Ok, so I am a true beliver that you make your own happiness … and that you have to live where you are … so this is NOT a gripe about hating where I live … or how much better the South is … because there are pros and cons to living in all places … and if you dwell solely on the negative that’s all you’ll see … however, I have been noticing some funny things that I can’t help but comment on here … and because it seems like fun … I’ll set them up like boxing matches … & please if you disagree with my ruling — feel free to comment & let me know!

 so here we go …

in the first corner — enjoying lazy summer days sipping sweet tea — “Southern Hospitality”

in the second corner — enjoying brilliant fall days and snowskiing — “Minnesota Nice”

 And here’s the situation:

Joy - I need to spend less time in this room, near all this candy … it’s just such a temptation …

Southern Hospitality (1) - oh no — a little candy never hurt anybody!

Southern Hospitality (2) - exactly — me too!

Minnesota Nice - Oh Joy, that’s just called having no willpower.  (yes this is a direct quote from lifetime Minnesotan)

 Hmm - round 1 goes to the South … Better luck next time MN …

Yeah - you’re right it just doesn’t have the same ring as “the British are coming, the British are coming” … oh well

But it’s true non the less … The Grandparents W (BJ’s parents) arrive this afternoon…

and the insanity continues!

 :)

Great Grandma R has arrived … Grandma & Grandpa P took the Lentil to the airport to pick her up this morning. 

The insanity begins ….

That’s where BJ and Grandpa P sat tonight to watch the Spurs beat the Timberwolves in double over time …

Courtesy of me winning a drawing at work for $100/seat tickets …

No first NBA game for the Lentil though … she went shopping with Grandma P & myself…

Did you?

Shan’t say who I voted for — and I’m pretty sure you couldn’t guess LOL

I do believe that of the 4 family votes that I know, only 2 people voted for the same candidate … Oddly enough they are so NOT the two I would have expected to vote the same …

Ah … well - I believe we can ALL raise our glasses to at least a year or so few months of no campaigning!

Today we went shopping to pick up some of the food for the birthday party — we are leaning towards “heavy hors d’oeuvres” — lots of little finger foods instead of a meal type setup.  Just easier on the hosts I suppose … so we were off to Linens & Things to see if their liquidation sale had really dropped prices on some things we need (it hasn’t yet) … then to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch … then to Costco for frozen food stuff … and a final stop at Rainbow foods for the stuff to make the birthday cake and the Lentil’s smash cake (and stuff for BJ to make dinner).  In the evening when the Lentil wouldn’t go down for her late afternoon nap, Grandma, Grandpa & I took her to the playground while BJ finished up making dinner (yummy peanut chicken satay!)

Here’s the Lentil playing at home before we left — she loves putting things in and out of her basket …

The Lentil with Mommy-spiked hair at the restuarant …

BJ at the restuarant

Grandpa P at the restuarant

Grandma P at the restuarant

Now for playtime at the Playground

On Saturday we had lunch as a picnic at a nearby park … apparently the birds are rather friendly this time of year with so few eaters at the park …

Grandpa P with the Lentil — she was having so much fun walking through the leaves … they made a really cool sound …

The Lentil having lunch in her “portable high chair” … with her crazy Lentil hair …

BJ and the Lentil

The Lentil watching the bird show …

The bird show was put on by the local birds as directed by Grandma P

Ok - this is an apolitical blog … I’m pretty much an apolitical person … I am a true independent and have no political leanings one way or another … and no you can’t sway me … so don’t try …  I don’t talk politics as a policy with anyone other than my husband and VERY close friends … so this is a rare rare rare post …

However, on that note … there are a couple of things this election season that I just feel like commenting on …

1.  Great Videos on Getting out and Voting — (these have adult language) — Watch them (if you don’t mind that kind of language) –  laugh your tush off & then go vote!

5 Friends

5 More Friends

(thanks to Lynanne — I first saw these on your blog!)

2.  If you are going to support a candidate (and that’s great btw) - don’t be an idiot … it doesn’t make me feel all warm & fuzzy about your candidate when you cut me off on the interstate or brake for no reason while going slower than the speed limit in the fast lane!  Not to mention changing lanes without signaling, matching my speed or not getting out of the way of merging traffic … etc etc etc…

3.  Negative Ads … These are so annoying … and they always make me wonder what the person the ad is promoting has done…

ok — so off the “stump” …. and back to the fun stuff!

The Lentil had a very very big Halloween.

I dropped her off at daycare in the morning …  Looking totally cute in her Halloween T-Shirt …

At daycare … they had a Halloween party where all the kids got dressed up for an hour and so and had fun.  I then picked the Lentil up from DayCare and we went home to meet Daddy & take care of the boys … and head out to the airport to pick up Grandma & Grandpa P.

After picking them up at the airport we headed over to the Mall of America for trick or treating with the Lentil …

Here’s the Lentil in her Squirt outfit (Finding Nemo) at the Mall …

When the Lentil got tired of walking and too heavy to carry she rode in her chariot around the Mall ..

The Lentil Trick or Treating at the Mall

She would always stop immediately & try to check out whatever had just been deposited in her basket — (Miss M - notice the Hello Kitti Halloween Basket!)

She was totally awesome and so adorable during the whole thing!

Then we stripped her down to her onesie (she got hot) and went to a restuarant for dinner …

Ok — so I’m having some photo issues … trouble with getting certain pictures off the SD card and onto the computer … and trying to hunt down a particular cable that should “solve” the problem.

And now, I’m having problems with my picture transfer process that makes posting photos easier for me … and makes it possible for me to upload photos at work … very strange happenings…

Anyway — all of this is a long complicated way of saying — yes we are still here … things are going well … and once I figure out what’s going on … There will be a deluge of posts and pictures!