We're going WILD!

This past week Mitch and I have spent several evenings staying up way past our usual bedtime. I only have the Minnesota Wild to blame. It's hockey playoffs, and we're taking things very serious this year. Our eyes have been glued to the television night after night, watching the Wild battle the Colorado Avalanche - and last night was an epic finish to a great series. 

Everyone was decked out in their Wild swag, and we were ready for game 7. Harper went to bed at her usual time, so Mitch and I got a late start on our viewing party. Thanks to our new DVR, we didn't miss a play! :) From 8:30pm to nearly midnight we fought our tired eyes, and managed to stay up to watch the overtime win. At 10:30 I had to eat an ice cream sandwich just to stay awake. Yes, I had to - don't judge. On the winning goal Mitch screamed, jumped up and did some major fist pumping. In the process he knocked over a glass of water, but didn't even react to puddle - we were too excited! We're all pumped up for the next series against Chicago. (I might need to buy a few more ice cream sandwiches to make sure I stay awake for all of them!) Bring it on Blackhawks, we're ready for ya! 

This week my parents are enjoying the beautiful sunshine in Puerto Vallarta, and that means we've adopted Gracie for the week. Harper loves having a little side kick around, and mostly that means terrorizing the poor dog. She chases her in a circle saying, "I'm going to get you Grace!" If she's sleeping, Harper will poke her and yell, "wake up Grace!" Somehow they still manage to get along really well, and enjoy each other's company. 

Mitch's mom is also out of town this week, visiting Granny in Arizona. Since both Granny Deb and Grandma Trish weren't home - Mitch and I took a couple days off work to hang with Harps. Today was Mommy/Harper day. It's always fun to spend a day with my sweet lil' girlie. Unfortunately the weather still wasn't great (although we did have our first rain-free day in 4 days - yipee!) so we kept most of our activities indoors. 

After waking up and enjoying our breakfast, we got ready and headed out for a few mini-field trips. First stop, the library. Books, books and more books with a few toys mixed in. It was a great morning activity, and we even came home with two new books. Next stop, the toy store. I love Creative Kidstuff and so does Harper. With interactive toys in every corner, Harper didn't know where to go first. We played with trains, dollhouses, scooters and the giant musical ball contraption they have. Although we left empty handed, it was still a fun hour. Since Grace was home alone, we made our final stop for lunch - Chick-fil-a. It's been in Maple Grove for months, and I still haven't been. It's so unlike me not to try a new fast food restaurant in town! I knew they had a play area so Harper could burn off some more energy. After enjoying our delicious chicken, we spent some time in the play area. The small room was flooded with children, but Harper managed to make a new friend. We wrapped up our mini-field trips and headed home. It's such a special thing to be able to spend the day together, and I enjoyed every second of it. Tomorrow is Mitch's turn, and I'm sure that means more fun to come!

Last thing - this week my awesome Grandpa John celebrated his 75th birthday! He's the most thoughtful, care-free, easy-going guy I know and we love him dearly. We've all been thinking of him a lot lately and it sounds like he had a nice day. 

Happy birthday PaPa, see you next weekend!

Until next time...

The Helleen's