Thanksgiving in Cambria

We had an amazing Thanksgiving in Cambria along California's central coast with our very good friends Eric & Audrey and their two girls in a beautiful rented home on the coast. Our kids hit it off great. We were able to enjoy lots of great walks along the coast, play in local parks, and visit some amazing local wineries. Canyon even got to practice his spanish at a local Mexican restaurant. Dad stretched out his aching back daily but was still able to help Eric prepare an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. It was a very relaxing trip, even with a broken table (right before dinner started) and a 90% completed 750 piece puzzle that Dad managed to transport back to MN in a semi-completed state. Way to go Ron! Thank you Audrey & Eric for making our Thanksgiving week so special!

Visit with Auntie Annie in Santa Barbara

After LA, we headed to Santa Barbara to Dive into our Imaginations with Auntie Annie for 2 days. The kids were in heaven searching for "treasures" on the beach. We saw amazing sunsets with beautiful views of the Channel Islands. We helped Annie throw a Thanksgiving dinner party. The kids got to learn how to snorkel with Auntie Annie in her local dive pool (while Mom and Dad started getting refresher scuba diving lessons). We had a nice lunch on the pier with her colleagues. And we ended the trip by chasing Pelicans on the beach. A fast but fun-packed 2 days!

Thanksgiving Week in California

Canyon had the entire week of Thanksgiving off from school. We decided to take a family adventure to the west coast. We kicked off the trip with the first 2 days in LA, visiting Grandpa, Grammy Liz, and Aunt Kasie. The kids had an absolute blast playing in their new pool and hot tub. Presley even when down the waterslide into 11 ft. deep (and very cold) water on her own. Mom watched cautiously but Presley did great. Even Mom and Dad went down into the waterside. The visit was also highlighted with nice visits with Aunt Amanda and their cute cousin Dylan. The kids can't wait to go back!

Auntie's Fall Visit

The kids are in a midst of a Halloween hangover. They love thinking about their treat for the day and even "organize" their candy on a regular basis.


Presley and Canyon have begun hockey season. This year Dad is joining Presley on the ice for Rookie Camp to help her have a good time. So far so good. Just a couple of "my feet hurt" each time. Check out those Green Bay packer colors!


Auntie came for her annual fall visit. She enjoyed reading with Canyon, doing really tough puzzles with the kids, having a fun night out at fondue, and watching them in their fall activities. Presley enjoyed showing off her cartwheels at gymnastics. Thanks for the visit Auntie!

Halloween Adventures

Halloween has to be one of our favorite holidays. This year was no exception. This year we had an amazing day in the 60s and it was a Friday night! The kids were anxious to get started. I finally let them go at 6PM even though it wasn't dark yet. In MN, they don't usually start until it's dark out. Presley changed her mind today and decided to go as Batman (Canyon's costumer from 2 years ago) instead of Darth Vader (her original choice). Canyon stayed as "Canyon the Rock Star" and even passed out autographs and sang songs for his candy. Dad took the kids through the neighborhood while Mom stayed at the house to hand out candy to over 100 kids (and cold beers for the parents). The night ended with many fun neighborhood gatherings.



On Saturday November 1st, we had an adult only Halloween Party. We went as Elvis and Priscilla Presley. Dressing up is a blast and isn't just for kids!


And the weekend continued to be full of awesome weather. We enjoyed Sunday outside at a local park with a great playground and trail system for scootering and walking. Even Stanley got some outside time. An overall amazing weekend for November!

Getting Psyched for Halloween!

The kids are so excited for Halloween. This past week, we had the annual Halloween Party at Hopkins Early Learning Center, which was our 5th and last Halloween party at HELC. Presley dressed up as Darth Vader (sans the mask which is not allowed because it might scare the younger kids). And Canyon dressed up as a Rock Star, and loved his new role. The kids had a blast playing games, getting faces painted, and doing arts and crafts.





On Friday, Mom and the kids enjoyed learning about the origins of Halloween, roasting marshmallows, and carving pumpkins at the Pumpkin Event at Staring Lake Outdoor Center with our friends the Allemans. It was our first visit to the center. Canyon scooped out the guts of his pumpkin all by himself. And the kids both "poked" out their own designs. Now they are proudly displaying their carved pumpkins in their bedrooms at home and counting down the days to October 31st.

Silly Hair Day and Pizza Parties

Presley had silly hair day at school this week. Mom did her best to have it look like a "mohawk" and then we painted it red, yellow, and blue for a silly, silly day. We also had a blast at our friends the Holjes for a pizza party and bonfire. We all made our own Pizzas, from spreading out the dough, putting on the sauce, and picking our favorite toppings. It was a totally fun night for kids and adults!

Visiting the Neighborhood Pumpkin Patch

Everytime we drive by the neighborhood pumpkin patch, the kids ask "When can we pick out our pumpkins?" So last weekend we ventured out to Severs Farm Pumpkin Patch. Presley and Canyon had a blast picking out the "perfect" pumpkin, still out in the fields and on the vines. We also had fun picking out some gourds and decorations for our house. Now the kids are asking "When can we carve them?" Maybe that will be on next week's blog.

Soccer Ends & Eden Praire Open House

This past weekend, Canyon ended his fall soccer season on the Extreme Green team. After his last game, we headed to the Eden Prairie City Open House.

We started the day with a visit to the Maintenance Facility, a little gem in the City. Presley and Canyon got their Knight balloons and they got to climb up in every type of vehicle possible. Dad spent most of his time talking with the lawn maintenance guy to figure out how we could improve our lawn. And Mom was excited to actually DRIVE a snow plow and move all the blades back and forth. I didn't hit anything so it was a success! After the Maintenance facility, we got a ride on the City Trolley to the Firehouse for hotdogs, rootbeer, popcorn, cookies, fire demonstrations, and visits with our neighbor fireman Mike. It was a fun day.

The Fall Colors are Here!

Enjoyed a fun fall weekend in Minnesota. We headed out to the Landscape Arboretum as a family to enjoy the fall colors and check out the "Living Maze" exhibit. The kids enjoyed the adventure and also got to make some cool arts and crafts. On Saturday night, Mom and Dad had a great date night with a chef hosted dinner at our friends' Kate and Tom's house. And on Sunday, we also cheered on the Twin Cities marathoners in the pouring rain. Trisha thinks she might have convinced Ron to run the New York marathon next November 2009. Let's all keep asking him about the race!

Fun September Weekend

The Pergandes had a fun family weekend. We enjoyed bonfires, kids sports (soccer and hockey), date night for Mom and Dad, and fall festivals. Here are a couple of pics from the fall festival at St. David's school. The kids enjoyed the playground, nature walks, miniature golf, and sticking their heads in an alligator's head.

End of "Summer" Updates

Today is officially the last day of summer. Here are some of end of summer updates. It took us all summer but we finally made it to a Twins game. The Twins played and beat the Kansas City Royals. The kids enjoyed keeping score and purchased their very first Twins shirts (with their own money!).



Mom had a business trip to Napa Valley. Before heading up to Napa, she visited with her college friend, Elaine, in San Francisco, walking along the beach, enjoying beach burritos, and seeing a special Indian art exhibit. In Napa, she stayed at the beautiful Carneros Inn enjoying wine, olive oil, fresh figs, and showers outside (and talking about innovation)!



On Friday, Mom and the kids headed to an afternoon of apple picking at Minnesota Harvest. The kids did a great job of picking and eating Harrelson and Courtland apples. We also made Apple Cinnamon muffins this weekend. Cheers to a great summer!