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Our Newest Teen!

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Attention, attention! We have a brand-new teenager in our house! Little G (not so little anymore) turned 13 this past Thursday. Where did the time go?? That also means we've been in our house for 13 years since his birth, and our move-in was so tightly scheduled together. I would never recommend moving into a brand-new house with a brand-new baby at the same time. Oooof. Last night as a 12-year-old Hello 13! Decor is getting more and more simple We celebrated with G's friends at a new bowling/game place close to home. The boys had a great time bowling, eating pizza and cupcakes, playing games in the arcade...and then spending the tickets they won. Winning, all around! My parents, Deb, and Arya also came to help him celebrate. Very focused on bowling! Making silly faces! After-party dinner...we needed to eat! Peep Chase and G at the next table Such good friends! We had a few of his friends over for a sleepover that night, so the party continued. It was really nice to meet some o...
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Orange Skies

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We're in the midst of a late-October heat wave, and none of us should be mad about it. It's so pretty right now, with all the red, orange, and gold leaves... and it's also warm, so it doesn't suck to be outside. It's looking a little rainy and cooler for Halloween, so hopefully that'll change, but we'll have to wait and see! Even though I have stepped back from the RHSMB during this two-year hiatus, I still like to support them. G and I attended their community send-off/senior run this past Monday. It's such a good show, and the kids and families really seem to love it. I wish them all the best at the BOA Super Regional in St. Louis this weekend! This year's show theme is Orange Sky, which has prompted me to pause each time I see a beautiful sunset. And then yesterday morning, I marveled at the beautiful sunrise. I saw multiple people post the sunrise online, so I'm glad I took a moment to appreciate it as it happened. It was a quieter week (othe...
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Meeting Another Author!

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This past Tuesday, my mom accompanied me to another author meet-and-greet at the Mall of America. I've followed Shawna Lander on social media for a few years; her one-woman skits and the characters she plays are wonderful. She tackles fun topics, as well as serious issues, like pregnancy loss. She had a special host for her MoA stop, Amber Estenson, also known as That Midwestern Mom (she lives in Minnesota). And unbeknownst to us, another social media figure was just a few people ahead of us in line as an attendee...Kristen Knutson, aka "your boomer mom." These two were delightful to listen to, and even better to talk to in person. I'm very glad I'm making a point to attend things like this that matter to me; it's been a long time since I've been able to really prioritize doing stuff like this, close to home. We had a big dip in the temps this week, and the leaves are starting to show their beautiful colors, even with the rain giving a gloomy background. G...
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Apples & Pumpkins 2026

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Fall is such a fun and busy time for us. There's always something to look forward to with our annual fall fun activities! Last Saturday, we headed to Fireside Orchard, chatted with Darren and Tiff for a bit, and took home some goodies...apples, jellies, cider, and fudge. It was a perfect day to spend some time outside! On Tuesday night, we headed back to the Minnesota Zoo for the Jack O'Lantern Spectacular. This year's theme was trivia...and they changed up the layout and added some new activities. It's such a fun event, and we look forward to it each year! He was jumping in this pic, hence the awkward arm placement Waiting for our dinner to be made The wall of pumpkins Roblox Aliens MN Frost! "Where the Wild Things Are" Twilight Bob Ross Dolly Parton Big ol' spider! G was busy at school, Scott and I were busy at work, and Arya was busy at college and also trying to land a job this week. She had a 2nd interview this afternoon, so fingers crossed it went we...
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Malls and Zoos

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Last Sunday, my friend Kristin and I went to the Mall of America to listen to Kim and Penn Holderness talk about their new kids' book about ADHD. They interact so well with the audience, and they are a joy to watch and listen to. At the end, we met them and got my book signed. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon with a friend! It's been a busy week. We sold Bernice (the Mariner) on Monday morning and had a company evaluate the Pilot on Monday night. They offered us much less than we wanted, so we passed. But someone we know is coming by this afternoon to look at it, so maybe it will go home with a new owner tonight. Fingers crossed that we're down to just 3 cars in the near future! Insurance is ridiculously high, and selling these two cars will save us at least $800/year. Every little penny adds up! G and I ran a bunch of errands this morning, then topped it off with a trip to a French bakery I had been wanting to try in the next town over. Ooh la la! Since he...
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