Good Times in MN!

My trip was good.  It started out with the possibility of getting a later flight, getting a free hotel and a $600 flying voucher on Frontier Airlines and after they first told me they needed me they told me that they didn't. They still gave me a $50 voucher which I have already used on my next flight. That was a nice bonus but next time I am SO going to be first in line for that deal. 

I spent a lot of time with my nieces and nephews.  They are nine, six, four and one.  They were cracking me up.  When I first got there Reagan (AKA Blond Bomber, Prettiest One, Littles, Princess, or Baybah-which she doesn't want to be called anymore because she thinks it is a weird word) said, "I know what you are going to eat." I said, "What?" and she said, "Squash!"  Then later she was playing with her Frozen dolls and she was making Elsa and Hans kiss, and then she said, "Now we are going to get babies."

This is that adorable lady who just finished her dance class and got a heart stamp. Cate says she will only have French braids when I come to town because she feels like she is incapable of ever learning to do them. 

Above is Elias (AKA Chuckles, Upgrade, Big Shot, Puddin-pronounced poohn, or LiDus as Marie calls him). He just randomly laughs all the time in a very deep laugh that you wouldn't expect to come out of a baby.

We took the kids to the indoor amusement park at Mall of America for some good times.

 Yes, that is me, Ian and Reagan on the Log Ride which happens to be Reagan's favorite ride and the ride that Ian kept boasting didn't scare him. 

 This train ride was Elias's first ride ever.  Time of his life I am sure.

Apparently I am working on being the favorite aunt because I spent a lot of time with the kids on the playgrounds, playing hide and seek, tag and hopscotch.  Luna (AKA Luna Belle) always wants to be outside any chance she gets and has little interest in movies or video games. We had some good times but hopscotch left me with a scrape on my toe and a rolled ankle.  Good thing Cate put her massage skills to work and had me healed by the next day.  These kids are hard core competition.  They don't mess around.

Luna liked to show off her mad pole climbing skills...

The playground gave Reagan some awesome static...

This is what happens when a nine and six year old get ahold of your phone...

This is Ian's (AKA Snug-A-Lug, Snuggs, Hunk, Hunk a Lunk, Mr. Doodens, or Mitty) first day of school.  He was wearing a shirt that his mom made him with the Batman symbol.  He was a little embarrassed because the bat symbol was made out of a silver sparkly iron on so he covered it up for the picture.  He later told me that some of the kids asked him if he was wearing a girl's shirt.  Then he showed them the back that said in black batman lettering, "IAN IS BATMAN" and that quieted all the kids and Ian was pretty proud of that part. 



Then lastly I took a little walk down memory lane and saw my old elementary school that I attended for the second half of sixth grade.  It was one of four elementary schools I attended and now Cate is trying to investigate it because she thinks that they have turned it into a cover for a Muslim training academy. 

Then I saw the old theater we used to go to when I was in high school.

And the grocery store we used to always shop at...



 And good ol' Hopkins Main Street...

Hopkins really was a pretty nice town to live in.  We had the Raspberry Festival and a pretty decent community. I have some happy memories of that place for sure.  Even though we moved around it was nice to be at the same junior high and high school for the most part. 

 I guess I must have had a good time. The kids really wore me out because I came home and slept 11 hours my first night home.  It was 7:00pm-6:00am and it was quite dreamy.  I can't say I ever remember sleeping that much but I totally earned it.