Minnesota!

After a fun night in Chicago, Monday morning brought a relatively easy drive to Minnesota.  I started out at 7AM and it took me almost an hour to get out of the city! Yuck! Oh well, I'm definitely used to traffic.  I sat and sipped my Vega smoothie (I hate them, but they're super healthy and I don't like typical 'road breakfast options') while I waited it out.


My plans while in Minnesota was primarily to spend time with my sister, Emily, and my niece, Natalie. Because I'm so far away from them, I don't get to see Natalie as much as I'd like, so I really wanted to get in some fun with her. We started out with a trip to the playground...

Playing in the sand feels funny on the fingers and toes!

Lots of squeals and giggles in the swing!

And later, she showed me that she should come with me to help drive on my trip!

On Tuesday, Natalie and I got to see my friend and her daughter, who I haven't seen in way too many years. Her daughter Lexi was thrilled to share her baby dolls with Natalie, who can't get enough of them lately.

On Wednesday, the three of us ran a bunch of errands. It was my job to entertain Natalie while Emily was shopping for much needed pajamas. We were playing around in the hat section...

It was SUCH a fun visit, and it made me wish I was closer! Now, off to Wyoming!