Magnificent Minnesota Stay-cation with the Halling/Jones/Tenley Family

We had fun, long stay-cation up in Eagan with Nana, Kristen and John. Obviously, we all were missing Papa and Natalie, but we tried to make the best of it, loving each other and growing as a family together, making memories that we can hold onto. We drove up after I got off work on Wednesday night, we made it from our door in Van Meter, to the Tenley's door in Eagan in 3 hours, 30 minutes. Both boys slept the majority of they way, until the street lights illuminated the Interstate, then both boys cried until we got there. Gabe wanted to play with John when we arrived, but at 12:30am, both boys reluctantly went to bed. Kristen and John let us have the run of their basement in their beautiful new home and were such gracious hosts. We slept in until 9:30 the next morning, went out to lunch and then to a splashpark after afternoon naps. On Friday we braved Como Zoo, the last free zoo in the nation, Gabe said he loved the gorillas and watched the polar bear play in the water with a 55 gallon drum for over 30 minutes. The grizzly bear swam right over to Gabe and gave him a high five.

Gabe enjoyed the monkeys at Como zoo.

We only lost Noah for a moment, when we found him up a tree...ha ha.

Gabe watches the polar bear intently. A bit of trivia from uncle John, "Polar bears are the only mammals to actively hunt humans." Go ahead, google it, I did, it is true.

After the Zoo, uncle John came home from work and we tried the Mall of America/NickUniverse after a fun dinner and a beach themed restaurant at the Mall of America. I can't remember the name but it was a bright restaurant, with Adirondack chairs and tiki torches. Kristen, what was the name???

Gabe found his pal, Woody, at Legoland.

Gabe gave Noah and Mommy a ride in his "Big Rig" at NickUniverse. Noah smiled the whole time. See that suspicious red mark on Gabe's shoulder, that is the start of his Lyme Disease. Yes, LYME disease. I can't believe he contracted this, but we are praying we caught it early, and 21 days of antibiotics cures him and he has no long lasting effects.

Gabe ran right up to this character and wanted his picture taken with him. He doesn't know who SpongeBob is yet.

Gabe knows who Swiper is from Dora the Explorer - Swiper NO SWIPPING!

Noah loved the little kid rides and Gabe was such a great big brother teaching him who to ride them and indulging him in this fun.

Go faster bus driver. Noah is in the back, his tummy must have been getting upset, because when we got back to Kristen and John's house, in the jetted bathtub, Noah pooped in it. It made Kristen stop and think if she wants more kids - just kidding - but she was really grossed out. We are glad to "break" her in a little bit to the joys of parenting - poop in the bath tub and all ;)

Gabe enjoys a little story with Auntie Kristen.

On Saturday, we tried out Schultz lake beach. So I had a mini-Mommy meltdown prior to going about something so silly, but all ended up lovely, and we enjoyed a fun day together. Sometimes Mommy's have meltdowns, ok? Gabe loved the sand with Uncle John, as they have a close connection, sharing the same birthday and being "pirates" together.

The water was so warm, Noah just plunged right in.

Noah is really blossoming as a toddler. He has no words yet, but understands everything. He smiles on command for the camera (this is his camera smile) and nods his head in agreement/disagreement appropriately, gives kisses, blows kisses, gives high fives, and signs for more and please. Has anyone seen Toy Story 3? There is a character on that movie called Big Baby, who doesn't talk, but has a large presence and lots of "goos." We call Noah, "Big Baby" in tribute to that character. And he likes it.

We didn't think to bring up some beach toys for the kids to play with. No problem. Noah makes friends no matter where he goes. Obtaining these toys was a 15 minute process. He sat down by a pretty girl (named Grace), smiled at her, waved at her, and watched her play with them clapping for her when she used the toys for 10 minutes. Then he touched her leg, smiled, and then stood up and danced for her. <cue Noah with his big diaper butt bopping his legs to no music other than those notes in his head> Then he took her toys, she just smiled and shared. What a Casanova.

 

Gabe is getting braver in the water. He has always had a healthy fear of the water, (Noah does not), but he really experimented with his body and it's abilities up at the Lake.

  

Gabe shows off his muscles.

Noah gives Nana a kiss. What a lover.

Noah show us his baby blues.

John smiles with Noah and Gabe.

Gabe shows off his blue eys.

Gabe and his 2 favorite ladies. He has predicted that Kristen's new baby in her belly is a boy, and he told me (and Kristen) that Kristen is SO Pretty. I think so too Gabe, after all look at that pretty Mama she came from!!!

Thanks for a great weekend Tenley's and Nana!!! We love you!