Welcome to our life in Cambridge

Take Off!!!!

We have arrived safe and sound! The boys were amazing on the flight, not a peep or even a toy had to be brought out. Randy and I even got to catch up on a few movies even though we too should have been sleeping......







In the taxi riding from London Heathrow Airport to Cambridge

How will Santa find us?????

Soren has been very concerned about whether or not Santa will be able to find him while in Europe. Soren's only request so far for Christmas is for a cast iron red double decker bus (London Bus) to match the green one he has from Ireland. Santa did ensure Soren that he will find him, much to Soren's relief. Now let's just hope he can deliver that red bus!

We are at it again......

It has been almost three years since we traveled to Ireland with the boys. (We have to count Sevi since he was in the belly.) In two days we are off again to Europe, this time to England and France for the Christmas/New Year Holidays. It is a gift beyond our dreams that Gramma Anne has blessed the Murrill family with. We feel so lucky to have experienced Ireland with her, and now this trip.

Sevi is at the same age now that Soren was when we were in Ireland and I know for a fact he won't remember a thing. But Soren is so very excited, researching locations to visit via Google Earth, building and drawing Eiffel Towers at school, watching YouTube videos of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and practicing his French greetings. It has been wonderful to feed off his excitement. I only hope that he will have as many fond memories of this amazing experience he is about to embark on as the rest of us.

I hope to post to the blog when I can during the travels, so keep an eye out for updates. Below are some preparatory pics of the boys trying on travel packs and travel pillows.

Brother Blockade

For the most part we feel rather fortunate that the boys play well together. There are days though that Soren will set up elaborate sets with his Playmobile and Legos and of course will not want these to be disturbed. That is when he then constructs what we call the "brother blockade" in all attempts to keep out Sevi from creating the chaos of disruption.

The Hoodlums of Longfellow Park

Make A Wish

And this is why a two year old birthday cake should only be a single cupcake. I think Sevi was trying to spit out the candle!


Check out how wet his shirt got in his attempts to blow out the candle. At least he is enjoying the cupcake.

Mr. 2 Year Old

Happy 2nd Birthday Sevi

Our dear and sweet Sevi, today is your second birthday. You are a joy and we love your sweet and loving ways. Andrea and I are truly blessed by the pure joy and happiness you bring into our lives each and every day.

Here are some of my favorte face's of Sevi over the past year

When it gets too quiet....

Here is what I found when it suddenly got very quiet while I was doing the dishes. I initially thought it could be bad, but instead I had to laugh at how Soren was deeply engaged in my magazine MORE (geared to the 40+ year old crowd) while Sevi kept trying to steal a glimpse.

Halloween Activities

This was the first year it felt like Soren really understood and was excited about the activities that lead up to Halloween. It was fun to see him get caught up in the holiday spirit of it all. Even Sevi pulled out a Halloween book to be read to him every day. This year we had the Great Pumpkin come visit the house, in which he took the Halloween candy and traded it for a gift. It worked wonderfully and will be a tradition we will try to hold onto.


We decorated pumpkin cupcakes in the shapes of ghosts. It was fun to deliver these treats to friends and neighbors.


Our two little firemen at the Minneapolis Parks Halloween event at Minhehaha Falls.


I love that Soren is still into the "innocent" costumes. This year he picked a cow that a friend offered. It was a cute costume and fit well from the front.........


But it was a few inches too short from the back!!!!


Sevi had a fever Halloween night and stayed home to hand out treats. With Soren and Sevi dressed as farm animals, Soren had the great idea for Randy and I to dress as farmers so we could be a working farm family. If we can get Soren to stop growing, perhaps we can try that idea for next year.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins

While up north last weekend to say goodbye to the cottage for the year, we came across the a-MAZE-ing Pumpkin Patch. As the name suggests, it was rather silly but the boys had a grand time chasing in the corn maze and playing in the pumpkin patch.

A Visual Love of Dodge Nature Center