Day 90 of 365

I have a lot of recipes from my mother-in-law, but the pistachio bundt cake is a favorite. Whenever Travis needs to bring something to work, this is it. This recipe card is written in her own hand, which makes it even more special since she is no longer with us. I can't remember the last time I wrote out a recipe by hand, it is just so much faster to type. There is much to be said about a good, old-fashioned recipe card.

Day 89 of 365

Lillian loves sunglasses. She probably has a half dozen pairs, but these are currently her favorite. Three year old girls in sunglasses are awfully cute.

Day 88 of 365

I have never really liked milk, nor I am a big fan of chocolate. But, while grocery shopping the other day this bright yellow canister of Nesquik caught my eye. I can remember drinking it as a child (along with the strawberry flavor), back when it used to come in a tin canister. This is just what I need to get my daily glass of milk.

Day 87 of 365

It's spring break for us girls, so I took them downtown to grandma's office today. I had visions of a mini urban photo shoot, but it was only about 20 degrees this morning and none of us wanted to be outside longer than necessary. I had to settle for a quick shot on the sidewalk in front of the AT&T building. Not exactly what I had in mind, but at least they're both looking at me.

Day 86 of 365

Our church is planning an expansion and kicked off the development campaign with an open house today. We got to see the CAD animation of the addition and the kids were able to build their own creations with massive amounts of legos and blocks. The big draw was, of course, pie and coffee.

Day 85 of 365

Lillian had a princess birthday party this morning and this is the outfit she put together. This is how she would dress for school each day if we let her. She love accessories and getting her hair done. I got to attend a wedding shower for a friend in St. Cloud. I am so excited for the big day in June! I may have to go shopping for my own version of a princess dress, with accessories, of course.

Day 84 of 365

I ran my first ever 5K last fall, then proceeded to avoid the treadmill for most of winter. Last month I finally got back on and have my sights set on a 10K in Fargo this May. I don't love to run and have yet to experience any type of so-called runner's high, but I will admit I like the post-run feeling. And those running apps on my iPhone are pretty fun, too.

Day 83 of 365

I realized two things while taking this photo. One, my van is really dirty. Two, I like to sit in the passenger seat of my own vehicle. It gives me a chance to clean out the junk that accumulates in the storage bin. I found some Cheerios at the bottom of the bin that probably date back to 2008. I should be a passenger more often.

Day 82 of 365

I had optimistically pushed the boots to the back of the coat closet just last weekend. I was not pleased to have to pull them out this morning. With all the snow we've received this winter, you would think we'd have had at least one snow day. No. Such. Luck.

Day 81 of 365

This is a typical Lillian expression of dismay. We see this a lot around our house. I was trying to get some shots of her before gymnastics, but she wanted nothing to do with me or my camera. I think I need some new subjects.

Day 80 of 365

I discovered the Clickin Moms photography forum last summer, but didn't become an addict until a few months ago. I love connecting with other women who have a passion for photography. It was this forum that inspired me to start a 365 project, and I'm happy to say it's still going strong on Day 80. Many thanks to my 13 followers!

Day 79 0f 365

Winter may be officially over, but the kids still had snow piles to play in today. McKenna spent most of the afternoon on her bike, tooling around the cul-de-sac with the neighborhood kids. I grew up in a neighborhood where all the kids played together, and I'm so thankful that our girls have that same experience.

Day 78 of 365

The Christmas lights finally came down today. It seemed the whole neighborhood was outside, enjoying the somewhat mild weather. Bikes, scooters and toys littered driveways and sidewalks. Hopefully the snow will disappear for good in the next week and we can pack away boots, snowpants, hats and mittens along with the lights.

Day 77 of 365

The girls usually watch "Scooby Doo" while I do my run on the treadmill. Today I came upstairs to this scene, which of course made me run for the camera. I love these moments.

Day 76 of 365

Lillian discovered my summer sandals today and put on a fashion show. My mom never wore heels, but I can remember doing this same thing at my neighbor's house with her mom's shoes. I've always had somewhat of a shoe obsession. My aunt actually found this pair on clearance for me; can't wait to wear them!

Day 75 of 365

The Target closest to our house is a hidden gem. It's never busy, I always get a rock star parking spot and the clearance items are a steal. It's not a Super Target, but I can get basic grocery items and even some even some fresh meat and veggies. McKenna used to think everything came from Target. And really, around our house, most of it does!

Day 74 of 365

Rain! A sure sign of spring. This was the view out my car window after work this afternoon, and I was happy to see it. A few hours later, the sun came out and it truly felt like spring. It's been a long winter here in the North Star state.

Day 73 of 365

Both girls like to color, but lately Lillian loves it. She colors a picture nearly every day. The recipients of these masterpieces are as varied as the pictures themselves. Anyone from mom, dad, sister, grandparent, aunt, neighbor, teacher, Schwan's man to the stranger in a waiting room might receive one. We're still working on the "stranger danger" concept.

Day 72 of 365

McKenna is trying to grow her hair longer. We'll see how it goes; she has the thinnest hair, hates to brush it and won't come within 10 feet of a blow dryer, curling iron or hair accessory. This could be a painful process for us both.

Day 71 of 365

For the second weekend in a row, I got some much needed "girl time," this time with my college sorority sisters. Lunch, pedicures and shopping make for a fantastic Saturday afternoon. The lavender polish is my way of urging spring to make its appearance.

Day 70 of 365

Today would have been my brother Tony's 35th birthday. Nearly every detail of that December day in 2009 is still vividly imprinted in my mind. I am not sure how I made it through those initial days, I only know I have not been the same since.

Of all the tangible items of Tony's I have, his iPhone is the most special. In the days following his death, that phone helped me to connect to his Atlanta friends, piece together his last hours and even hear his voice. Holding his phone is one more link I have to him, one additional connection.

Happy Birthday, Nony. I love and miss you.

Day 69 of 365

Lillian really misses grandma. She hasn't even been gone one week, but everyday she wants to know when grandma will get home from China. (Grandma is really in Florida, but Lillian insists it's China). Big sister tried to give her some love, but sometimes a little girl just needs her Nana.

Day 68 of 365

I still love to get the mail. Although it's usually junk and bills, there is always the hope that something wonderful will be in the mailbox. A card, invitation, or, the best of surprises, a package! No such luck today, but there's always tomorrow.

Day 67 of 365

Granted, I was running on empty, but this is painful! I don't usually pay attention to the price of gas (in fact, I give my parents a hard time for doing just that), but when it approaches $4 per gallon I start to notice.

Day 66 of 365

Lillian is full of personality. We got to swimming about 10 minutes early today, and she put on quite a show in that short time. I couldn't resist posting a few of her many expressions.

Day 65 of 365

I'm not a fan of wall-mounted animals, but somehow this buck seemed quite right keeping watch over our log cabin. Today I really slept in, rolling out of bed at 8:30. I think uninterrupted sleep is one of the best parts of weekends away from home.

Day 64 of 365

Sleep in (well, 7:15 is sleeping in to me), quick workout, leisurely three hours at the spa, delicious lunch, shopping, hanging out, Glee marathon, wine and snacks. I need a girls' weekend every month! It was a beautiful afternoon on Gull Lake. This shrub was covered in ice and the setting sun made a beautiful backdrop.

Day 63 of 365

4:30 cannot come soon enough. I am headed up north with four friends who date back to elementary school. Despite living within 20 miles of one another, we don't see nearly enough of each other. Can't wait to catch up with K, K, K & S!

The 365 Experiment will be back on Monday. I'll be taking pictures each day, but the laptop is staying home.

Day 62 of 365

I'm caught off-guard by how big McKenna is as she walks home from the bus stop. For now, she's happy to see me; I'm still greeted with a big smile and hug. I'll have to revisit this picture when she's 16 and not so happy to see me.

Day 61 of 365

This snapshot represents what our house looks like currently. Being sick last weekend and busy every night this week makes for a neglected home. At least this mess is in the basement. If I shut off the lights and close the door it's almost as if it doesn't exist. Wish I could do the same for the kitchen, family room, playroom, bedrooms...

Day 60 of 365

I'll admit it. I fed my children dinner in the car. Oh, and when I say dinner, I mean a bagel with cream cheese. Lillian seemed to enjoy it, although I'll be cleaning cream cheese from her 5 point harness indefinitely. It was just one of those days; straight from work to Lillian's gymnastics to McKenna's karate, with an oil change squeezed in for good measure. We'll have to double up on the fruits and veggies tomorrow.