Twin Engines

Just kidding about the Lost Boys.  It's more like Lost Photos.  Through the gracious gifts of both goods and services, in a year's time I've acquired both a beautiful new Nikon camera (you've heard me speak of it before) and the installation of Picasa 3 on my desktop, which is the best photo thingy that ever was invented, according to our wonderful techo savvy installer friend - and he would know - no, for real, he would!  He's really really smart when it comes to both photography and technology.  The problem is, my BRAIN is not the best it ever was, so I'm STILL having problems with my "new" technology.  I keep trying to take photos with the Nikon, which does take MUCH nicer pics than our old Sony Handycam, but the problem comes when I need to upload, oh, about 900 PHOTOS at a time because I've been procrastinating.  What?  You?  But you always have such cute up to date photos on the blog!   Yeah, because I use my old Handycam, the piece of...uh, equipment...that I know how to operate.

So my new year's resolution this year is to learn how to use BOTH the Nikon AND the Picasa 3 AND figure out where the pictures go when I actually DO accomplish the upload AND how to get the photos from that mystery location onto Blogger. 

Before Three is born.  So I know how to get you good pictures of him. 

I think that's a much better resolution than a clean house or losing the baby weight, because you and me both know that's not gonna happen!

So here are just a few of the efforts of nearly a day's worth of labor....pictures from the Nikon.  Make that recent pictures.  Enjoy!  We are just hours away from our annual Christmas vacation, so Merry Christmas!  Enjoy time with your loved ones and I'll be back soon, depending on how my technology works for the next week or so. 

Last Saturday Hubs and I had Christmas with the boys, just the four of us, complete with homemade cinnamon rolls, a fire, and pj's all morning (yes, we all changed by afternoon).  There was even snow on the ground...just wonderful.

M gobbles up cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast

N with his first hot chocolate the night of being a snowplow with Daddy

M helps decorate Christmas cookies

N decorates cookies, too

One for me, one for me, one for me, NONE for you!

Christmas "Eve" night they only left Santa one cookie!

N loves those cinnamon rolls!

Merry Christmas!

How many college educated adults does it take to shoot a family photo?  Answer: more than three!  We took the fellas to nearby Nerstrand Big Woods State Park because Daddy had the day off, we had our amateur photographer auntie, and it was a beautiful sunny 75 degree stunner today.  Could it get any better?  You decide.  

I ain't lookin at that camera, Dad.  This is just the beginning.

Man down!

Overexposed underbelly shot

I hate family photos, Daddy!  Don't make me take another one!

Cutie little N is happy to play Boy Scouts, as long as we're not trying to photograph him

All I need is a flint to make a spark...

What a lovely family...meltdown

Huh?  Camera?  Whassat?

Two mountain goats make a crazy mommy

One, two, three...RUN!

So organic.

What a week!  Please excuse my absence, readers - I've been on wonderful adventures with my in-laws during our "staycation."  Everyone made their way to our place to spend some family time together - by car, by plane, and by semi-truck - no joke!  It was so much fun to be a tourist in our own area - we got to do some activities that we haven't done yet in all of our seven years here in the Twin Cities.  You know what the best part of vacationing at home is?  You guessed it- sleeping in your own bed! 

Here are a few shots of Sunday and Monday, our first Staycation days spent in our town and then a few hours at the Mall of America, because what Minnesota vacation can be had without that?, after picking Mom up at the airport.

Grandma and M play the bongos at the Best Buy MOA

They didn't heed the "Please Don't Feed"

Dwinka wadda?

Aunt L and N play at the Legos store at the MOA

We kind of took over the joint

My in-laws amazed our server with their Bubba Gump trivia knowledge!

M was amazed only with the ping pong paddle

Okay, and Forrest's shoes!

Tuesday was a special day because we drove up to Stillwater and took a paddleboat luncheon cruise down the St. Croix River.  Not only was the weather perfect - and it has been all week, praise the Lord! - but the food was good and the boys were well-behaved, something I was a teensy bit nervous about.  What nut takes all of her in-laws and twin toddlers on a humongous 18th-century, two-hour paddleboat ride? Me.

Cool boy N, Grandpa, and M

N was quite snuggly and silly with my sunglasses!

All Aboard!

exploring the boat before we lift anchor

Don't kiss me, Aunt sheeshee!

Boo hoo! N spent a bit of time on the deck howling about something - like he can't jump overboard.

Upstairs, downstairs!  The boys can talk Grandpa into anything!

I said the weather was grand, didn't I?  So that evening we surprised Grandpa with his favorite cake, Pineapple Upside Down cake, which I'd never before made but everyone ate it so I guess it was ok, for his birthday (next week) and all settled down for a bonfire with s'mores.

There were grey clouds overhead but it looked like the weather was to the north of us and was going to miss us.  Hubs had a nice little fire going when we brought the fellas, freshly bathed and covered in long sleeves and socks to protect them from the evening skeeters, down the fire.  They were so tickled and thought that being outside in their pj's was the funniest thing!  We were outside for maybe 15 mintues, M was aways off "mowing" the lawn when


The loudest crack of thunder any of us have ever heard rattled the trees and our ears!  We all dropped low to the ground as bright lightning flashed all around us for a few seconds.  Then we grabbed our kids and our cameras and rushed inside to watch the downpour!  We were a bit rattled and had to watch an episode of "Imagination Movers" to take our minds off the fact that we had been nearly killed by lightning!

Here we are, all dressed up and ready to party!

My sis reads the scripture passage

My brother in law, the Music Man

What my sons were doing while my friends recited their vows

My parents are all smiles, dining with the grandkids at the reception

Uncle J, Aunt L, and my littlest niece just 2 months old

K the bride dances with her daddy

How we celebrated most of the reception: outside!  So we tried to take a photo on the rare occasion all 4 of us dressed up.  How do you think it went?

No, you are not a mountain goat!

Whew, that was close!

Three out of four smiles is pretty good, don't you think?

Hey, there, photographer!

Bro, that guy with the camera makes me nervous

Even if it were straight, still it's not The One.  You know, The Christmas Card photo you try to get all year?

This is more like it!  Way more fun!

Me and the beautiful bride

Giving K high fives goodbye.

Attending a wedding with two toddlers is something that everyone should do once in their lifetime.  I can check it off the list now!  Great fun was had by all, especially when it was time to eat cake - if you look closely, you can probably see it all over our clothes (which reminds me I need to take some things out of the washer)!  Congratulations and best wishes, K and J!  We love you!

The Newlyweds