Home is where your heart is...

We are starting to get more settled in our new home. I must say I really love it. We closed yesterday so now the house is really ours! We have been working really hard finding a place for everything and getting more organized. Jake has been quite the Handy Man. He has installed the washer/dryer, put in dimmers and my favorite...the storage shelves! I have been occupied with organizing Sophie's room, the kitchen and our closets. The next step is furniture. How exciting!?! It will be so nice when we have it all set up.

Something that I have really learned in the past year is that no matter what zip code you live in, home is where your heart is. Sophie has already lived in three different states and she is only 1 year old. This is my first time moving away from home too. So an order to put my mind at ease when I am feeling home sick, I tell myself that where ever we are that is home. I miss my family so much, but I know when we see each other again it will be as if no time has past since our last visit. So to always stay true to myself, my heart will be where ever Sophie, Jake and I may live and a piece of my heart will always be where I first called home.

Daddy's birthday...

Jake is 25(or so he thinks)! Jake's birthday was this week and he just can't grasp the fact that he is 29. So because it's his birthday I will let him believe he is turning the ripe age of 25:) I decided Sophie and I would make one of his favorite meals. As soon as he was off to work, Sophie and I headed out to the grocery store to make daddy's favorite...Ribs, sweet potatoes and cherry pie for desert! We started to work when we got home and I must say I was pretty pleased. I have never made a pie before, but it turned out pretty good. Overall, I think Daddy was happy with the outcome, delicious meal and spending time with his two favorite girls:) Happy birthday babe we love you!

What season is this???

I woke up to quite a surprise, when what to my wondering eyes should appear...SNOW!!! And not an end in sight from what I can see! Yep that's right, it is the middle of October and we already have snow. Welcome to Minot everyone! To make the best of the this snowy Fall day, we decided to try one of Nana's ideas. We brought snow inside! So much better for a number of reasons: much warmer and cozier inside, we didn't have to go through putting all the layers on, and best of all no worries of catching a cold! Here are a few pics from our not so fall day!

Minot move...take two!

I decided to be brave and try an 18 hour train ride from Chicago to Minot. I thought it would be easier than traveling by plane and the skipping the hustle and bustle of the airport sounded great! We upgraded to a sleeper car which was good, except the entire room was a table that turned into a bed. Not much room for Sophie to play. Nana and Gampy took us to Union Station and made sure we had goodies to snack on too! It was tough to leave, but I knew it was time.

We also were provided dinner on the train and made reservations for six and thought that it would be fun to get out of our room and check out the rest of the train. The problem was that we were sat with a couple that didn't have children and Sophie didn't hold back when she didn't like the meal. Chicken, carrots, broccoli all spit out and down the front of her without hesitation. Mama on the other hand was have a nervous breakdown with the Mr. and Mrs. across from us trying to enjoy their lamb chops and red wine! Not the prettiest sight! It was then I decided we would take our desert to go! We slept the majority of the night, but the noise and bumps were unfamiliar to Sophie and she woke up every hour or so trying to figure out where we were! She did so great despite the circumstances, but I must say it would have been a lot easier with another set of hands. It did make for a great memory for Sophie and I and I am sure it is one I will never forget:)