Girls Morning

I have been so blessed the past couple of years by a wonderful group of women from church, more specifically a small group we started attending fall of 2011. We have gotten to know each other better and our small group evenings have spurred getting together outside those scheduled times. Mid-January it lead all the women to Perkins to help celebrate the coming of baby number 2 for one of the moms.

I love when a group comes together and you know that God has been at the center. For none of us would have been in the small group without the prodding of the Holy Spirit. I have been so blessed by these new relationships and excited for a new baby in our group!

A Dog and His Boy

Eko is an amazing dog. I'm sure you've heard us mention this before! But he really is.

It's been interesting to watch him now with two kids around, not just one. From what I can tell, I think he has a stronger connection to Carl than he does with Brianna. It might be weird that I'm thinking about it in this way, but it seems to be true. Maybe it's how Carl gets right next to Eko in any situation, where Brianna always went around Eko. Not that she ignored him, because she had her fair share of close encounters.

If Eko is laying down, Carl will come right up to his front paws, move them apart and sit next to his head. Or he'll pretend to ride him like a horse. Whatever happens, Eko never seems to mind.

One Last Hoorah

Before we lost a couple more cousins to plane rides over the sea, I thought it would be fun to have a day to play together and a sleep over. When these cousins play, they play hard and all get along really well. Sure we have moments, but the bond they share and all the love that goes around is simply priceless.

They came over mid morning and we were ready for a little lunch! Plus, we were excited that it was Oliver's birthday and we got to celebrate it in such a fun way with a sleep over. No birthday is complete without a little sweets so after nap, everyone got a special birthday cookie to nibble.

Since we decorated with balloons for Brianna's party, I thought it would be a perfect time to finally take them down and throw them in the basement for a whole lot of fun!

Just a short taste of the long project hallway!

After balloon mayhem, it was on to other fun toys. At one point it got really quiet and I look over and there is Oliver and Carl building blocks together. Super cute! Brianna was having a hard time with some of the roughness, she usually will hit a wall after too much, and just went to her bed to relax. She came out in a new shirt and simply sat and watched the boys. She loves being crazy but can't keep up with all the boys in her life. Good thing she is content to just watch.

After a bunch of fun playing we had dinner and then bath time. I didn't think it was possible but we managed to get 4 in a tub!

Once clean and dressed for bed, it was time for one more awesome Aunt experience... glow sticks! I felt like I was unstoppable, they were having so much fun. Even little Carl was running around in the dark chasing and laughing with the big kids. Glow sticks really are the best for night time craziness.

Everyone was off to bed and I managed a little relaxation. The morning was laid back, waiting for their mom to arrive and drop them at the next sleep over.

Thanks Oliver and Lucius for coming over - we had so much fun!

We sure do miss you, yet excited that you could take this adventure as a family.

A Slide that Sleeps

You could tell Carl was a little sleepy during Brianna's party... even though he decided not to nap later. Not sure what his thought process was for laying down right under the slide, but I guess the Owl's were enticing. He laid there for a few minutes than tried getting up. Not sure what was funnier, him laying under the slide or him trying to get himself out from under it!

Birthday Fun Continues

After celebrating in the morning, the Bonkoski crew was headed straight to the MOA for more fun, and meeting up with Family for our Carlson Christmas that evening. We weren't sure Brianna would nap anyway, since she just had a nice slice of torte, we thought it would be fun if she went along with her cousins to cruze the mall. So right away, Jon and Brianna left one party to start the next.

I stayed home with Carl, who I had hoped would nap with all the peace and quite. This was not so. After an hour or two of fighting with him to get him to sleep, I decided to give up and head out to the mall too. It was crazy how crazy it was around the mall. Everyone and their entire families were heading to the mall. The line of cars were astounding. I'm glad I don't do that everyday!

Carl and I finally arrived, met up with Jon and then found Brianna with Grandma, Aunt Patty, and Elissa. They were about to head on the Carousel ride! We were told she wanted the Giraffe. They were the first in the section to board with the Giraffe stopped right in front of them. She was pretty excited!

Around and around they went...

 Then it was up to the restaurant at the appointed time to see more family, exchange gifts, and eat.

Thanks Great Aunt Patty for the hat, we get SO many compliments!

We could tell our kids were running low on steam so we said our good byes and headed to the car. Knowing naps in the car, right before bedtime, can be dangerous, I just told Brianna to be sure to stay awake. The reason, we had a fun-filled day without a nap and in a perfect world staying awake in the car would mean a faster to bed schedule. She was even a hungry still because she didn't eat very much from our dinner at the mall. So I gave her a little something more to eat. Within minutes of pulling out of the parking lot, Brianna says, "Mommy, I want to sleep." 

I look back and she already has her eyes closed and was completely relaxed. So much for that idea. Oh well, you only turn 3 once! 

Happy Birthday Brianna! Mommy and Daddy love you very much!

B Turns 3!

Wow! 3 years old. I can not believe how fast this time has by. Brianna is an amazing little girl. She would say, "No, I'm a big girl!"

Brianna is caring, sensitive, loving, passionate, expressive, extremely helpful, thankful, an amazing big sister, a good listener, sometimes opinionated, but most importantly shows a love for Jesus that reminds me daily of my desire for child-like faith.

Lately, she says many thank you's for things. "Thank you for making lunch mommy." "Thank you for helping me get dressed mommy." "Thank you for the snack mommy." "Thank you for taking my coat off mommy." And so much more.

We also talk about our favorite parts of the day, in which she usually says, "Daddy coming home from work." She will then in turn ask each of us what our favorite part of the day. I love this. It's reminds me of playing "high point, low point" with the DeerGrove Youth Group back in Chicago.

For Brianna's third birthday, we had a family gathering for brunch on her actually birth-day; this year it was on a Saturday. It's a little bit of a challenge to transition so quickly from Christmas to birthday, but I want so much to make her day separate and special. We decorated the house with streamers and balloons, which she loved and helped with making it more festive! We also had arrangements to meet up with extended family later in the day to celebrate our Carlson Christmas at the Mall of America, so this was a full day of celebration!

We had a fantastic spread of egg bake, yogurt parfaits, pumpkin muffins, and a delicious homemade raspberry tort birthday cake for dessert.

She was thrilled to be able to open more gifts, as any 3-year-old would! Thank you to everyone for helping make her day so special!

Perfect Night for...

The night before Brianna's birthday we invited cousins over to go sledding. It was a perfect night to go out! Brianna had so much fun going down the hill at a park near our house. Plus, she was with her cousins and Uncle Jeff. Sledding with family, what could be better!

Fire Starters

We headed up to Jeff and Shelley's house for a bonfire; our last night all together before Dave, Betsy, and Justin had to go back to California. Everyone was pretty excited to see the fire light up the night. We had dinner together than most everyone headed outdoors for some classic wintery fun! I say "most" because Carl likes to be outside but doesn't like to be bundled up so I stayed inside with him. I think Hawaii spoiled him a little bit! Brianna on the other hand, had a ton of fun!

Thanks Uncle Jeff for saving a huge pile of wood for a special occasion! 

Cold Weather Fun

Trying to take advantage of being with Gammie while she is off of work, we decided to go for a little walk. Sure it was cold outside and we probably wouldn't make it too far, but why not try!

We debated briefly about where to go, but decided staying close to home made the most sense, since it was true, we wouldn't make it very far. We climbed a little on the park, walked a short distance to a small waterfall, then headed back to the car since we were all chilled. It's one of those times that I wish the heated seats were in the kids' carseats. I'm so thankful for warm outdoor wear. It makes a huge difference.

Then we splurged on a hot chocolate at Caribou to warm ourselves up. Yummy!
(I mentioned this trip a few weeks ago!)

Thanks Mom for hanging out and sharing stories with us!