Introducing Eloise Grace Nicholson

It's a GIRL! 
 
Ellie arrived on Friday (9/9) at 10:11am weighting 6 lbs, 13 oz, 19.5 inches.
We're all doing well and enjoying the new addition to our family.
 
-Mark, Dani, Charlie, and Ellie

First Christmas

Christmas Day is always exciting! Last year, I was largely pregnant on Christmas and we stayed in the Twin Cities and enjoyed a wonderful meal with friends who also happened to be expecting and without family in town. This year, we woke up with Charlie at home to open a couple of presents. Yes, we had just rolled out of bed!





We had an uneventful drive and enjoyed several days with family. Charlie found this rocking chair (mine when I was his size) and took to it! He also decided that walking would be his main mode of transportation on Christmas Day. He'd had the ability but hadn't fully committed to the practice until we were at Grandma and Grandpa Beauchamp's house!














Charlie received a Radio Flyer wagon from his grandparents. Mark began to put it together as soon as we got home. As soon as it came out of the box, Charlie knew what to do. This wagon continues to bring him much entertainment!

Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to all! Love, the Nicholsons

Fall Fun

My brother "convinced" us to go halvsies on a pair of Vikings season tickets. It wasn't a hard sell but it went something like this, "this way we will see you guys at least once a month. We'll have to come up." And so it began. A sad season for our Vikes but a ton of fun for the Nicholson and Beauchamp families.

Cory and daughter, Emma

Look Alikes? Charlie, Dani, Maddie (Cory's daughter)

Aamodt's Apple Orchard

The Making of a Winner

It all started with a trip through Target's clearance rack and the Charlie Brown Onesie for $4.88! The idea was planted and so I started searching for how Mark and I would transform into Peanuts characters. Two dollar stores, two Goodwills, another trip to Target, a stop at Joann Fabric, and a few evenings of paper mache and viola! Peppermint Patty and Linus to go with Charlie Brown to Boofest XII (our friend, Dan Fine's super fun yearly Halloween party. Not only are there costumes, but also games, prizes, and wonderful treats)!

I have to admit that I don't consider myself very creative. I loved this idea and hounded Mark for his artistic expertise. We had a couple of setbacks including Mark's first attempt exploding after I went to bed (and thus covering the dining room with paste similar to what you'd use to hang wallpaper). His second attempt the balloon shrank some but he was able to salvage that by blowing up another balloon inside the paper mache! His artistic rendering and confidence made this a contender for best costume. But it was truly our adorable Charlie Brown that won over the crowd. We won by 1 vote over an amazing couple that came as "Shark Week" (she dressed as a shark and he dressed as a scuba diver including protective cage!). And third place went to the characters of Clue (Prof. Plum, Col. Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, and an almost 4 week old Miss Scarlet).

Happy Halloween!