2011 Mitchell vacation - Chicago!!

So - our original idea for vacation this year was Cooperstown, NY. If any of you are baseball fans, MN Twins fans or know us at all - you know that we were wanting to see Bert Blyleven get inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. James and I had made each other that promise when we got married - "when Bert got in, we were going" . . . well, little did we know that would happen when we had a nearly 5 and nearly 2 yr old. The trip got changed to Chicago - still something super fun and I was the only one of us 4 that had really spent time in Chicago but was very excited to experience with a family of my own and make some memories. Lots of memories were made - both kids traveled VERY well in the car for lots of hours and we could have down without the 100 degree heat the whole week, but we made the best of it and still did everything we set out to do, just with much more shade and water!

next best thing was "Bert Blyleven Day" at Target Field to kick of vacation

retired Twins numbers

Jellystone Park - Wisconsin Dells (I camped here as a kid!)

kids with the pirate at Pirate's Cove mini golf - Wisconsin Dells

Brady reading the map of "The Ducks" - Wisconsin Dells

Samantha at the Beliot Snappers game

Madison, WI

Brady enjoying Millenium Park

Samantha not sure if she likes the wet

Shedd's Aquarium - still amazing!

beluga whales

just happened to be a 3D Dora & Diego show there!

James & Samantha ready to watch Dora

Buckingham Fountain - in the opening shots of "Married with Children"

Camp Randall - Madison, WI

dolphin show at Shedd's

Subway picnic in the hotel room

family shot in Millenium Park

THE BEAN!

Beloit Snappers game (minor league affiliate of the MN Twins)

LOTS of recruiters!

the faces spraying water at Millenium Park

The Ducks - Wisconsin Dells, WI

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY SAMANTHA

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL,

SAMANTHA!!

(I don't know why this post didn't go through on her birthday!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRADY!!

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY BRADY!

WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!

Samantha

So - we've had a little girl that is growing up so quickly! She doesn't like to say much for words but certainly understands what is going on. We hear "Dora" MANY times in a day - more than "mom" & "dad" actually, but she loves Dora.

She's started to come into her own personality . . . some good, some not so good. All we know is very different from Brady - we scratch our heads somedays, wondering how 2 kids came from the same parents and can be so different! Guess that's why God gave her to us - to learn understanding :)

Brady setting the timer on the camera

eating all by herself

using a spoon all by herself

FINALLY letting me put headbands on!

getting the last fruit loop!

just being silly

what we call our "hockey hair" picture

LOVES fudge muffins!

although - tuna noodle casserole is her ALLTIME favorite - look how well she wears it! :)

Brady's 1st try at ice skating

We found out a local arena does free skate time, so we took Brady over to see what he thought. We truly think he thought hockey players just ran really fast on the ice and found we were terrible at explaining what the skate looked like - so we went to see first hand. Brady had a blast - James and I had sore backs from hanging on!

1st steps

1st fall

more hanging on

standing all by himself!!

losing some energy!

Christmas 2010

It was such a fun Christmas! Brady was really into the Santa thing, Samantha is understanding the opening presents concept and they were blessed with some great gifts from many who love them! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!


haven't taken a 4 generation picture since the day Samantha was born
Great-grandma Doris (91), Grandma Jane (64), Samantha (16 mos), Lisa (32)

best pic I got of Brady & Samantha

Anderson cousins
Dylan (4), Grant (6), Samantha (16 mos) & Brady (4)

Samantha & mommy ~ Christmas Eve

Brady opening his stocking

not-too-shabby family pic

both kids got guitars (thank goodness!)

Samantha & mommy ~ Christmas Day

Brady helping Samantha open her big present

Samantha LOVES this music table from her uncle Bobby

December 2010 (before Christmas)

Everyone is always busy in December and we're no different. Too many pictures to share, so I'm separating pre-Christmas from my Christmas 2010 post.

I can't put into words how excited I was to put up our Christmas tree this year. We finally have a place to put our tree in this house ~ YAY!!! There is a perfect spot in front of the picture window at the front of the house in our main level living room and we don't have to try to look through the tree to see the TV like in our last house! Brady has been excited about helping me decorate, even when the tree is "pokey" but I didn't anticipate help from Samantha. Don't know why I was surprised since she thinks she can do everything big brother can :) She actually did quite well and by the time we put ornaments away - only one had been broken, but repairable!

James & Brady doing the 1st ornaments - according to Brady, they have to be the Twins, Vikings, Gophers & Wild ones

Brady trying to get the back of the tree

look at the concentration!

Samantha trying - doesn't quite understand the loop goes around the branch

wondering if the ornaments will hang themselves with a stare

Brady's preschool class went to our local "Santa's Village" in early December to see live reindeer and of course tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. Made me laugh when I would hear what he'd tell others he wanted for Christmas because it was completely different than what he told me to put on his list!

hugs for Santa

great pic of Brady & Santa

Brady's class

being silly as an elf :)

James & I enjoyed his work Christmas party for the 9th year now! I can't believe I've known him long enough to go to that many with him! We've only missed 1 in the time we've been dating/engaged/married. It really is a fun night ~ great food, free drinks, good friends and a date with my husband. We have noticed it always seems to be the COLDEST night in December and this year followed suit.

Brady had his church Christmas program in December too. This year went better than last. He stood in front of the church last year but rarely moved his lips to sing and never even attempted to do the actions with the songs. This year he did both! Still definitely tentative, but a step in the right direction!

Brady (vertically striped shirt) & Dylan (red, puffy vest)

Brady & Dylan ready to sing