Santa

We took Warren to see Santa Claus last weekend.  He was all about it... until we actually got in line.  He even practiced telling Santa he wanted a choo choo train for Christmas.  But all was lost.  Warren wanted nothing to do with jolly old St. Nick. 

Sick

There's not much going on with the Burkholders this week.  We've all been sick (whomp, whomp).  Warren came down with the flu (or something flu-like) on Wednesday... then Mike... then me.  Today is the first time I've been out of bed in 2 days and I'm still not feeling all that great.  Day care seems to have become the bringer of chaos and destruction, as far as our immune systems go.  And yes, we did get flu shots back in October, so whatever this was don't count on your flu shot protecting you.

Warren's 2nd Birthday

We survived another year and Warren celebrated in style with 2 sets of grandparents.  We had a morning of opening presents (which Warren was very into this year).  Among some little odds and ends from mom & dad, Warren received a trike from Grandma & Grandpa Score and a sandbox from Grandma & Grandpa Burkholder!  He was very excited.  Then we had a little lunch with birthday cupcakes and took an afternoon safari to Warren's favorite place... the Zoo!

Idaho Wine Tasting

Both my parents and Mike's parents came for a visit earlier this month, so we decided to take them on a mini wine tour of our area.  It was a beautiful, warm sunny fall day and the scenery was fantastic!  We started our tour at the Williamson Orchards and sampled some great fall produce and some fantastic apple cider... and then we hit their wine bar.

The next stop was the Ste. Chapelle Winery (my favorite).  My mom even had a case of wine
shipped to her house.

Our final stop was the Koenig Winery and Distillery.  We sampled some great dessert wine, brandy, and vodka.

The adults could have kept on touring and tasting, but our little 2 year old companion was ready for some food and a nap, so we called it a day.

How many engineers does it take to lay a floor?

So we finally got around to installing our new floor on Saturday.  As many of you already know, my husband is a mechanical engineer.  Four of his coworkers/engineer buddies came over on Saturday to help install the floor.  This was a very funny situation to sit back and watch (not that I could do any better).  There were lots of calculations and debate over the best approach.  There was even a 3D computer drawing of the floor (nerds).  We had a good time and I sooooo appreciate the help and thank you everyone for pitching in!

Here are a few iPhone snap shots of the day.  Better before and after pics to follow.

our little helper

the finished hallway

W passed out after a hard day's worth of work

My 35th

I turned 35 earlier this month while we were on vacation.  I kicked of the celebration that morning by running from WI to MN and back via the Richard I. Bong memorial bridge.  Mike came with me for moral support... and to carry my water; he's a good husband!  It was a 4.5 mile run and the scenery was fantastic. The traffic noise however was a little more than I had bargained for.  All the years I lived in Superior, I had never crossed that bridge on foot, now I can cross it off my bucket list.

When Mike and I got back from our run, my adorable 7 year old twin nieces (Madeline & Lauren) had created a "surprise" party for me.  There were streamers and signs all over the house.  There was even a cake!

The whole family spent the afternoon adventuring at Spirit Mountain.  We rode the Timber Twister alpine coaster and the Timber Flyer zip line.  I thought the zip line was a bit more like a giant swing than a zip line, but if you've never been zip-lining before this is an easy introduction... a little less intimidating.

The celebration continued that evening when we all (Mike, Warren, me, Matt, Rena, Madeline, Lauren, Mom, Doug, Dad, Sally, Millie, Patty Jo) went out to dinner at a teppanyaki style restaurant.  It was fun, although Warren slept through most of dinner; he did wake up in time to eat my ice-cream.

It was a great day and I was happy to be able to spend it with family.



Morning Run Face




Surprise!

My Birthday Signs



the cousins playing together





Family Dinner





my kid can't stay awak in the car

 

The gang at dinner

W eating my icecream

Rocketfish Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

My husband gave me a pair of wireless headphones for my birthday and I love them!  They are so nice to wear while running.  It's great not to have a stupid wire bouncing around or pulling at you.  I picked this particular pair because I'm not a fan of ear buds or any type of head phone that goes into the ear.  I feel like they never fit right and they block out too much street noise (because I like to be able to hear cars and know what's going on around me while I'm running).  This pair sits on top of your ear and has a plastic piece that wraps around the back of your neck, without actually touching your neck, so they are comfortable.  I had no issue with them bouncing or falling out of place.  And I thought the sound quality was great.  Run right out and get yourself a pair!