Just Trying to Keep Up!

This last few weeks have been quite a roller coaster for our family. It has made it even more apparent to me that I should try to keep up with this blog. We have such a busy life and it's easy to put it off, but I'm realizing how important it is to stay up to date with our family and friends.

Our family have had quite a few visits and trips in the last few months and are about to embark on a slew more, so why not stop and get the last few down before jumping in again?

Welcome to Downtown Minneapolis -- Where Our Journey Begins!

We're going to start way back in August (I think) when Mom and Dad Twidell and Aunt Emmy came to visit. It was a special trip then -- and even more so now since hearing the news about my Dad's health. If you need more details on that, call me. Right now, we're going to focus on the good stuff!!!

Since the Twidells have always loved a good hike, we took some walks down to the park and downtown while Mom and Dad were here. I also got to take Aunt Emmy's senior pictures around there. What fun!

Some buildings downtown.
The Dandelion Waterfall


Our adventuresome party
One of the many beautiful, old churches in Minneapolis




Papa Jim bouncing with Abe
There will be more pictures of trips to the park later. For now, we'll move on to another adventure: The Zoo (or as Jed says, My Zoo)

Papa Jim decided Jed needed a better view of all the animals.
Here's the family in a wagon behind a tractor. The zoo has a working farm and this was the first time that we got to take Jed out to see it. Fitting to see the farm with Papa Jim and Grandma Lee . . .
Here's Jed with the goats: they thought his hat was pretty cool and Jed was hard-pressed to keep them from nibbling it off his head.
And here's the whole family in the parking lot after our excursion.
And here we are walking around the zoo.
After Grandma Lee and Papa Jim's visit, Grandma and Grandpa Adamow came. They got to stay for a whole week and we had SO many adventures while they were here. Whenever we get ready to head out the door, Chris likes to sing "Who's Ready for Adventures?" And Jed responds "Me, Me, Me, Me!" So with all the family visits and outings, their song got lots of practice.

Here we are at our park again
Scooping dirt like "Dump Truck Dave." Jed has a favorite movie at the mission home that is all about Dump Trucks. He used to watch it almost every day. 'Grandma Pat,' the woman who runs the mission home, was aware of this and watched out for Jed a few months ago. There was a party at the Home and she was worried that one of the families with young children might see that video and want to borrow it, so she hid it in the closet to keep it safe for Jed. People around here sure look out for our boys!
You may think this in an ordinary trash can, but try to see the little blonde head and little hand on the other side of it. Jed is throwing away some trash he found while playing in the sand. Daddy is teaching him the importance of keeping his park clean and Jed feels so proud when he finds some trash he can pitch. Go, Buddy, Go!


Another day, we went to the Mall of America. Now, we didn't think this trip through very well. We went on Labor Day -- the second-busiest weekend of the year! It was INSANELY busy and we all needed a little fun after the craziness, so Grandma and Grandpa got Jed some tickets for the rides in the middle of the mall.

Here's Jed and Grandpa on the train.
Grandpa trying to keep Abe happy while brother had all the fun.
Mama and Jed on the Merry-go-Round. I think he was wondering when the horse would jump off and chase after foxes like in Mary Poppins.
Daddy getting whiplash with Jed -- and teaching him proper roller-coaster technique.
Grandma with Jed on the big trucks (Jed is behind the other little boy in the cab.
We also got to visit our great friends Simon and Sandy from Briefing Course. Sandy fixed a Chinese feast!


She also got Jed a cool little race car toy that they played with.
The highlight of the visit was probably the day that we went to a Twins/White Sox game. As you can see, the whole family got in on the fun -- and Grandpa brought a bat and some balls so Jed could practice at home first.
I had to borrow a shirt from my friend because I couldn't be left out of the team spirit fun. How can a Cubs fan and a Sox fan live in the same house? you may ask yourself. Well, the truth is, I don't care as much as Chris does. Just don't let him ever root for the Packers and we're good.
After the popcorn is all done, what do you do with the cool cone?

Passing on the White Sox love.
A little bit after Grandma and Grandpa Adamow went home, Aunt Valerie, Uncle Paul, and Joshua came for a long weekend. The boys had an amazing time! I think the adults had fun, too. We watched the boys play all day and then when they went to bed, we stayed up playing board games. Warning: don't challenge Paul Nelson to a game of almost anything. He's quite a gamer.

Joshua and Jed decided they had to try on Jed's Mickey Mouse goggles. Awesome!


Wrestling Fest!!!!!!!
Jed and Joshua writing songs for the family band. You can't see it, but Paul is playing the bongos behind them. Joshua would sing real songs and Jed would make up songs. Pretty incredible to watch. After Joshua left, Jed was still singing some of the songs Joshua taught him -- and though Joshua didn't always get the words right, Jed would correct Daddy if he tried to sing the song the way it was written.Soon after this visit, we took a trip down south to visit both sides of the family. Because I was alone with the boys for most of the visit to Grandma Lee and Papa Jim's, there are few photos. Here are a couple that Chris took before he went back for a week of class.

We visited Papa Bill and Jed got to ride in the golf cart again.
We took a trip to the garden to gather zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Yes, my 93-yr-old grandfather still plants a garden . . . Wow! And Jed LOVES fresh cherry tomatoes. I had to keep him from eating the whole bucket we picked.


Jed also made his way to Grandma and Papa's shed where they keep the John Deeres. One little one . . .

And One Big One!Then we took off for Grandma and Grandpa Adamow's house. One of our first adventures there was visiting Uncle Ken at the firehouse! Jed got to see a real fire engine,
put out a fire with the extinguisher (a pretend one, of course)

And sit in the engine!


Thanks, Uncle Ken!!!
We also got to go to Chris' godson, Andrew's Birthday party. Andrew taught Jed all about video games. Here they are watching Daddy play MarioKart.

We had lots of visitors at Grandma and Grandpa's who wanted to see the boys. Great-Grandpa Adamow had a fun time with Abe.
And Uncle Jeff came over with his fireman gear for Jed to try on. I think he might have a few years yet to grow . . .
Maybe someday?
Here's Chris' cousin, Justin, with AbeGrandma had the magic touch to get Abe to sleep one morning.
Jed loved playing trains with Aunt Amy
And Abe played with Uncle Jeffy
The Brothers!
Jed found more people to play trains with: cousins Mike and Lauren.
After all the Adventures with everyone else, our family took a few adventures of our own. We went for a hike around a lake in the middle of the Mississippi river. This is one tough Daddy, carrying both boys all the way around the island!
Just Like Daddy: Jed decided he needed to carry a backpack and walk with his hands in his pockets, too:)
Now we've just got some fun pictures of our family together. Now that Abe is bigger, he and Jed are playing more. Jed will do something goofy to make Abe laugh and the two of them will giggle and giggle. Also, Jed likes to make pretend food in the play kitchen upstairs and Abe will pretend to eat it -- Grandma Lee says that Aunt Valerie and I did the same thing at about that age. Besides this, Abe has started getting in on the wrestling matches. He'll sit on Daddy's neck and bounce up and down -- that immobilizes him pretty good!

All this to say, it's sure a blessing to watch these two grow!

Daddy instilling the important things in life to Abe. It's never to early to join the family band.

One of my favorite places to be -- sitting with both my boys in my lap -- as long as they're both happy!

Here's all four of us on our hike:)
And our boys hatted up for the cold.

I guess this is what rock stars wear . . .

Wait, I can't see!

Me neither! It's an epidemic!!!


Our cute 2-yr-old!Check out the red boots. He wears them every chance he gets!
Jed rocking out with Daddy -- Jed has already decided on parts for the family band. Whenever you ask him, Chris and I are given a variety of stringed instruments: guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin. Jed is always on drums. And what will Abe play? The trumpet. Every time. Nope, don't think he's ever heard one, but it's apparently perfect for Abe.
One of Abe's favorite things to do to me. Don't know if he thinks it's a kiss or if his gums hurt or if he's just being a baby.
Jed rocking by himself. Oh Yeah!
Abe finding new uses for a baseball mitt.
Here is a big difference between our two boys. Jed is usually a pretty big daredevil about playground equipment. He was going down slides before he could walk. But, he's never liked the swings. Abe, on the other hand, can't get enough of them. He wants to just swing and swing and swing and swing and swing. Case in point: Note Abe's expression. He's saying "There is nothing in the world better than this feeling!!"
Jed: "Are you sure there aren't seat belts that go with this? Not so fast, Dada!"
Daddy instilling another important love in his son: Harbor Freight and Tools. It was torture for him today because he wanted to take Jed. Jed, however, is potty training. Daddy told Jed that as soon as he went #2 on the potty, they could take a trip to HFT. Jed -- never went. Daddy -- learned not to make ultimatums on things he really wants to do!
Check out my new shoes!!
Check out my cool robe!!!!
Wow, this blog has really worn me out.
And so, to leave us on a high note, I submit a picture that my Mom will love. Abe has started pulling himself up to stand and loves to hold himself up on the bathtub while Jed takes his baths. This was another thing that I did at about the same age and Mom has a picture of it in an old photo album. This one's for you, Mom and Dad. Keeping the love going. Until next blog, we love you all!
Seriously, I'm really tired!