Christmas at the Otto's

Wow what a wild long weekend! What I thought would be a fast 2 days but instead it ended up being 4. No not a bad thing but long.

Christmas Eve - Church and to Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Dave home! Lots of fun but a late night, yes our party girl stayed up till 3:00 am with a 45 minute nap around 11 pm.

Ok lets shake this -- my daddy taught me to do that!

Look what I got -- haha Hannah B.

Christmas Day - morning came way too early for 3 of us. Cody on the other hand was up at 8 and ready to open gifts we held him off till 9 am when we woke our little Princess up. Payten was not so sure of opening gifts she needed a break for a bottle half way through gift opening. Cody enjoyed it of course. Santa brought Cody a TV (I can't believe that man I never had a TV hahaha) and Payten got a Little People Playhouse with a SUV with Mom and Baby. After our Christmas we went to my parents to celebrate. Payten got a baby doll and was so excited to get her baby out.

Payten and Santa's Gift

Cody and Santa's Gift

My babies in front of the tree


Let me help brother.

Saturday - off to Zimmerman Christmas after dad had a snow mobile day trip. So you may ask what did the kids and Sarah do, you guessed it we headed into Mankato and went to McDonald's.

Dad with his new snowmobile and Brent

Sunday - we went to Great Grandma Roberts home. Then a little skating at night for mom and for the boys then went on the snow mobile again.

I was trying so hard to get a four generations picture but there was always someone not looking at the camera -- Me, Payten, Grandma Roberts and Grandma (better known as Nana or my mom)

All of the Great Grandchildren (that were at my grandparents Kyle and Kevin are missing) and Hannah B.

Now you may ask what are you doing for the new year!!!! Well dad is off hunting and the kids and mom are heading to the lake. Yes we are having the first annual Barnlund Clan New Years Eve. What are you going to do at the lake in the dead of the winter with all of this snow. I know that you are asking yourself that question. What else would we do ---- build an ICE RINK!!!! I'm super excited :) We'll have lots of fun I'm sure.

Did I tell what I got for Christmas .... A new Camera!!! Lots of pictures are to come of our great weekend I promise!

Twas' the night before Christmas....

Twas' the night before Christmas.... Too much snow to go to Great Grandma's so we are stuck in town. With one crappy kid and the other being so helpful we are making biscuits and gravy for brunch. Naps will happen sooner then later today. Off to church then to Grandma and Grandpa Otto's to celebrate. When we arrive home, hopefully before Santa comes to town. Children will be tucked in to bed, so the visions of sugar plums can dance in their heads! Then to wake up to see who was naughty or nice in the Otto home this year. Off to Grandma and Grandpa Barnlund's to celebrate with more family. If the weather continues to hold out we may venture to New Ulm for one last celebration.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas. With a detailed report this weekend of our wonderful days ahead.

Guess What...

Can you believe that Cody is a double digit kido! As a mom I can't believe that he is already 10 were does the time go? We are had our family birthday party on Saturday. It will be fun to watch Payten, seeing if she will try to help her big brother or not. She even had to get her big brother a gift, she has been chasing him down the hall when he gets home from school. Cody has a little shadow if he likes it or not he's got one!

On Thursday she found a present (and of course not hers)! Up to this point she has just been looking at them and touching them. But on Thursday I heard the "rip"! Too cute she just looked up at me and smiled.

Johnson Girls Annual Christmas Baking

Annual Christmas baking started 5 years ago. We started the first year just on a Saturday after skating school and finishing up on Sunday, less then 24 hours. Well 5 years in we have learned a lot! This year we started Thursday at 4:30 and finished up on Saturday at 6:00 pm. The only 2 things that haven't changed is we pick our date in November for the following year (yes we had 2010 date picked before 2009 happened) and its at my house.


We started this year on Thursday night with the list of things we needed in hand a way we went to Walmart and then to Cubs to finish up the special things we couldn't get at Walmart. Including over 3 pounds of pecans.

My kitchen table after shopping!



Payten getting her first baking lesson from Laura, next year Payten can help!


After making 15 different recipes we had fun putting all of our tins together!

PS a quick hockey update: Cody scored another goal for his team during the Sunday game. Cold rink in Waseca but another fun game for Payten and I to watch.

Snow Day!!!!

Some pictures from our snow day last Wednesday!

Cody and Payten are playing with the Fisher Price Bus that was Cody's when he was little. I have many pictures of him riding on top of the bus like it is a scooter. So that's how he loves to play with it and Payten. On our snow day he had her lay on her tummy on the top and he pulled her around.

Payten wanted so badly to go out and play with Cody in the snow. Not sure how many times he asked for her to come out and play too, but mean mom said no way.

Quick update!!

Last weekend we went to Brezzy Point for a hockey tournament! Trav goes with 3 of his friends every year during labor day weekend. So he had lots of fun showing us the places they have stayed and visit when they are up there. As for hockey the boys played awesome on Friday night even though they lost 2 to 5 to Lakeville South. The next game, well that didn't go as well, the boys just didn't seem to play together so that left us to play Sleepy Eye for our last game of the weekend. We ended up winning 6 to 1, with Cody scoring the last goal of the game. So for Cody's score card it would read 2 goals and 2 assists.


Payten is a busy girl. Her 6th tooth has cut through and she can take around 6 steps before she decides that she is still quicker if she crawls. So fun!


I told you she is a busy little girl this isn't the first time she has played with TP so know worries if you come to our house and have to look high and low for the TP its there, just not where it should be.


It is the annual cookie baking weekend with my sister Laura. We have to plan our date over a year ahead of time so that Laura can get Friday off. So it throws a little wrench into other plans that are happening this weekend too. But I know that everyone will understand, we all love our treats!