Family Time

Life is busy. It's hard not to get caught up in work schedules, family business and social calendars. I've heard countless times from complete strangers, "oh cherish these special years, it goes so fast" while pointing at our energetic 2 year old. After hearing that advice yet again while out and about Saturday, Mitch and I decided we needed a family field trip.

Since we're still dealing with chilly temperatures and snowy surfaces, we opted for an indoor adventure. What better place than Mall of America? We pre-ordered our Sea Life Aquarium tickets before heading town to Bloomington. (Side note - if you're every planning a trip to Sea Life, I highly recommend buying tickets online before hand. We purchased ours the same day and saved $6/person! Plus, kids 3 and under are free!)  We pulled into the parking garage nearly a hour after the doors opened, and the place was already packed. 

Mitch and I decided it was probably best to visit the aquarium first. The stroller weaved through the crowds - this is a skill we've started to master. It's nearly impossible to hide Nickelodeon Universe since it's the central attraction of the mall. Harper immediately yelled, "Dora! Bob! Go see Dora & Bob!" We decided to detour through the amusement park on our way to the fish. We haven't quite jumped on the ride bandwagon, she is usually amused just taking in the surroundings from her cozy stroller seat. 

With a quick exit from the Nickelodeon craziness, we rode down the dark escalator to Sea Life. The man scanned our tickets and we were on our way. First stop, stingrays. A few swam right by the glass, which Harper found pretty exciting. Next we walked over to the water station, where you can touch starfish, crabs and coral. When we asked if she wanted to touch a starfish, she thought long and hard. She finally decided she'd give it a shot. However, when the time came to dip those lil' fingers in the water - she had a change of heart. We enjoyed the rest of our visit seeing seahorses, an octopus, jellyfish, sharks, turtles and lots of fish. Harper's favorite thing to do was "tickle" the fish through the glass. She would wiggle her fingers and say "tickle tickle tickle fishes!"

Afterwards we did a little shopping and grabbed lunch. It was great family fun day out. A much needed slow down to our sometimes busy schedule. It was day for us to hang as a family, creating more memories - and that's just what we did.

This past week I was battling flu-like symptons (body aches really are the worst). Luckily it only lasted a day, but it seems my body settled on a cold instead. Not feeling 100%, we decide to have a low key Valentine's Day. Thursday night, Harper helped me bake cookies to bring to work. (By help, I mean she sat and ate sprinkles. Lots and lots of sprinkles). This is the second year at REACH we decided to go old-school and hand out Valentine's. A few of us even have decorated mailboxes for the special day.  

After work Friday, I picked up our special Valentine's Day dinner. Mitch and I both love this amazing BBQ spot in Eden Prairie, and it seemed like the perfect meal to bring home. With a pound of chopped beef brisket, a side of smokey baked beans and pasta salad - our Baker's Ribs Valentine's Day dinner was incredible. I came home to beautiful roses, a very sweet card, Downton Abbey Season 4 and a pre-order confirmation for Game of Thrones Season 3 that hits stores tomorrow (SOOO EXCITED!). I felt very lucky being able to spend Valentine's Day at home with Mitch and Harper. Our low key night was exactly what we needed.

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's weekend!

Until next time...

The Helleen's