Busy, Busy, Busy!

Wow, we have had so much going on the last few weeks that I haven't really had a chance to even think about blogging until now.  Let's start with the last week of June.  Lance's parents showed up that Tuesday morning.  The girls warmed up to them almost instantly.  Of course, doing online video chats almost every week and having a bag of goodies probably really helped.  We packed up and headed to the Como Zoo for the morning.  After the girls got up from their nap that afternoon, we showed Nana and Papa our local park.  We spent the evening mostly just hanging out.  Wednesday morning the girls and I took Nana and Papa to story time at the library with our neighbor friends.  There were stories, songs, and open gym time.  The rest of the day pretty much consisted of playing in the sprinkler and hanging out.  On Thursday, we all went to get some professional family pictures taken.  We got some really cute ones of the girls together and individually, but they decided not to cooperate for group photos.  That night Lance and I were able to go out for a great dinner while the grandparents babysat.  Friday morning we all went to the community center to swim, which everyone enjoyed.  That afternoon Nana and I did a little shopping, then that night we walked downtown to the car show.  Saturday morning we went to a lake nearby that has a great playground and sandy beach.  Saturday night we cooked a nice steak dinner in honor of Papa's retirement and birthday.  Sunday morning we drove to Stillwater so spend some time at Teddy Bear Park before Nana and Papa headed to the airport.  I think it is safe to say that everyone was tired out from such a busy and fun week.  The next week was ridiculously hot and humid, so the girls and I spent a lot of time indoors trying to stay cool.  Lance had that Wednesday off for the Fourth of July, which was nice.  We stayed inside most of the day though because it was so hot.  In fact, this was the hottest Fourth of July on record for the area.  That night we attempted to grill a pizza for dinner, but it did not turn out well at all.  Lance even said that it was the worst Fourth of July meal he has ever had, and I think us girls had to agree.  We gave Reggie some sedatives to get him through the fireworks this year.  They seemed to help a little, but he insisted on sleeping in our room with us most of the week.  That Friday my parents came down to watch the girls so Lance and I could attend the Basilica Block Party in Minneapolis.  The Block Party is a two-day outdoor concert event that I had won tickets to for Friday night's shows.  Matt Kearney, Train, and Cake were some of the musicians playing that night.  It felt really good to get out, drink some beer, and listen to some great live music with Lance.  Saturday my parents and I headed to Melrose (two hour drive) to celebrate our Tyler's sixth birthday.  Lance was kind enough to stay home with our two sick little girls and let me spend time with my family.  The girls and I have been suffering with colds since last week, but I think that we are all on the mend now.  This week has been relatively low-key since we are still under the weather.  The only exciting thing is that our good friend Katie has been in town for two weeks, so we have been able to enjoy a lot of time with her.  I am finally going back to work this Saturday after having the last couple of months off due to scheduling conflicts.  We are planning to attend the first birthday of Katie's niece, Kelsey, Saturday afternoon.  Kelsey actually came over for a play date yesterday, and I think the girls had a lot of fun together.  It became quite apparent, however, that Breanne has serious issues with sharing her toys.  Lance was supposed to start his new position on July 1st, but that has been pushed back to September to allow more time for Lance to train his replacement that can't start until the end of the month.  Baby developments:  the girls tried watermelon for the first time the other week and seem to really like it.  Breanne will point to her feet and say"shoes" if she sees me bringing her shoes.  Claire has become quite the little dancer.  Playing in their new pool and the sprinker seem to be their favorite things to do lately.  They love water!  Whew, I think that does it for now!  We hope you all had a good Fourth of July and are enjoying your summer.