Sound of Music

We can now add guitar tunes to the piano tunes that we get to hear in the house. The boy has wanted to learn guitar for years and we decided he was finally old enough and responsible enough to manage the instrument. He is just a TEENSY bit excited. We love it!

Vegas

If you are ever in Vegas - get thee to the show "la reve" in the Wynn/encore. It is extraordinary! So lucky to have a couple hours with Nick during his business trip to have an amazing date night! :)

Racing along

The handsome hubby has a new role within 3M. I don't have the exact title at my fingertips, but essentially he is managing the 3M partnership with NASCAR and the work with the 3M race team.  As such, he will traveling- a LOT - to NASCAR races, meetings, and events. A lot of the travel is over the weekend and it will probably be close to half the weekends in the year. That is a lot. But you know what? He loves the work! And he is right for the job! And I am SO SO SO SO proud of him!  All I want is for my husband to feel energized and valued in his work - and he does. So the rest is just details to manage and we will get by just fine. Plus, let's be honest, the boy child who has worshipped hot wheels since he could crawl now thinks that his Dad has the coolest job ever.

I was fortunate enough to join Nick on a trip recently. We went to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a race. Well, he was working and I bought my own ticket (wouldn't dream of mooching off the company). But I did get to zip on down to the track for some cool sights and interactions.  I got to be on the track pre-race and in the pits for the start of the race. I watched the rest of the race from the stands and it was SO MUCH FUN.  Racing is highly strategic, and when you listen in on a race radio you can hear all of it. It was a bunch of fun.

Congrats to the hubby on his role. It was great to meet so many terrific people that he will be spending so much time with.


Me next to the 3M car pre-race. They had donated the design to the American Red Cross that week to raise awareness. Community partnerships at their finest!

3M's driver, Greg Biffle

Jimmy Johnson walked right past me. 

So did Carl Edwards.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway!

In front of the 3M Car - on pit row

Inside the 3M hauler. SO NEAT! A whole office and workspace inside a semi! The cars ride above.

I saw Nick during my tour. Fun to see the hubby at work.

The boy just a teensy bit excited at the goodies we brought back for him.

Finding the happy everywhere.

So - over the holidays both kids got extremely sick. High fever for days. Coughs that made a good night's sleep tough.  The conversation at the pediatrician on Christmas Eve (!) went something like this:

Doc (kindly and with great feeling): Oh, too bad you are feeling so very crummy over Christmas. You are just burning up! :(

Kate, to doc (earnestly): I had *perfect* attendance at school so far. If I'm going to get sick, then now - or the weekends - is the time to do it!

Doc (with admirable straight-faced delivery): Well, certainly if you were a Type A personality, yes.

Kate (in awe): How did you know?!


Soooo - we had been blessed with great health for all of us during the school time, pretty much.  Kate's right - if it has to happen, it is best to happen when I am off work and the kids are off school. But it really stunk to not have them energetic and bouncing around and able to go out and do things. A lot of fun activities that we had planned for break were canceled - no Ice Castle trip. No snowshoeing. No going to see the Terracotta Warriors at the Art Museum. Even hanging with friends was out as at first they were viral/contagious - -  and then it turned bacterial and they were super gross. :)

THANKFULLY they are healed and fine.  ALL is well. BUT. Boy did Nick and I need to get out of the house. I realize there are parents with very sick, desperately ill kiddos and we had it SO easy by comparison, but we HAD to get out of the house. To highlight this need please understand that the kids were so sick and I was housebound with them for so many days straight in a cold Minnesota dark winter that my car battery died from misuse. :)

Once the antibiotics were administered, Nick and I got the chance to see the US Air Force Academy hockey team play the Minnesota Gophers hockey team.  We went to a USAFA alum gathering first and it was so fun.   Of course Nick was rooting for the Falcons....and I had hopes for them as well. But the Gophers ARE ranked Number 1 in the country. AND literally half the hockey team are former or current students of mine....so I was pretty pleased to see the Gophers perform so well (and win the game). It was such a fun - and needed - night out.

But truly - though the kids were sick for almost 3 weeks...I loved cuddling them. I loved being able to care and provide for them. I loved watching movies and snuggling with them and reading to them in bed. I know absolutely that those moments FLY by and that sooner than I want there will not be those opportunities for cuddles and whispers and hugs around the neck because they will be bigger and more independent and grown - as I want them to be. I know that I will not always have the chance to sit on their bed while they sleep and kiss them on the forehead and marvel at their eyelashes on their sweet rosy cheeks without them opening their eyes and saying "Oh my gosh Mom you are so weird and embarrassing!" And the fact that a night out to a hockey game felt like the most special, cherished date with my husband is something that I LOVE. Because we enjoy our time together no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing. And that is special. And rare. And wonderful. And I know it.

Why not find the happy everywhere? What's the point in doing otherwise? We are so very abundantly blessed with love and care.

Here is a snapshot....Nick has his "I'm on vacation" scruffy beard that I actually love on him. Lucky me to have a guy like him. Don't I know it!

The Kids Ski. The Kid Skis. Kidskis!

For Christmas, Santa brought Snow Helmets and Ski Lessons!!!!

The kids are so excited to learn to ski. We do, after all, live in a Winter Wonderland! It is important to have the skill to take full advantage, yes?  They are loving lessons and are doing really well. Liam is fearless, but gets mad when he falls. Kate is extremely technical and wants to be perfect immediately, but has incredible tenacity. We fully expect Kate to be a beautiful, calm technical skier in the end - and for Liam to give us regular heartattacks on the slopes with his bold, daring style. It's exactly who they are. And we adore it!

Merry Merry

Some pics from Xmas. The kids were thrilled with some terrific toys, books, games, and new gear for their sports and dance activities! Though poor Kate was soooo sick over the holidays, we all had a lovely, low key, simple, wonderful holiday. So blessed.

Books from Grandmother!

Cool kits from Auntie Madelyn and Uncle Joe!

Dance Gear from Nia!

Skylanders Giants!!! "THE" toy! :)

Percy Jackson secrets from Grandmother! Perfect timing as she is REALLY into this series!

 Oh yes! The much desired Lincoln Logs! Old school from the Best Auntie Ava and Uncle Tommy!

Daddy/Daughter Dance

One of the terrific events that Kate's Girl Scout Troop has done every year since she was a Daisy Scout in Kindergarten is the annual Daddy/Daughter dance. It is so darling. Every year there is a new theme. This year's theme was Luau!  The dynamic daddy daughter duo had a great time going on a double date with Kate's "BFF" and her Dad and then heading to the dance for some boogying! Dressed in theme-wear OF COURSE!

I am so in love with these two! Nick is such a wonderful father. I am so lucky. Our children are SO lucky.

Happy New Year!

Warmest wishes for a wonderful New Year from the Harris Family! May 2013 bring many blessings.

Maggie and Nick - celebrated 11 years of marriage and countless kiddo joys!

Kate - 9 years old, Third Grade

Liam - 6 years old, First Grade

Go Gophers!

Not sure if I mentioned it, but I have been working at the University of Minnesota for 2 years now! I am blessed to teach courses in Leadership Development and absolutely LOVE my job. The people I work with are terrific and the students are a joy.  This truly is a dream job for me.  It is great fun to be a part of a University and our kids love supporting the teams when we get the chance to visit a sporting event or two. I am lucky to have the most amazing husband in the world who supports my endeavors completely. Go Gophers!

A New School Year!

Time flies. We have a third-grader and a first-grader this year! Kate loves reading (especially if it is Harry Potter related) and math and basically anything having to do with school. Never have I seen a child so excited each day for homework.  She is involved in dance class (jazz and tap), swim team, science club, and french club. Liam is a reading machine, as long as it is non-fiction material, and is loving being a Tiger Cub Scout.  He is also doing swim team, french club and science club and loves his activities. He was a little leaguer this summer and loved his baseball time.  If he can spend time building or crafting or engineering things, then he is a happy guy.  We adore them, their brains, their hearts, and their enthusiasm. So proud to be their parents!

Tap-tastic

We were so proud of Kate as she chose to enter herself in her school talent show this year! She did a fantastic duet performance with her friend, Susie, and wowed the crowd with her tapping skills. I was bursting with pride! Look at that smile! :)

Marvelous Minnesota

One of the things we love about where we live is the ability to experience both gorgeous nature and fun urban life truly all in one day.  This particular day we strolled along Minnehaha creek and then headed back into our neighborhood for a fun lunch.  There are also pics of the kids at the ONE AND ONLY Minnesota State Fair - an annual favorite. Liam and Kate got to do a cool ropes course and they also spent time in a very neat exhibition called the luminarium - a light experience that they loved.

Walking Minnehaha creek

Silly siblings

 Quality time.

 Ready to climb!

 Loving. Every. Second.

 In the luminarium.

Kate's First Communion

Our beautiful daughter is so full of peace, serenity, grace, and kindness.  She works hard every day to reflect her values by her actions and we are so incredibly proud to be her parents. The reflective process of communion and making an effort to reflect values resonated with her and she really loved this day. So did we!

Four Generations

This summer we had the incredible treat of having my Grandfather (my mother's father) come to Minnesota for a visit. It was pretty wonderful for the kids to have the chance to spend some time with their 90-year-old Popsi.  I know it was so special for my Mom to have her grandchildren there with her father. We loved catching up and chatting and trading memories.

Fishing for fun

These posts are ALL out of order (this is what happens when I fail to blog regularly and have to play catch up), but I had to post the pics of the kiddos fishing this summer. The kids just love having lake access all summer long (thanks to Nia and Gramps) and they take full advantage of every aspect of it. Thanks to some special time with Uncle Patrick and Auntie Jillian on this particular day, they loved playing catch and release.

Incredible Istanbul

Nick and I were completely blessed to be able to take a trip to Istanbul, Turkey in 2012 - just the two of us! What an incredibly terrific trip! Not only did we get in a huge amount of sightseeing, we also were able to attend the wedding of a dear friend from Yale and spend lots of time eating, drinking, and being merry with our group of pals from Yale that we have kept in touch with. It was a total treat.  Istanbul is gorgeous and we loved finding our way around and experiencing culture there. From touring mosques, to cruising the Bosphorus, to an authentic Turkish bath experience, to an outdoor wedding at dusk at the edge of Europe while looking across the bay to the shore of Asia.....it was outstanding. Once in a lifetime wonderful.

Gorgeous weather while sightseeing.

 Beautiful mosque architecture.

 Nick at the mosque.

 Beautiful. Everything was beautiful.

Gorgeous skies in Istanbul

So lucky to be here.

 By doing this move on the column, you are "healed".

Another "magical" weeping column.

Giant ancient medusa head its side.

The Yale lads at dinner.

 Touring Istanbul.

 Getting ready to head over to the Grand Bazaar.

 Wandering Istanbul - looking for the Grand Bazaar.

Found it! Grand Bazaar!

 Traditional Meyhane dinner with the Yale lads.

 At Topkapi palace. Lovely. I found Pansies! :)

The Turkish Tiles were stunning artwork.

 Overlooking the sea from Topkapi Palace.

 A group of students at Topkapi Palace.

 The waiting room of the Ayasofia Turkish Bath/Spa. Incredible.

 At the wedding. Standing in Europe. Asia behind us.

 The Yale lads at the wedding.

 Wedding at the edge of the Bosphorus.

 Wedding venue - a gutted ruin on the outside. Modern gorgeous on the inside.

 Yale ladies.

 At the Wedding in Istanbul. Lots to smile about!

 Night view from the reception.

 At the Spice Market

 Spice Market

 We saw the James Bond movie, "Skyfall" being filmed while we were there! So neat!

 Walking across the Bosphorous.

 Day Cruise along the Bosphorus with friends.