artistic
My every stick figure
The Mona Lisa
My every clay figure
David

In your eyes,
I am the most loved and loving
Everyone's best friend
The perfect daughter
The perfect mother
The perfect wife
A beautiful person to know

And when I see myself
Reflected in your eyes
I see someone
Ten times the person I'll ever be-
I see you.

(Melissa Peek)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You really are amazing. And everyone who knows you knows exactly what I mean.

A Happy Hour, Indeed!

Excitement is brewing, and about to be blended up in a smooth, cool cup of frappuccino goodness...for HALF THE PRICE! Thank you, Starbucks, for introducing frappuccino "happy hour" from 3-5 p.m. between May 7th and May 16th. I shall be indulging in your caloric creation happily, while saving a couple dollars in the pocketbook. My girlie friends should all be expecting calls for coffee dates next week...

This Ain't No Ordinary Mall.

Hi friends. We have just returned to Duluth after a full day of shopping at the greatest...the biggest...the most fabulous mall there ever was: The Mall of America. Shopping, however, was secondary to visiting with two dear friends just passing through. Mikey and Christa, founders of His Little Feet, were in Minneapolis for a conference, and we got to spend some time with them before they booked it back to Colorado. We had a good time perusing, and did a few NEW things while we were there:

1) We located the home plate of Metropolitan Stadium that existed on the site prior to the mall being built. It was quite the scavenger hunt, but we found it!


2) I nursed while sitting on a toilet. Ugh...I hate the mall.

3) All of us enjoyed testing out the new iPad at the Apple store. Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet...

4) Mikey and Christa met Kendall for the first time- we loved sharing her with them (and, consequently, loved that she spit up all over Mikey and not me).