Lovin' Fall & Fargo Fun

I never called myself a lover of Autumn. Don't get me wrong, I love boots and scarves as much as any girl but I've always seen myself more of a summer kind of gal. As I grow older, I notice my seasonal preferences changing. 

This summer I could barely stand anything over 80 degrees without being a sweaty mess. I was quick to complain about being too hot and have learned to dress in layers since I overheat regularly. This year, as the leaves changed colors, brisk breezes returned and we cracked out the scarves and boots, I realized I've had a season change of heart.  

With my newfound love for fall and just days left of maternity leave - I was on a mission to see the changing colors in their prime. Deb had Wednesday off and suggested the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I had never been, but was looking forward to a day outdoors. Harper and Deb visited about the same time last year, unfortunately their day was cut short by crummy weather. That was not the case this year, it was a picture perfect day. No, seriously - PICTURE PERFECT! Sunshine, 60's and not a cloud in the sky, we couldn't have asked for a better day. 

There is no doubt in my mind we could have spent the entire day there, everywhere you turned there was a new trail or a secret garden. Harper loved all the scarecrows on display and requested her photo next to most of them. She'd pose and say, "1, 2, 3 Cheese!" Clearly she has the photo routine down! :) With so many fun photo opps, we took full advantage. My camera was around my neck ready to shoot at anytime and luckily my little model was in her prime! It was such a wonderful day and we have some fun photos to prove it. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is totally one of my new favorite spots and a place I've added to our list of seasonal traditions! 

 

Last weekend we drove up to Fargo Saturday morning to see celebrate Austin's 20th birthday. We started our 3 hour road trip with McDonald's breakfast (I told you - it's a road trip must!) and were on the road by 9:30am. Between Mitch and I, we could make the drive to Fargo blindfolded. The trip went quick and were in North Dakota just in time for the NDSU football game. 

Austin and my parents were cheering on the Bison at the Fargo Dome, so we decided to meet Matt and Jen at Buffalo Wild Wings. The place was a sea of green and yellow. With a restaurant full of Bison fans, we enjoyed our wings and watched a Bison victory. It was so fun catching up with Matt and Jen (thanks again for the scarf Jen!), we certainly miss them.

After the game we met up with my parents and Austin for dinner. We quickly realized everyone else in Fargo had similar dinner plans. The wait time at most restaurants was over an hour and we weren't willing to wait that long. A few calls were made and we finally found a restaurant that could seat the 6 of us in under 30 minutes, so we headed to Johnny Carino's Italian Grill. We stuffed our faces with too much bread and pasta dishes and headed back to the hotel. 

We promised Harper a quick swim session before bed and we held up our end of the bargain. Mitch was nice enough to brave the pool of kiddos so Harper could splash around. Once we saw the perma-grin on her face, it made the past-bedtime swim totally worth it. 

The next morning we had to check out by 11am. Before we met Austin for lunch we planned to stop at Scheel's to kill some time. As we pulled into the empty parking lot, we read the hours on the door: Open at 12. Seriously, noon? We reconnected with my parents in the parking lot and came up with a plan B - the mall. Quickly we realized the mall wasn't open yet either, noon again. Maybe Target? Nope! Noon. (Here's a tip - if you're going to Fargo any time soon, don't plan on shopping before noon on Sunday!) After wasting all that time driving, it was nearly 12 so we headed back to Scheel's. 

Scheel's is a Fargo staple for us and a stop we make each trip. Harper was amazed by giant ferris wheel in the middle of the store, so naturally we bought tickets to ride. She LOVED it! Afterwards we did a little shopping and Mitch even walked away with some new NDSU swag. After a quick bite to eat at Grand Junction with Austin, we were on our way home. Another successful Fargo trip in the books!

This week we celebrated a new milestone for Emmett - he's officially sleeping in his own room. Unfortunately he's still waking up every 2 hours, but I feel more rested not hearing every single little noise he makes. Hopefully over the next few weeks those two hour stretches continue to get longer. That might be wishful thinking on my part! 

We also said "see ya later" to Nick as he heads to Oklahoma City for training. The 4 month training sounds strenuous and we wish him the best of luck. Obviously we'll miss him immensely, but we're so excited for him to start this new adventure. Good luck Nick and keep us updated!! 

Tomorrow is my very last day of maternity leave. Sigh. As of Monday, I'm a working girl again. The thought is bittersweet. I'm looking forward to getting back to work, but I'm going to miss those kiddos more than anything. The last 8 weeks have been incredible and I'm very thankful for the time I've had at home. For one last hurrah, Mitch took tomorrow off so we can enjoy a fun family day! I think we're all looking forward to it!

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll be snuggling Harper and Emmett as much as possible before Monday morning rolls around!

Until next time…

The Helleen's