M I N N E S O T A

This is our first ten minutes in  R E A L   L I F E   S N O W 

and the first time  E V E R  for Iggy 

he has sneakers on, yes

and a big smile ...

In order to re-visit my year as a AFS exchange student in 1993, when I was still a young sweet potato of a person, and to re-visit my old high school buddies and family, the boys and I went to Stillwater, Minnesota (its tiny on the map) for 2 weeks ...we started my reminiscent trip by staying with my good high school friend the incredible and positive Karen Akey along with her smiley and silly kid Jake (him and sailor were like peas in a pod).  It was fun.  just like high school .... ha! not really!

totes haven't changed a bit since high school 

three silly kids

we went to the famous Mall of America - it has an indoor amusement park

and Lego Land.  Big thrills all around.

We also stayed in a hotel that had a built in water park - 

which seemed completely counter-intuituve when it was snowing outside.

this is a rare moment caught on film

this is my old house i lived in !  my gosh, so cute isn't it!

like a snow dome wonderland

this is the boys with the girls ... separate sides!

Iggy also expanded his food repertoire to S N O W

fitting in perfectly with his 'white diet'

We spent the weekend in Henning (its even smaller on the map!) where my 'mom and dad' now reside - Hello Becky and Dean !! - 

My lovely accommodating host sister Nicole and four of her five gorgeous children (Audrey, Evelyn, Ingrid and Oona) took us there - a mere 4 hour drive! We got to go to 'The Lake' which was of course, frozen over. We got to walk on it! It was very cool. Then cousin Carl Jr turned up on his snow mobile (hello best cousin ever!) and took the boys for a snow mobile ride on the frozen lake.  It was pretty exciting for everyone!  The we got to go inside (this part I especially liked) and make hot drinks and decorate with Uncle Bud's house with tons and tons of Christmas decorations.  

these two !!  

and nicole !! in the snow !  just like high school.!  ha

see y'all in another 4 years, you betcha!

XX