Holiday Letter 2016

2016 Year in Review Holiday Letter

December 14, 2016

Thank you for taking the time to visit our site and read our annual holiday letter. We know many of you are very busy, and like us, might also be exhausted parents who have modest goals, such as putting your head down on the pillow by 10pm three nights a week, and of course to not be woken up those same three nights when one of your little ones wants to snuggle. Hopefully you find our holiday letter entertaining, yet not entertaining enough to keep you up way too late.

First quarter

• We survived our 9th winter in Minnesota, winter #3 of course for Blake and Leslie.
• Drew traveled to Nashville with one of his best bud, Chris Lynch, to see Texas A&M play Louisville in the Music City Bowl. Unfortunately for Drew '00 and Chris '01, both Texas A&M Former Students, the Aggies ran out of time playing the Cardinals. 
• Family winter trip to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where we had a great time at Metropolis, enjoying the indoor water park. While in the area, we drove over to Chippewa Falls to see Leinenkugel's Brewery. Unfortunately we didn't get to take a brewery tour, yet look forward to doing so when we visit again.
• Blake and Leslie turned 3, and became 'big helpers' at church, serving as greeters on Sunday mornings, typically one Sunday per month with mom and dad.
• Blake and Leslie also had their first attempt at ice skating and outdoors at our neighborhood ice rink. Leslie and Blake both enjoyed being on the ice almost as much as the hot cocoa waiting for them in the warming hut right outside the rink. 

Second quarter

• In early Spring we had some warmer weather, which meant early Spring bike rides around Minneapolis on our fabulous bike trails. Drew also began commuting to work downtown on his bike after enjoying his inaugural bicycle commute participating in Minneapolis Bike Week events.
• Krista enjoyed a relaxing girls' weekend in Colorado with her best friend Kate.
• Completed our first major family road trip to Chicago for Kellogg Reunion Weekend, which typically is six hours each way from Minneapolis. The kids were great and we only had to stop 5 times on the way there, arriving 7.5 hours later.
• In late Spring, we had our 2nd annual week long family vacation to Breezy Point, Minnesota. We bought a trailer package and Yakima trailer bike rack for the new minivan, and brought our bicycles with us. That's right, we joined the minivan club in late 2015! 
• While at Breezy Point we rode our bikes 30 to 40 miles several days during our vacation, and once again visiting Dairy Queens in each town along the Paul Bunyan Bike Trail. This year we traveled further North (by mini-van, due to the distance) and visited Bemidji, MN, where we met Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Paul and Babe had just finished clearing some land around Lake Bemidji, so they were kind enough to pause for a group photo. We also caught the turtle races in Nisswa and spent one day boating, fishing, and relaxing on Pelican Lake.
• Blake enrolled and completed T-ball in late Spring.

 

Third quarter

• For Fourth of July weekend we started the third quarter with a family trip to Houston. We always have a great time visiting family in Krista's hometown of Friendswood, where the annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks display is amazing! Blake and Leslie (along with mom and dad) had so much fun swimming and having fun at Grandma and Grandpa Brinly's. We love spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Scott, Aunt Melissa, and Cousin Jacob. 
• While in Friendswood, Leslie went with mom and grandma on an American Doll Adventure.
• Back in Minnesota we had fun enjoying Minneapolis Lakes beach time.
• We went to the State Fair and on Prince Day, the first Friday of the great Minnesota get together and day of celebration of Prince's life. This was also the first year Blake and Leslie were able to experience the Giant Slide (riding tandem with mom and dad of course...and also a first for mom and dad). Wheeeeeeeeee!
• In early Fall, Blake and Leslie started Preschool!
• Leslie also started dance in the Fall, a creative movements class that serves as an introductory tap and ballet class for toddlers with focus on motor development, rhythm and following directions. 
• Leslie and Daddy had daddy daughter date night in mid-October, enjoying dinner at George and the Dragon in SW Minneapolis.
• Blake started Flag Football through the Y, and while he was the youngest of the toddlers on his team, he really got into practicing the drills that his coach had them do each week, and did a great job avoiding 'tackles' and protecting the ball during scrimmages.
• On Halloween, the Paw Patrol (Ryder, Mayor Goodway and Chickaletta, Marshall and Skye) kept the streets of Edina safe for trick-or-treaters.

Fourth quarter

• In late Fall we had family photos taken by the always amazing Kristi Ruport, with Studio Six Pictures.
• We took a much anticipated family vacation in November, a four-day Disney Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder, which sailed from Galveston, TX, to Cozumel, Mexico. Krista affectionately describes our Disney Cruise experience as 'Vegas for Kids'. The excitement and resulting daily exhaustion were well worth it!
• Before and after our Disney Cruise, we stayed with the Brinly's in Friendswood through Thanksgiving. The Brinly's had a full house this year as it was the first year both kids, son & daughter-in-law, and grand kids all stayed at their house. Scott, Melissa, and Jacob recently moved to San Antonio from League City, Texas, and are no longer 20 minutes away from the Brinly's. San Antonio has been a big change for them, yet has also been a great opportunity for their family. We are excited to be able to visit them in San Antonio and hopefully in early 2017. We think the best time for us to visit is when the temperature drops to -20F in Minnesota. We hope they will plan to visit us when the temperature rises to 110F in San Antonio. 
• While staying in Friendswood over Thanksgiving, we completed one final day long family adventure visiting Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake. It was reaffirmed during our visit that 3 yr olds are full of 'independence', as the phrase, "I'll do it myself", is heard frequently in our home. At Johnson Space Center, this meant Blake and Leslie trying every switch they could get their hands on to attempt to launch themselves into outer space while on board Space Shuttle Independence.
• We are looking forward to winding down the year at home in Minnesota and planning our adventures for 2017!