Mexico!!

 Someone (Dave) thought it would be a good idea to order one of everything off the room service menu at 1 in the morning.

 The groomsmen

 The happy couple

Heather won two free nights at the hotel by sweeping the "Idol" singing contest in the lobby bar. We were all drinking by the pool and missed it. boo.

Thanks to Didi and Nana we were able to travel to Rivera Maya to the wedding of our friends Keegan and Jill. We stayed at our timeshare down the road with our friends Heather, Joe, Dave, and Ben. We had just enough sunshine to send us home with a tan and the rest of the time we had cards and happy hour in the rain by the pool. Great friends. Good times.

It NEVER stops snowing here!

Power tools are cool

Practice makes perfect

 

Veda and Adele have had way too much fun with the dollar store make-up Didi put in their stockings. At this rate they should be pros by the time they turn 25 and Dad allows them to start wearing real make-up;)

Snow snow and more and more snow!

Last week while Todd and I were sunning next to the pool in Mexico, Diane and my Mom were doing everything they could to not go stir crazy with three kids in the house all week. Success. The good thing about Minnesota is that "Frosty" should be with us for quite some time;)

Don't Worry, My Dad is a Doctor

The other day, Kathy comes downstairs and says "I don't think I can take Veda to her class at 2pm today."  Why, I say..."because she just got a papercut on her eye and she says she can't see."  OK, let me handle this.  

OK Veda, I'm going to make a really big patch and put it over your eye.  This will keep it really dark and it won't hurt anymore.  "OK Dad."  So, I proceed to patch her eye.  Kathy walks in and says "I am not taking her to class looking like that."  

Kid Translation: I tell Veda that her eye patch can only stay on for 30 min, at which point, her eye needs get fresh air for 2 hrs and at the end of 2 hrs, you can put it back on for the rest of the night.  

Parent Translation:  It will take mom 30 min to get to your class, at that point, you have to take the patch off so your mom isn't embarrassed.  After class, when you get back in the car, you are free to look however ridiculous you want.  Success!

First Big Snow of 2013

Mostly eating snow and making snow angels.  Winston didn't even mind that he couldn't walk...it just meant he was that much closer to the snow (to eat it).  

Party in Iowa City

The annual Iowa City Christmas Party...in rare form at 8:30pm...

Shhhh....

I'm hiding from my sisters...and just minding my own business.

Things I Do When Mom Isn't Home....

I climb chairs (to get over fences), I stack clothes baskets and then jump up and down on them...and dad lets me drink beer from a frosty mug...

Dad's Speakers

Veda: "Dad, what are you doing?"
Todd: "I'm cleaning up my speakers so I can sell them"
Veda: "Why are you selling them, don't you like them anymore?"
Todd: "Yes, I actually like them quite a bit, but mom is making me sell them"
Veda: "I have an idea, maybe you should find something that mom really likes, then sell it!"

Happy 1st Winston!

It was a pretty low-key day for the big guy. Lucky for him his sisters are master party planners. They both picked out gifts for Winston from the Target dollar bin. Adele got him cake sprinkles and Veda got him flower seeds. They colored paper and wrapped the gifts themselves.

Date Night!

Todd was out of town. Instead of cancelling our babysitter I had her come a little earlier. Veda and I went to paint pottery and then to Broders for dinner. Loved our time together and Adele loved having the babysitter to herself.

First Day at Their New School

Rainy MSP

Just thought this was a cool pic of the Hennepin Ave bridge downtown Minneapolis (on a rainy January night)...more importantly, this was taken during our first official date night of 2013.

Sunglasses Shopping

Veda insisted that we needed to get Grandpa Gary sunglasses for his birthday (in January), so off we went to Target.  A couple pics of the girls modeling their favorite choices and one with the end result (a happy Grandpa with his new shades)...

Race Car Hotdogs Gone Wild

Veda and dad started making race car hotdogs (one of her favorite snacks), but it was just too much fun (for dad), so we turned it into a hotdog, laying on a swampy beach (the tortilla with bean sprouts), on a ham/cheese lawn chair, an american cheese cover up (or straight jacket) and a cucumber/pickle umbrella (to keep the sun off his head of course)...

Hot Jamz

What started as a fun little party trick, has now become a common occurrence for Winston.  He loves his mini 'jukebox' and carries it everywhere (his own little boombox).  He usually jams out to different tunes as he walks around the house...

Sledding at Browndale Park

Veda's first official trip sledding in Minneapolis with our friends Johnny and Erica.  Mom had to stay home while Winston and Adele napped.  Veda was a trooper...first trip down was REALLY fast and she did a bit of a face plant at the bottom of the hill.  Eventually we found a hill that suited us well.

And (possibly) Veda's favorite part, the 'Warming House' where they had a fireplace and sold hot chocolate.  Awesome to see so many kids skating and playing hockey...only in Minnesota.

Laabs Christmas

Here is a little recap of Christmas day gifts and shenanigans at Didi and Papi's house in Clear Lake.

 Grandpa Gary 'gift-wrapping' Veda on Christmas Eve

 Winston in his Sunday best.

 Winston with his new farm toys, circa 1980 (from Todd's collection).

 Veda & Adele's horses.

 Grooming of the horse.