Welcome to Minnesota

We left on Labor day from Martin's Cove in hopes of seeing Mt. Rushmore and Matney one last time.  But our start was too late and we had 13 hours to go so we drove all day and got into our hotel in Maple Grove about 1 AM.  Because of Randy's surgery and other events we were unable to secure a home before leaving Indy, so we stayed in an extended stay type of a hotel in hopes of finding a place soon. Randy had to be up early and at his new job that next morning and so we sent him off with his very own first day picture, lol.

 Over the next 3 weeks, we searched everywhere for a rental.  We thought we wanted to stay somewhat near Randy's office so he wouldn't have to commute that far, but we also knew with this new position there would be a lot of travel, so being near the airport was also an option.  When we couldn't find a place up on the Northside, so we expanded our search to all over the Minneapolis area and found a home in Lakeville in a little bit of disarray from previous tenants that the landlord said he'd work on while we were living here.  It was big enough and for a great price, considering the area, and since we had been struggling to find a place we jumped at the chance and moved in as soon as possible.  We had been living in a 2 bedroom hotel for too long and we were "all done" living that way.  Plus the kids had been out of school long enough and they were getting a little stir crazy.  We tried to get out of the hotel as much as possible, but with Randy working and being new to the area it  was hard to explore with 6 kids. We did go to the Mall of America which had been a dream of mine since I was teenager.  Now we live 20 minutes away!!!  This place everything imaginable, even roller coasters and other rides.  The kids really like the Peeps store and of course the Lego store.

 Being out of our ordinary routine was hard for Kaders.  Living in a hotel, not having his normal bedtime routine made it hard for naps as well as bedtime.  But he would eventually crash somewhere.

 We also heard about the Como Zoo which is a free zoo in Minneapolis.  It was small but had some really cool animals.

So far we really like it here.  There is a lot to explore and so many lakes.  I feel like I'm living Up North all of the time.  Now if we could just afford to buy a lake house, I would be in heaven!!!

Christmas 2012

What a fun-filled Christmas we had this year.  It started out with going up to Temple Square to see the lights with Gma and Gpa Tucker.  I love this temple.

Gpa with Rudolf, I mean Masie.

Gma helping Micah take some awesome pics.

Morgan loving the lights.

McKenzie and Malia trying to stay warm together.

I love that we have at least 1 set of grandparents close to do fun things like this with.

What an awesome evening.  It was pretty chilly, but we survived.

That night we crashed at their house and woke up early the next morning to leave for Montana to go spend the rest of Christmas with Gma and Gpa Schmidt's, and this is what we looked like for most of the vacation.

Just kidding, we can be serious. . . sometimes.

We got a special present this year. . .Masie, lol.

Gpa Schmidt even was able to join in our festivities.  He just had part of his back fused from a previous back injury and this is him 10 days post-op. As long as he wore his girdle he came out to be with us.

Yes Bacon, we DO love you!!!

Kilroy made an appearance.

We opened Christmas jammies

Masie found her tag, which she does for everything and then proceeds to eat it.

I had to get one more shot of the newlyweds before they were not the newlyweds anymore.  They hit their 1 year mark and we have a new set of newlyweds in the family now.

My little boog.

Masie really had fun her 1st Christmas.  She loves trying to rip the paper and then quickly putting it into her mouth.

Bacon had our family for Christmas and she made us our own pillowcases.  They are soo cute.

Shauna's family came down Christmas evening and the kids were so happy to see their cousins again.  I didn't get a ton of shots with them because they had so much fun together, I really didn't see them a whole lot but they did get to go sledding together which they loved.

I helped my mom put get pictures and put together this frame for my dad.  He's been wanting something like this for years to show off to he colleagues.  He looked really happy to get this.

We played lots of games, and thanx to Uncle Eggs (Bacon's hubby) it was documented.

We had a lot of fun up in Montana and were so grateful we had the opportunity to go up there.  On New Years Eve we headed back down to Utah to spend the end of the year with Gpa/Gma Tucker.  We had another "Christmas"  with them.  Here's proof of Masie's paper fetish.

And of course the camera got put down again during our New Years shindig.  Julie and her family came over for the festivities and all of kids lasted for the ball to drop.  It was a fun evening.  I'm so grateful that we were able to see so much family this Christmas.  Who knows if that will ever happen again, so I will take it when I can.  Oh and we were able to Skype with Kristi and chat with James on the phone on Christmas day which was awesome.  Here's to 2013, hopefully this year will bring a new job and a potential move.  

UEA=Big Springs

UEA came again, like it does every year and we were having a hard time thinking where we should go for our annual hike, so we decided to do Big Springs again since more kids were coming this year and we had a couple of smaller ones with little legs.  We thought this was going to be fairly easy for everyone.

We set out and quickly it became aware that our older kids and the younger one's were not going to stay together.  So two of the couples went on ahead with the "runner's" while the other couple and a half helped the younger one's.

It was another amazing day for a hike.  What a view.

Tyler trying to be one with nature.

Little K taking one of his many breaks.

Jess, doing what she does best, gross us out.

The kid crew.  Malia made it the whole way, not being carried once and she was usually in the front of the pack.  I was amazed, especially because when we started the hike, she was whiney and asking for water and food and saying her legs hurt, but something in her clicked about a 1/2 mile in and she just went, running some of the time.

The adults, still breathing.

After a quick break and snack we headed back and Max insisted on carrying this ginormous stick back with him thinking that his parents would love for him to bring that home.  Unfortunately it stayed back next to where the car was parked, sorry buddy.

This hike stays near a creak almost the whole time and is just gorgeous.

After the hike, Randy and I found a new trail we want to try without kids first to see if they could handle it.  Maybe if we are lucky we can hit it next spring before it gets too hot.

Skiing Fun

We were invited by my brother's, inlaws to go cross country skiing.  They have a plenty of equipment for us and the kids and there's lots of snow outside, so we figured why not.  We were going to go on MLK day but it had rained the night before and so the snow had turned into ice which is not favorable weather for 1st time skiiers.  So we decided to try for this last weekend and it was perfect.  The mountains had gotten an inch or so of fresh powder, the temp was about 40 degrees and it was sunny.  It was gorgeous.  Unfortunately, Morgan had gotten sick the day before and Randy had gotten a call to prepare a lesson for Elder's quorum.  So he decided to stay back with Morg and Malia (since I didn't want to take her by myself), and do his lesson and some homework, leaving me to take Mac and Micah with my bro and his dad-in-law. 

 Let me just say, the kids did awesome, way better than me.  I've only every been waterskiing and snow is a little bit different.  Mac stayed in front with Billy kicking my trash.  Micah, as long as we were on flat ground, went way faster than me too.  Micah fell a lot but laughed the entire time.  Mac went down a few small slopes and did amazing.  I need to get her some lessons or something.  I think she may have found her nitch.  Unfortunately I did not get many pictures of them skiing.  This was in the meadow where you could choose different routes that all lead back to this spot.  It was beautiful.

As for me and my ability, I have some serious practicing to do.  I could get into a rythm and do pretty good and then have to go up a hill and try and help Micah and that combination was bad.  I fell quite a few times but didn't realize how bad I was until I got home and saw these beauties on my legs. . .

Ya that's right, both legs, huge bruises.  I did have a lot of fun and it was an awesome workout, but this is one thing I am just not a natural at.

Thanks Billy's inlaws for the fun day. Hope we can do it again before the white stuff goes away.

Stewart Fall Hike

Day 3 of UEA and our second hike took us to Stewart Falls.  Randy and I went snowshoeing here (well partially, we couldn't make it to the falls when we went last) with our friends last winter, and I really wanted to go back and make it all of the way this time.  It was a little harder or a hike than Battle Creek, but the kids were forewarned and didn't whine at all (well except Malia, and I came prepared this time with the backpack and Randy so she could be carried if needed).  I apologize before hand, I took a lot of pictures, just because the views were amazing and it was just soo pretty here.  This was our goal, isn't it spectacular?

 Again, we were able to walk right up to the falls and this pic is by far my fav. I was standing kinda behind and to the side of the waterfall.  It was beautiful.

 The hike up to the falls wasn't half bad either.  If we had come a week later, I think we would've missed all of the colors.  There were a lot of leaves down, but we still had a lot to enjoy.

 I love fall!!!

 I had to include this.  Malia was in the backpack at this point and she is definitely tooooo big for it.  This is seriously the last year she will be in there.  I' grateful Randy packed her, I wouldn't have made it.

 Matney and Taylor, enjoying themselves, I think, lol.

 I loved this one too, there was a lone red tree in the midst of the never ending green.  It stuck out like a soar thumb.

 More colors.

 We made it to the top before the descent to the falls.  There were big rocks to sit/stand on to get a great view.

 Kids preparing themselves for the descent.

 Our first glimpse of the waterfalls.

 At the bottom, the runoff from the falls.

 Michelle copying me, lol.

 Morgan, she looks pretty happy eh?

 Micah enjoying the never ending apple supply we seem to have.

 Dad and Mac, taking a breather.

 Lauren being the goofball that she is and trying to go behind the waterfall. . .

The waterfall won!!!

 Our hiking group.  We were discussing what we were going to do next year to top this one.

 Of course the mom shot.

 And a first-ever, dad shot.  We might have to do our next year's hike on the Sat. of UEA so we make sure to include them.  We really had a lot of fun.

 Me and Ladnar.

 The kids, we are so proud of them for sticking with us through these crazy hikes we put them through.

 I couldn't resist one more of the waterfall.  This one came with a rainbow.

 And one more of the spectacular colors, did  I mention how much I love fall.  Thanks Mat, and Michelle for coming with us, can't wait for next year.