Girl Time!!

First of all I need to explain that there will be no pictures with this post because I was a ding bat and forgot my camera on the computer before I left for the airport and didn't remember until I was half way to the airport. If you want to see pictures of my fun time in MN then you will need to go to Kristin & Thomas's blog and Kandis & Nic's blog to see all of the fun pictures.

Well, with that said I just returned late last night (1:00am) from MN and have the day to get things put away and lay out and just relax before I work at the temple tonight. I had such a great time with Kandis and Kristin and I am so glad Sid was a great sport about all 3 of us getting together for Kristin's birthday. We had a BLAST!! (I think they still use that phrase??)

Thursday the 12th was Kristin's birthday so while Kristin was at work Kandis and I ventured out in their truck and tried to find a grocery store so we could get the appropriate things to have a birthday party i.e. plates, balloons, flowers, cards, cake etc. We found a place close by her town home so we stocked up and decorated the place for when she returned from work!! We then went to a place called Stillwater. I LOVE this place. So pretty by the river with the paddle boats floating by and the shops were really cute and different. A lot of them were closing but we still had enough places to see and shop. We had a fantastic dinner at a really nice Italian place and it was so nice we ate outside in the warm evening breeze. We had enough food left over to munch on for the next 3 days when we got hungry!! We then drove over the bridge into Wisconsin and took a little drive along the back roads and it was beautiful. We then ended up at Kristin's place and had birthday cake and ice cream and sang her happy birthday.

Friday we went to downtown MN to an open air mall in the heart of downtown. No cars drive on the street and they have one of the largest Macy's outside of New York there. I must say I was disappointed in the shoe department at the Macy's at this place. Not up to my usual standards for a HUGE Macy's store. Kind of a let down for a shoeaholic like myself (Julia, can you relate?) We shopped and then walked to a wonderful park where there were sculptures to look at and gardens in greenhouses etc. We saw the giant spoon with a cherry sculpture and I still wonder what that is all about. It was such a beautiful day and the weather was being nice for us. We walked back to the car and then went home to change and go to a great rib place called Red Stone. The food was fantastic and the ribs were great.

Saturday was slated for the Mall of America so we got to that place around noon. We started on the first floor and then worked our way up to the second floor but that is all we had time to do until they kicked us out when the stores closed!! We ate lunch/dinner at the Rain Forest and had their famous Volcano dessert! The best thing I ever tasted!! Enough for 6 people I think but Kandis, Kristin and myself did some damage on that bad boy!! We rolled out of there and got back to serious retail therapy after that. Kandis was a good sport in her heels but bought some comfortable shoes and wore them for the second half of the day!! We returned home to eat the leftover Italian food from the first day!

Sunday we took Kandis to the airport and then Kristin and I did a beautiful walk by her place. The weather was beautiful again and that evening they had a free concert in the park that we walked to and heard this wonderful band play great music. Kind of like Dave Matthew's Band kind of music. Really fun and nice. We watched all the little kids dancing around on the grass to the music and it was really a relaxing day. We linked into the internet to talk and see Thomas in England and hear all of his escapades. You can feel the love between Kristin and Thomas when they talk and he misses her and she him so much!! Really cute to see!

Monday was a day of more retail therapy so we hit the Marshalls by her house and Home Goods and then a store called Hornbergurs (sp?) Kind of like a Macy's store. We then headed to MOA again to see the 3rd floor and eat lunch before Kristin took me to the airport. It was hard to say goodbye but I know she has a lot of stuff she needs to do before she leaves for Paris and London and so she will be busy.

What a GREAT time I had and it is so wonderful to see my two daughters so happy and doing so well with their lives. Nothing touches my heart more than to see my children succeed in life and with their sweet little families!! (I'm getting misty as I type!) Like I said before, if you want to see pictures of this fun trip link to the other blogs to see them!! Thanks, Kristin for letting me come and spoil you and Kandis!!