Matt is 33!

On Saturday, August 15th, Matt turned 33 years old! We had a fun weekend celebrating his birthday.

On Saturday, at the birthday boy's request, we went to Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown, and then to the Mall of America to pick up a few things for the new school year and to go on some rides in the amusement park. I was impressed with the rides at MOA - since the park has changed over from "Camp Snoopy" to "Nickelodeon Universe" in the past year, they have added a few more really good rides. Kristi came with us, and the three of us had a great time being kids for a few hours and enjoying the fun afternoon. My parents were kind enough to watch Mckenna while we were at the mall, and I love when she gets to spend time with them too - thanks, mom and dad!

After an afternoon of walking around the mall and going on some rides, the three of us went to eat dinner at Ruby Tuesday, and surprise, there were some family and friends there waiting to celebrate Matt's birthday! My mom and dad brought Mckenna, Brad and Jessica and their kids came, our good friend Liz from school was there, and our neighbors Tim, Nicole, and their son Carter were there as well. With Kristi, Matt, and I, there were 16 of us, so we had a few different tables in a back room, but it worked out okay. Thanks everyone for coming, Matt had a great time! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the dinner, but I did get a few during our breakfast and rides at MOA...

A Minnesota icon - Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown!


Waiting our turn in line...


This is kind of a random picture, but Matt and I always get a kick out of looking for a certain "tab" at Al's. Matt's uncle, Del Anderson, is a frequent customer at Al's, and actually has a tab there. Isn't this the most organized filing system you've ever seen? :) It's hard to see, but we spotted Del's tab - upper left hand corner of the picture.


We love this place! And Dinkytown is the neighborhood in Minneapolis right around the University of Minnesota campus, so it's always fun for us to go to Al's and to Dinkytown as UMN alumni - go Golden Gophers!


Onto our next fun birthday stop... the Mall of America!


The amusement park at MOA - Nickelodeon Universe.








Dora saying happy birthday to a blushing birthday boy. :)


Shooting hoops!


On Sunday of the big birthday weekend, we surprised Matt and took him to a Twins vs. Cleveland baseball game at the Metrodome. Kristi actually won tickets on the radio a few days before, so we asked our friend and Twins fan, Jason, to go with us, and we all had a good time. Matt didn't know where we were going until we got downtown, so it was a fun surprise for him. Unfortunately the Twins lost (4-7), but we still had fun hanging out together. Matt is a big Chicago Cubbies fan through and through, but I say he also likes the Twins by Minnesotan default. :)
This is the last year that the Twins will play in the HHH (Hubert H. Humphrey) Metrodome. They started playing there in 1982, and next year they will have a new outdoor stadium called Target Field, which is in downtown Minneapolis, right next door to Target Center where the MN Timberwolves basketball team plays. So at every home Twins game for the past year or so, there has been a "Countdown to Outdoor Baseball" board. A few of the fans are picked from the audience to take down the old number to reveal the new lower number, and then everyone cheers. I guess you could say Twins fans are pretty excited about the new field. :)


A sketch of the new Target Field.






We had pretty good seats, right off of third base.


Matt had a really fun birthday weekend - thanks again to everyone who joined us to celebrate!

Yep...

...it's August, and Mckenna is wearing a hooded sweater! It's been cooler here the past few days, and this weekend when we took this walk it was in the low 50s. Time to get out the sweaters - fall is just around the corner!







Also this weekend, after we got Mckenna ready for bed, we let her play for a few minutes, and this is what happened over by the bookshelf. There are two canvas boxes underneath the shelfs, and she pulled both of them out, and...


...of course, Nemo had to come over and check out the fun being had without her. :)

*Miss Model - Play With a Purpose photos*

You may remember earlier posts about Mckenna modeling for Gopher Sports, with their childrens product division called Play with a Purpose. Well, the PWAP Fall 2009 catalog is out, and Mckenna is in it! The pictures are cute, and it's fun to see them now because she is almost a year old (in mid-October!) and these photos were taken at 6 months and 8 months, so she definitely looks younger. Below are the photos (all selling products that would be used in a daycare or nursery school type setting - cribs, nursery mirrors, and a rocking chair.) You can also see the pictures online at: www.pwaponline.com, click on Infant and Toddler.

This one was taken in June, just a few days before we went to Mexico. Mckenna is 8 months old. A funny story with this one - they originally wanted to have her laying on her back with her head facing the top of the crib, but realized in about 10 seconds that that was just not going to happen... she would just flip over on her tummy immediately when she was placed on her back. So they changed plans, turned her around in the crib, put her on her back, and again she immediately rolled over... but also popped right up and smiled like that, like "Ha! See what I just did?" The photographer captured the moment, and it's now in the catalog. Matt and I were standing right there, and we all had a laugh about that, including the photographer and the model you see in the picture (who is supposed to be a daycare worker.) Hamming it up for the audience, as always! :)


The rest of these were taken in April - Mckenna is 6 months old. Many photo shoots will have specific clothing there for you to wear, but these are Mckenna's own clothes and toys - the ball and green teether. Another funny quirky thing - Mckenna has never been "made up" for any of these shoots before, but yesterday she did a shoot for Super Valu (who owns Cub Foods, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, and more), for their Baby Basics brand diapers, and they actually put a little bit of makeup on her - crazy! They put on just a little bit of foundation, some blush, and a little bit of pink lip gloss... I was sitting in the chair holding her as the makeup person put it on, thinking "this is so strange, yet funny!" I honestly couldn't really tell any difference - this wasn't major makeup at all - but I promptly cleaned her face after the shoot was over. What a good sport... :)

Coldplay - Viva La Vida Tour 2009

Ode to one of Matt and my favorite bands, the great Coldplay. We love these guys and their music, and were lucky enough to see an awesome concert of theirs in July in East Troy, Wisconsin.

Some of you may remember seeing the following iTunes commercial on TV in 2008...

Matt and I remember it well - everytime it would come on, we would rush to turn up the volume and want to know when this new Coldplay song and CD would be coming out... we couldn't wait!

Now listen to the same song (the full length version), sung on Coldplay's new live CD called 'Left Right Left Right Left' that they gave away free at their concert. Try to imagine the concert we went to at the Alpine Valley outdoor amphitheatre and the 45,000 energetic fans (including us!) that were loving every minute of every song - jumping up and down to the beat and singing along... it was so cool! (While you're listening to the song, feel free to scroll through the post - the song is 5+ minutes!)




This was our first time seeing a concert at Alpine Valley, and we were excited because we had heard it was a great venue... awesome band + awesome outdoor amphitheater = double awesome show. :) If you ever have a chance to see a concert there, we highly recommend it!


We of course had to get the cool concert t-shirts... Matt's is the concert shirt with the show locations and dates on the back, and mine says "Life in Technicolor" - the name of the first song on the Viva La Vida CD.


This is a view from the top of the lawn seating, down to the stage. This is way before the concert started, and it wasn't even close to as full as it was going to get for the night.


Our seats were SO CLOSE to the stage, it was crazy! We got lucky... when I was purchasing the tickets online, I selected "best available" for seats, and this is what we got! When we saw where we were sitting, we got even more excited.




Happy and excited for the show to start!




The lead singer and seemingly very cool guy, Chris Martin. He was so energetic and upbeat, so into the music and fans... it was really fun to watch.








One of Coldplay's very first big hits from way back is called Yellow, and tons of these HUGE yellow balloons were dropped over the crowd during the song. Everyone was playing with them, hitting them up in the air, it was so cool. Matt and I even got to hit a balloon once or twice - we were excited about that. :)










Here is Chris Martin telling everyone that the Alpine Valley concert and fans have been the best so far. I thought that he probably says this at most concerts they play, but I read on a roadie blog on Coldplay's website that, "No folks, he does not say that at every concert at all!" See video of the fun annoucement below.


I thought that he seemed like such a genuinely nice guy, very friendly with the crowd, and he obviously loves what he does.




LOVED THAT CONCERT!!! We will definitely be going back to see them next time they play in the midwest, no question about it. If you ever have a chance to see Coldplay live, GO! And get two extra tickets for us, while you're at it. :)


One last song, and one that was new to us and may be to you too. It's a great song, maybe one of Coldplay's best yet. It's called Glass of Water, and asks the question: how full or empty is your glass? Something to think about... enjoy!

Hopkins Fire House

In July, my nephew Thomas had his fourth birthday party with his friends at the Hopkins Fire House. You may remember one of my earlier posts describing his Spider Man themed family birthday party, and also his love for all things fireman related. Matt and I were out of town for the weekend in Wisconsin at a Coldplay concert (which will be my next post - awesome pictures ahead... best concert ever!), so my parents and sister were very kindly taking care of Mckenna for the weekend while we were gone. Kristi took Mckenna to Tommy's birthday party and said that she had a great time with the kids. I absolutely love this picture... isn't it precious? You can see the birthday boy sitting in the middle in the blue jeans and fireman outfit (yes, the same one that we gave him for his birthday... still hasn't taken it off, haha), big brother Jacob on his left, and sister Sarah on the end with her little cousin, Mckenna. I'm sorry, but this picture is just too, too cute, don't you think? :)

- 9 month pictures of Mckenna -

A few weeks ago Jessica (my sister-in-law) from Lifestyle Kids Photography came over to our house to take 9-month pictures of Mckenna. Thank you, Jessica! Matt and I love the pictures - let us know what you think!

To view a slideshow of our little sweetie, click here: http://www.firstdayphotogalleries.com/slideshows/LK081709Mckenna/index.html

If you are interested in learning more about Lifestyle Kids Photography or First Day Photo, click on the links on the right hand side of our blog homepage.

*Our little model - Halo shoot*

Side note: Mckenna is 10 months old today... I simply cannot believe how fast the past 10 months have gone by! :)
***************************************************************************************
While we were at the cabin over the fourth of July weekend, I got a call and message on my cell phone from the modeling agency in Minneapolis that Mckenna is a part of, and they wanted her for another photo shoot that next week, after the holiday weekend.

Many parents have heard of the baby brand, Halo. Even if you haven't used them on your own kids, you may have seen them used in a hospital or sold in baby stores. We were really familiar with Halo because our sister-in-law Jessica has used their products with all of their kids, and the hospital where Mckenna was born wrapped all of the babies in the Halo swaddle. And now that she is older and out of the swaddling phase, she wears Halo's wearable blanket to sleep overnight and for naps. At first I wanted to try the products because I knew Jessica and Brad were very happy with them for their kids, and also because I liked the idea that they helped reduce the risk of SIDS by eliminating the need for a loose blanket. Now we still use them with Mckenna because of those reasons, but also because she is comfortable with it on, stays warm, and sleeps well. So I was excited to hear that Halo wanted Mckenna for a two-day shoot for their print ads. This would be fun!

Here is Mckenna all snuggly in her Halo swaddle at Fairview Southdale Hospital. It's hard to remember her ever being this small - what a little cutie peanut! :)


Inside Out Studios in Eden Prairie, where the Halo photo shoot took place.


All ready to go! It's a bit hard to see, but this is an example of one of her outfit changes. Halo not only has the Sleep Sack swaddles (for newborns and small infants), but also the wearable blanket, which is what she was modeling for the two days of the photo shoot. For those of you that haven't ever seen these, they are the same feel as a light blanket, and are literally a sack - the feet, legs, and torso go in the sack and it is zipped down from the top (so the child can't get at the zipper) and there are holes for arms. They also sell the same idea for toddlers, but with holes for the feet.

Halo has a lot of different products, including coordinating PJs, so Mckenna always had on both a printed pajama and the wearable blanket. Over two days shooting (about 2-3 hours each day) she literally changed about 40-50 times total - from cotton, to fleece, to fuzzy velboa, from solid colors to cute prints. I didn't know they had so many options! Matt and I were both able to be there for both days (gotta love that summer teacher schedule!) and we were with her the entire time, changed her clothes, etc. It was fun to be a part of the process! And this was about a week after we got home from Mexico, and you can still see the bit of sun in her face from the trip - she still has that vacation "glow." :)


Hanging out in between shoots. Mckenna was teething and had her top two middle teeth coming in, but even through all that she was a happy camper. The Halo people couldn't get over what a good girl she is - they loved her!






Before we came to the Halo shoot, we were told, "It's okay if Mckenna falls asleep during the shoot." Great news for all involved! Since all of their products are sleep related, they didn't mind and actually encouraged a sleeping baby. So in between shoots, when I knew that we had a few minutes longer break, I gave Mckenna a bottle around her regular afternoon nap time, and she fell right to sleep. One of the Halo woman came running over to us waiting on this couch when she saw that Mckenna was asleep, and said, "Do you think you could change her outfit and keep her asleep?" We tried it, she stayed asleep, and they got some great sleeping shots... I'm pretty sure I remember one of the Halo marketing woman literally jumping up and down, she was so happy to get those pictures.


We weren't able to take pictures on the sets while they were shooting, for obvious reasons, but also because with all of their lighting they had - our little camera flash washed out all of the light from the pictures. They took a few perfect shots of her sleeping, and then we had another break and she was able to stay in a dark and quieter spot in the studio to finish her nap - in the crib that they took her pictures in. How perfect is that? How nice would it be to get paid to nap? Sign me up! :)


This is a nursery set, one of many different scenes that they had laid out in the large studio. So when they were done shooting Mckenna sleeping here, they went to a different set with another baby. You can see Mckenna snoozing at the bottom of the picture. From my business teacher perspective, it was interesting to see all of the behind the scenes work... they had all different ages and ethnicities of kids - from 3 months old to age 5 or 6. They also had young adult models as parents, and older models as grandparents. There were siblings playing on a bed shots, parents standing by the child in a crib shots, and shots with grandma and grandpa rocking the baby in this rocker. It was fun to see all of that. And now I have more interesting real-life marketing stories to share with my students in business class. :)




When Mckenna woke up from her nap, I snuggled with her in the rocking chair for a few minutes. This was the second day of shooting, and after her nap she just had a couple more outfit changes before we were done for the day. After leaving the studio, we got a quick bite to eat on our way home. As Mckenna napped again while we were eating, Matt and I talked about how well she did and how much fun it was for her to be a part of. Except for her nap, she was smiling and giggling and having a ball. The Halo people at the shoot were so impressed with her sweet personality and happy disposition.

The pictures that they took over those two days could be in national Halo ads, on their website, on their packaging, Babies R Us ads, etc. When they let us know where and when her pictures will be in ads, I will post and let you know! We're not too crazy about doing this all of the time, but if the agency calls us and we're available, then we think it's a fun and unique opportunity for Mckenna while she's young. It will be so fun to have the pictures and memories to show her and share with her when she's older. And she'll have a small start to her future college fund, so that's not a bad thing either. As long as she seems to have fun doing this and it reasonably fits into our schedule, it works out well for everybody. It's also nice to have a little "field trip" to go on - it gets us out of the house and gives us a change of scenery, which is always a good thing with an energetic and curious child! :)