Our Trip to Minnesota

This past week we went to visit Joel's parents and grandmother in Minnesota. They just moved there from Indiana a few months ago, so we were excited for the chance to see their new home and experience a part of the country we have never been to. We drove there in about two days, through the cornfields of Nebraska and Iowa. When we finally arrived in Waconia, MN, we were welcomed by Mum and Pops and these cute little pumpkins on their front porch.

The girls got busy right away. They danced while Pops played his violin...

...met their new friend Keystone...

...and took a music lesson.

Waconia has several great parks, and even though it was a little chilly, we had to try them out.

Norah and Pops snuggling by the fire.

One rainy day we decided to go to the Mall of America. Several people had told us that this was a great place to take kids, and it was a lot of fun. We spent most of our time in the Nickelodeon themed park in the middle of the mall.

Anna rode her first roller coaster with Daddy. She loved it!

One of Norah's favorite shows is Wonder Pets, so she was so excited about this Wonder Pets ride. It was a little rough for her and she looked terrified the whole time, but when she got off she wanted to do it again.

Making "cookies" out of Play-Doh. They made real sugar cookies too, with Mum.

Norah's new best friend is Keystone. She woke up each morning asking "Where's Keystone?"

One of the highlights was a trip to the apple orchard. The girls and I had never done this, and it was a lot of fun. The apples are really tasty, too.

It was a fun trip for all of us, and hopefully next time we can visit in the summer so we can enjoy the lake! Thanks for a memorable week, Pops and Mum! We love you!