minneapolis or bust

Last week we headed out for our usual winter trip to Minneapolis for my son's doctor's check-up with Shriner's Hospital.  He usually goes 2-3 times a year depending on what medical treatment is needed at the time.  This visit was just a check-up which was so nice.  Last time he had to get Botox injections.  The great thing about Shriner's hospital is that even during those 'hard' visits my son doesn't really see them as all that hard or scary thanks to the awesome people at Shriner's.  From the moment you walk into the lobby you are greeted with smiles, activities, games, toys, familiar faces, etc.  They are like a second family to us and we love catching up with our favorite nurses/doctors when we go.

My in-laws flew out to our home and drove to Minneapolis with us.  They live in Arizona and so it's a great treat for the kids when they visit.  Now that we are a family of 5 we no longer can fit grandparents or really anyone else in the van with us so they drove a rental car.  We also found that we needed a really big hotel room to house us all.  We stayed in a 2 bedroom penthouse loft at the Marriot.  It was like a mini apartment.

My favorite part was the fireplace which we took full advantage of.  Here is one of my many attempts to get a picture of the kids in front of the fireplace.

If you look closely to the far left of the photo you can see my father in law's knee.  He was trying to assist and get my kiddos to pose for the camera.  He's always helping out.  He's cool like that.

My kids' favorite Minneapolis activity has to be Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America.  My son is a roller coaster junkie and I think this trip converted my daughter into one as well.

My favorite stop was Ikea.  My husband and I zoomed through this store in a record (for us) 1 hour while my oldest son played in the play area, my toddler slept in her stroller, and my hubby wore the baby in his Baby Bjorn.  We were doing some serious shopping/multi-tasking but it was so much fun.

Oh, and this place takes a very close second (if not tie for first) for me

We didn't buy a ton of stuff but I am so happy with the stuff we did buy. It's always exciting getting home and finding a new home for all your new goodies.  My kids' came home with new Build A Bears and have been cuddling and playing with them since.

Our trip was a bit chaotic and we were often short handed with the kids but we still had a great time making new memories, carrying on our traditions, and next time we go it will be easier.