Winter Wonderland Celebration

This past weekend Kyle and I went to Minneapolis. Now, you may ask why two people would leave the beautiful December weather of Arizona for the frigid cold of Minnesota, but we had a few very good reasons. First, we wanted to get into the Christmas spirit with some snow. Second, we thought it would be a fun trip for our anniversary, but most of all we wanted to surprise Kyle's Grandma Mary for her 91st birthday. Anyone turning that young deserves a bit of a surprise...don't you think?

We definitely surprised her, thanks to some help from cousins, aunts, and uncles and the whole moment was so special.

After the big surprise we went to the Holidazzle Light Parade downtown with family. This is Kyle's cousin Jen and her adorable 4, going on 30, year old daughter Morgan. Love the cheeks!!!

The lights in the parade were spectacular!
Kyle loved his little buddy!

If I didn't mention it before, it was cold! We're talking cover every part of your body cold. I believe the temps averaged 15 during the day and around zero at night. Brrr!!!

The snow is so beautiful. Nice to look at, but too cold.

We took a drive to St. Cloud to the VA hospital to visit his Grandpa Bob. Seeing his grandma and grandpa interact is priceless. They will be married 70 years in April. I only hope we can make it as long as them.

I truly love Kyle's Grandma Mary. She may be the sweetest person I have ever met. A true angel put on Earth.

After a weekend with family, it was time to say goodbye. We spent Monday and Tuesday downtown to celebrate our anniversary.

Ahhhh, Mall of America, my Mecca! I never get tired of this place. I'm like a little kid in a candy shop here.

The Macy's in downtown Minneapolis puts on a special display on the 8th floor each year. This year was "A Day in the Life of an Elf". It was so neat to walk through this animated creation. It really got us in the spirit of Christmas.

We made a visit to the new Twins Stadium. What a beautiful field.

Nothing like sitting in a giant golden glove.

We had a great time with everyone and while we enjoyed the snow and getting all bundled up we were truly grateful to return to 75 degrees on Wednesday. No wonder we have so many winter visitors. The whole time Kyle and I said, "Why would anyone live in this?" I shouldn't speak to soon. With our med school journey...who knows where we'll be.