beach babe

home again

Royal Resorts- Cancun, Mexico

We had a FANTASTIC time!! So much to say but here are just the highlights:

We relaxed by the heated kiddy pool, lounged on the lanai overlooking the ocean, ate way too much guacamole, read in spurts, swam, collected seashells (who knew jumping into the waves to find treasures would be so meditative?), painted ceramics when the weather was crappy, picked up said ceramics looking far better than how we left them (gracias senorita), and enjoyed many a Happy Hour. Andy cooked a few yummy meals, the dads played tennis, the moms did yoga, and I attended a once in a lifetime hamstring stretching class. We watched the Olympics and alternated date nights. We contemplated why the ocean is salty, why figure skaters bother with the nude nylon on their outfits, and how long Orca whales live (the ones that don’t eat trainers)? We sipped lattes in the morning and collapsed minutes after the kids went to bed at night. A few things we did not do (due to having the children along) include parasailing, scuba diving, and sleeping the entire night through.

The little girls played from morning to night while we chased after them packing and repacking beach bags with supplies and snacks. They played games like “Princess and Stepmother”, "Dora” (the ever present fourth child on this trip), and “Born Baby” Lauren’s game about caring for an infant. The girls has so much fun and were on their best behavior 98% of the time, which is far better than my personal average of 58%. Several older people even commented on how well behaved they were, usually only minutes before a minor tantrum erupted. No one got too sunburned or sick although there were lingering colds and new teeth that caused some issues, mainly at nighttime.

I honestly never thought I would be that parent taking a kid along on a MY beach vacation and I will admit, it was different than the trips of days gone by. But the joy of seeing Norelle go from clinging to us to water wings to splashing around the kiddy pool all by herself singing songs & meeting news kids was so great! She loved waking up every morning to see her friends and spend another day on vacation running through the resort and playing in the water. Watching her have so much fun reminded us what life and family is all about!! We treasure the memories and the photos from this trip and are so grateful we have awesome friends to share these precious times with!

just had Lasik like Dad

playing!

the whole gang

the Ho gang

@ Margaritaville

Kenna climbs like a monkey, too!

Lo, the self-proclaimed Dolphin Princess

beach bums
Mandatory ice cream breaks, enforced by local government

What up?

a double guac Happy Hour

Party peeps

Adios!

Adios snow in my shoes. Adios scraping the car. Adios frozen pipes and freezing toilet seats. Adios dry skin and stuffy noses. Adios getting dressed for work and rushing out the door!

Adios mittens, hats, wool socks, layers, down coats, heaters, blankets, warming my feet in Jake's knee pits, walking the dog in sub zeros, icy patches. Adios kitchen with no floor, sink, water nor countertops!

Hasta la vista Minnesota, vamos a Mexico!

Shout outs!

Angela
with her new robotic bladder and house of full of men

Kyle
if Kelly is my alter ego then Kyle must be Jake's?

Jodi
who may not need this credit beyond 2010 if her luck keeps up

My main mom Hol
who took a break from Farmville for this task

A big thank you for contacting your politicos to encourage them to support the adoption tax credit! If your name is not on this list, I hope you don't feel bad. I mean your busy, the Olympics are on, and you probably have the fertility of teenager. No worries!

Adoption Tax Credit

ICYDK, adoptions are expensive. You thought diapers and formula were bad, that's nothing. We were lucky enough to benefit from a wonderful tax credit which made our adoption more affordable. But this awesome credit is set to expire in 2010, long before Nori can have a sibling or two to fight with. We don't want that, do we?

If you want to help families like ours (and my good friends Jodi , Kelly and Alisha) be able to afford the fees associated with the adoption, then please contact your senators and representatives by clicking on the links to ask for their support of these bills. A full article explaining this issue can be found here

In 2010 the basic federal adoption tax credit is $12,170. The tax credit is part of a package of laws titled the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) that has a "sunset" clause effective at the end of 2010. That means that if nothing is done before the end of the year, the sun will set on the increased benefits and the basic adoption credit for 2011 will revert to only $5,000. There are currently two bills in congress that propose to eliminate that sunset clause. Those bills are the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 and include H.R. 213 and S. 2816.

Everyone who emails their representatives (and tells me) will get an individual shout out on my blog (or candy, if you prefer to be anonymous). THANKS!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The illnesses are fading, finally! Norelle got to hang with all her grandparents this week as last night we had Famous Dave's at Papa's & Nana's to celebrate the all winter birthdays (ready for this? Joe,Nori, Jaimie, Sylvia, Linda, Megan and Casey).

My pre-vacation reverse diet is in full effect, carbs and desserts non-stop. Not sure how this happened but restraint in not my strong suit. Speaking of suits, thank god for tankinis. Sorry people of the Yucatan Peninsula.

To celebrate Valentine Day I was going to cook and make heart shaped food all day but oops I forgot about that so we went to Punch Pizza instead to devour wood-fired goodness and then to Izzy's for ice cream cones which made Nori's night. She freaked out with joy when we asked her if she wanted to get ice cream. While there we saw none other than Bob Bruinicks, President of the University of Minnesota. No, I did not talk to him. I wonder if he recognized me too?

BFF's

Jake's valentines

Dancing

Little girl's 3rd Valentine's Day!

Remember these photos?

new Bloom series

see anyone you know?

Sick girl

So tired! Not a great week, my sweet girl has turned into The Grumpy Old Troll Who Lives Under The Bridge due to her terrible cold and cough (and possible teeth coming in). Two nights ago she was up from 12-5 AM while last night was better thanks to cold medicines which she is barely enough for, but they worked so who cares. Major thanks for Grandma Liz & Grandpa Steve for caring for her and helping us get up with her this week. They head home today but Gramsie Hol will be here and then Daddy is on daycare duty tomorrow. Bring lots of Neeklex! Despite this plague, potty training is going fantastic.

the moment I have been waiting for!

Kim And Reggie's Celebration Vacation

plaque attack

Drew Bug

Nori's little buddy at daycare, Drew, has been battling eye cancer since he was 9 months old and has just had another recurrence. Please keep sweet, little Drew in your prayers!

Happy Birthday Casey!

Pampered Chef

Only shirt and shoes required

You know how I am a really awesome cook, despite how my husband does not appreciate it? Okay, at least I try. This weekend was a culinary (no wait! no one says culinary, they say gastronomy) it was a gastronomic adventure. My new friend, Rachael, the one who happens to be the professional chef, hosted a pasta making party for those of us on the Bloom Welcome Team. I'm still full.

noodle making 101

We made this

how it's done in Italy

Tonight we are having mini Super Bowl party. I made homemade hummus & veggies, turkey black bean chili and cornbread and this awesome apple crisp. I too am available for cooking classes and private parties. Still looking for Kim Kardashian in the stands...found her!

Grandma & Grandpa are here this week to babysit!

Before

After

Oopsies!

Security Breech

Turns out my photo editor, Picasa, is synced to Picasa Web which is synced to my email and has been sending out ALL my photos to selected parties EVERY SINGLE DAY since December without my knowledge. Thanks to Bill Pal for finally telling me. Sorry about that! I will try to disable this handy feature ASAP.