Keeping Busy in October - Week of 10/19

With Mom on an intentional sabbatical, we are making sure to prioritize time with friends and family and making the most of our free time. This month, Mom and Dad headed to Xcel on a Sunday night to catch Pearl Jam. This was Mom's first Pearl Jam show. Amazing, amazing, show that went for 3.5 hours!! We had great seats right behind the stage.



The kids didn't have school on Friday because of school conferences. Mom, Canyon, and Presley enjoyed an adventure downtown. We finally converted much of our foreign currency at the downtown bank. And then we treated ourselves to some downtown fun, including exploration of the skyways, a great breakfast and famous caramel rolls at Keys, and a trip to the top of the Foshay Tower & Museum. Days off are now actually fun for Mom!



On Friday night, Ron and Trisha hosted a parent party for Presley's new 10UA Hockey team. It was a fun night getting to know the other parents. We enjoyed games, great conversation, and a bonfire! Looking forward to a fun season!



On Saturday night, the Pergandes headed to Valley Scare, the local amusement park that converts itself into a giant haunted house for the Halloween season. Canyon bolted to be with his friends. But Presley and two of her friends explored the park with Mom and Dad. We enjoyed rollercoasters, jaunts through the graveyard, and some new hats!

MEA Weekend 2014

The kids do not have school on MEA Weekend, which is always the third weekend of October. This year we headed up north to Brainerd with 5 other families and stayed at the super fun Grand View Lodge. This is always a treat for the kids and the adults with lots of fun activities. We stayed at a beautiful cabin on the lake, where we had awesome family meals, fun game playing, and bonfires.



Mom, Dad, and Canyon were all able to go golfing on the beautiful resort courses. The kids also went miniature golfing at Pirates Cove.



The Moms and daughters went into town for some shopping at the famous Christmas Point store that is open all year round.



The resort had lots of activities for the kids like pie eating contests and scare crow decorating contests. While the kids enjoyed those activities, Mom enjoyed a nice massage. We also ran into other EP families while at Grandview.



The kids' favorite activity was probably swimming at the pool, jumping into the cold lake, and then heading to the hot tub. We probably spent a couple hours of every day at the pool!




We aso played bingo. And our crew was the lucky winner with 5 winners in total. Mom scored $50!



All in all, we enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and hanging with friends. And of course, no visit to Grand View would be complete without a stop at the Chocolate Ox! A fun-filled weekend!

A Beautiful Fall Day

We had a beautiful fall day so Mom and Dad took Canyon and Presley down to the Mississippi River to hike and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. The kids came begrudgingly but ended up having fun, taking some great pictures, and enjoying each other. We ended our day with some yummy pastries and chocolate chip cookies at Rustica Bakery.

10UA Hockey Season Begins

Presley is returning to the 10UA Eden Prairie Hockey team this year. The season kicked off with the returning players "racking out" the new players in the wee hours of the morning. The rackout ended with a fun pancake breakfast and some get to know you games! They also had their first scrimmage that night. The girls looked good and enjoyed a fun start to the season.

Fall Fun - New Beginnings and Saying Goodbye

Presley's fall soccer season with the U11+ team is winding down. The team ended their season with a fall BBQ on one of the last nice summer days and then the following weekend (a chilly one) took home the championship in a 8x8 tournament. Way to end the season!




For this first time in 6 years, Presley decided to dress up for book character day at school, which officially kicks off the October readathon (maraton de lectura). She dressed up as Pippi Longstocking.



Please meet our newest musician in the household. Presley started band this year and has added another saxophone to the family household. Can't wait for the jazz band to get off the ground!



We had a rare free Saturday afternoon this past weekend. To enjoy the weekend, Canyon took a friend to the Fall Festival at Lake Riley. We enjoyed some live music, food, a historic house tour, and a wagon ride. It was chilly afternoon but fun none the less.




After the fall festival, Mom and Presley dropped off Canyon at his pal's house. And then it was Presley's turn to hang out with a friend. We headed down to Jordan to the largest candy store to pick out some treats. The place was packed but it didn't stop the girls from checking everything out!




And it was with a heavy heart that we had to say goodbye to Peanut, Presley's hamster for the last 21 months. We had a special ceremony to honor both Peanut and Stanley, who passed away last December. Peanut is buried with Stanley in the peanut shaped landscaping in our front lawn next to the catnip. Rest in peace Stanley and Peanut. We love you!