Christmas & NYE has come and gone! Can you believe it?

This week I broke in my new cold-gear running attire – – Thanks Mom, Dad, & my Sister! The run went really well, minus the cold wind on my face. Leo was not bothered by the by the cold in the least bit.  He is definitely a snow dog; huge paws, thick fur, and has an appetite for fresh snow.

I am currently in Minneapolis. My sister works and lives here in the city so I decided to come out to visit her and attend her & her boyfriend’s NYE party. After our amazing session on Wednesday, with the Henning family, Paul and I quickly packed and left for the Twin Cities.

Our first evening here Paul and I went to my favorite restaurant in the entire world; Macaroni Grill. We went to the one in Minnetonka. If you haven’t ever been there, honestly, you need too. The food is great, the rose-mary bread is to die for, and the atmosphere is great! While you wait for your food you can draw on the table cloth with crayons. Paul and I had a blast. I had the Eggplant Parmesan (minus the parmesan) and Paul had the Mamma’s Trio.

Kate’s party was fun – – the best part was the preparation for it; we made a lot of food. I made Oreo Truffles and Kate made a New York Style Cheese Cake.

Today, before my workout, I made an amazing banana & strawberry smoothie for breakfast. This afternoon we went to Uptown so I could take some pictures of Lake Calhoun and the unique houses. Paul, Kate, Will, and I all walked out onto the frozen lake and got some super awesome photos. I couldn’t believe Paul was so agile out on the ice with his crutches. (check back soon for pictures) It was so cold – – high of 9° this afternoon. After freezing our faces off on the ice we went to the North Face store. . . I fell in LOVE with so many jackets. Tonight we are going to play black-light bingo…I am excited because I have never been to a casino before!

I will be returning to Milwaukee sometime tomorrow. Happy 2011!