Routine and Birthdays!

Routine.  I love it.  Maybe its because I am a teacher and routine provides structure in my classroom.  Maybe it is become I hate change and am a complete creature of habit.  In any case, my love for routine has found its way into every little nook and cranny of my life.  Routines were a part of our marriage, very early on, and were very important with Vinnie early on.  AND...for the last 9+ months our routines have been turned upside down.  We, of course made new routines...but they never had the same impact as the old ones, perhaps because we missing a crucial player in all our routines...Daddy.  Life must be on the upswing, heading back to the good old days, because we have very quickly settled into our old routines (with of course some new routines mixed in).  It is Sunday.  The laundry is tumbling and turning away (this time a floor below me rather than just out the door).  Vinnie is napping.  I have enjoyed my coffee and the Sunday paper (this time on my beautiful back porch...a much better routine).  I am even anticipating dipping my toes back into work tomorrow.  Before we know it, this will no longer be "the new house," but our home and the routines will be the patterns of our life, all together again.

While we do love our routines, we had to break from them a bit this week to celebrate and enjoy a very special little boy turning three years old!  Vinnie's birthday was on Friday, July 25th, but he is so special, that the birthday celebrations started a day early with his very first Minnesota Twins game.  The excitement started by Vinnie and mom taking a train to downtown Minneapolis to meet dad at Target field.  While there, Vinnie flashed a sign for Bert, made friends with just about everyone in our section, snacked on cracker jacks and hot dogs, and even met TC Bear!  Vinnie also made an appearance on the big screen!  A train ride home capped off the special experience.

To celebrate Vinnie's actual birthday, he helped me make cupcakes, made a special three year old shirt, and feasted on homemade sausage pizza.  AND he will be sharing in the birthday celebrations by sharing a special "Frozen" themed birthday with his "girls" next weekend.

It has been a very special few days of celebrating a very special boy.  Jon and I both feel so blessed to be the parents of Vinnie and are amazed every day by the joy he brings to our lives.

And now...in the routine and tradition of birthdays, I would like to share with you all Vinnie's annual birthday video.  Putting it together, and watching it, I was continuously overwhelmed by the spirit and love of this little boy of ours.  The past year has been a struggle for our family, but the smile on his face and the light in his eyes is what kept pushing Jon and I forward.  Happy Birthday Little V Man!!

Vinnie's 3rd Birthday Video

Enjoy!

Our NEW home...

Whelp...we did it!  We moved to our very own, Minnesota home!  There were times over the past year where we wondered if this would actually happen.  Friday will mark a full week in our house, and as we are settling in we are falling more and more in love with the house and the neighborhood, and are so excited about all the possibilities that await our family in this next chapter of life.  I thought about getting pictures of the place to share with you all, but I decided to wait until we are all settled and there aren't piles of boxes in one corner and perhaps a thing or two on the walls.  So...you will have to be patient, but it will be worth the wait, I promise. 

The best thing about this house is that it allows us to be close to our family.  No one is more than an hour away...which is a breeze in comparison to the 5 hours that we are accustomed to.  We have already been able to share time with both family and friends in our very own space. 

I'm sure within a week, boxes will be unpacked and we will be well into our new routines and developing a new normal...and I couldn't be happier. 

Tune back in for more pictures and adventures from Minnesota!

All our love...