Sunday is a day of rest...

Our family gets pretty scattered during the week.  Will works late or has to travel, the kids have activities that keep them from home at dinner time, and I am usually running around like a headless chicken.  So, family dinners are hard to make happen.  Additionally, church is at one o'clock for us this year.  So we end up getting home at a weird meal time and struggle to figure out exactly what is going on.  We also don't spend a lot of time watching tv as a family throughout the week.  Sundays feel like good days to relax and watch a good show as a family.  Right now we all like Survivor.  I end up making a weirdly timed meal and we sit in the family room to eat while we watch a show.  We chat about the show and our weeks.  It is nice.  It works.  We like it.  

Love and near death experiences...

Will did some yard work today, because he loves me.  He also cleared the tippy-top gutters to our house.  They had not been draining properly and every time it rains I have to park in a lake.  He cleared the gutters and mowed me a love note.  Pretty sweet.   

A whirlwind in Vegas...

A few weeks ago Will went out to Montana for his Grandma Sylvia's funereal.  He really enjoyed seeing all of his family members.  His sister, Charity, lives close to Vegas and they made plans for Will and I to meet them in Vegas for a show.  

So this was our Vegas weekend get away.  We left Lorien and Wyatt in charge and headed to the airport.  While we were walking to our terminal we heard our flight had been delayed.  By the time we got to our gate our flight was cancled.  Vegas was having some windy weather and limiting the number of flights in.  

We weren't sure what to do.  Will got on the phone and we ended up switching our flight to one out of San Jose and hustling down south to catch the next flight.  On the drive our San Jose flight got delayed...so we cancled our tickets and plans with Charity.  We weren't sure if we would even get off the ground in San Jose.  

We ended up making the flight (with just an hour delay) and went to Vegas for the night.  We considered it our anniversary trip.  We had dinner at Will's favorite restaurant, the Mesa Grill.  We stayed in a lovely hotel and woke up to fly home.  We ended up having to do a bit of a run around to get breakfast.  Then our flights were delayed and then moved up again.  It was bonkers.  Still...we were both glad for a little get away and thankful we are young and able to do all that crazy running around.  Happy (early) anniversary, my love!

Talented ladies...

February has been a non-stop parade of talent at our house.  Lorien started things off with her Beethoven concert, Adell took over and performed in the elementary school talent show.

Adell and her two friends, Lilah and Aviva, danced to the song "Together Wherever we go" from Gypsy.  The girls picked the song, their outfits and choreographed the whole dance by themselves.  It was ahhhhhh-dorable!

Clare took over from Adell and participated in both casts of her middle school musical, Bye, Bye, Birdie.  She played a teen girl named Helen and had a very short solo in the beginning.  Naturally, she was superb!

The girls always have a very supportive audience.

Clare doubled up with a district choir performance.  She sang several songs with her middle school choir and then a few more with the high school choirs.  The whole show was beautiful and I loved seeing and hearing Clare!

Finally, Lorien wrapped up the month by celebrating Dr. Susses' birthday.  Lorien was asked by a school friend to run a face painting table at the library celebration.  Lorien was a hit at the table, the face painting line went halfway across the room.

Seriously, it was one float after another in our talent parade.  No one threw candy but we all loved watching the shows!

Make over by Lorien...

Will is out of town for his Grandmother's funereal and a work trip.  Lorien wanted to give me a make up make over...so I let her.  Here it is: Before and After...

Candy Bear...

In kindergarten you get to take home a stuffed animal and have some adventures...provided you write about your adventures in the class story book.  Then the teacher reads the story to the class the next day.  Today was Colter's turn for Candy Bear.  

It was kind of the worst day for me to have a stuffed animal host.  I had a doctors appointment for me in the morning, one for Lorien in the afternoon, an appointment to meet a friend at Savers, kid pick ups, Colter's assessments and swim lessons for Adell and Colter.  It was too crazy.  But, you have to take Candy Bear when you get him...so Candy Bear tagged along to all of our running around.  Colter was bummed because he wanted to take Candy Bear to Osage park.  There wasn't enough time...but Candy Bear had a good time at swim lessons and helping Colter put together a leggo kit.  It was fine.  We will get Candy Bear again and maybe Osage will be possible on that day.

Saying Good Bye to Good Friends...

We've known the Chesnos family since Colter and their boy, Jett, were babies.  They moved into the ward when the boys were 6-9 months old.  They are the best kind of people: fun.

Kevin worked at Pixar and has been such a nice mentor and inspiration for Lorien who wants to pursue concept art for a career.  Tiffany grew up in Billings, Montana (120 miles away from Will...which is practically next door in Montana).  We didn't discover that she grew up with Will's cousin, Shawn, until just last summer.  Shawn and Tiffany worked together and Shawn's mom was one of Tiffany's young women leaders at church.  It is always fun to make these small world connections.  

The Chesnos family are headed out to Utah to try their hand a life in the Beehive state.  We are going to miss them terribly but wish them well!  

Deacon, Colter, Gracie, and Jett.  Primary classmates forever!!!

Mucumber McGee and the Half Eaten Hot dog...

Let's see...it must have been for his seventh birthday?  Maybe sixth?  Anyway, Wyatt was gifted a couple of books we never would have picked out on our own.  His friend, Elliot, gave him two stories: Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems and MuCumber McGee and the Half-eaten Hot Dog by Patrick Loehr.  They were instant family favorites.  Over the years we have read them a thousand times.  

Last week, Colter picked MuCumber McGee for a book before we had lunch.  By the end of the story (when mother is laying out a feast), Colter was starving and asked if I could make him that for lunch.  I was not able to do so for lunch but promised I would...eventually.  It all came together for Sunday dinner tonight.  Will is in Montana for Grandma Sylvia's funeral.  We needed some help filling the time without him.  The feast was easy to put together, especially after I gave up on having an actual "plum cake" and just made a box cake with purple frosting.  It was a hit and fun to do.

Valentines...

I wonder if there will ever be a year we aren't making 50-100 Valentines for school?  Probably not...

We went the easiest route possible this year with store bought valentines.  So Colter and Adell just had to write their names on all of the cards...not too bad.

And we had our traditional Valentines spread.  I set the table and leave a little gift for each of the kids out the night before.  They get to have sugared cereal and a box of chocolates for breakfast.  I also get beautiful flowers from my Valentine.  It is a pretty good deal. 

Opening valentines from classmates is exciting and messy.  No candy this year (school rules) so just a pile of pink and red papers and knic-knacs.  Happy Valentines Day!

February odds and ends...

Colter has a good friend from school and church, Deacon.  When Deacon comes over, they play Minecraft and jump on the trampoline.  One afternoon we took the boys out for Indian food.  Deacon ate some super spicy chicken and loved it...Colter tried one bite and only ate rice after it.

Wyatt officially passed Lorien in height!  I remember saying in December when we did the measuring tree and Lorien and Wyatt were the same height "if we had waited until February (like we did the year before) Wyatt might have been taller."  I was right, by February Wyatt was the tallest kid in the house.  Real tears were shed.

Upon being forced out of the house one sunny afternoon, Lorien took the little kids for a walk to Jamba Juice.  It was a long walk that they normally make on bikes.  I went to pick them up when they were done with their juice.  Thank heavens for cell phones and rescue phone calls.

Lorien wants bangs and likes to do her makeup in interesting ways.  She has time for beauty...I do not.

Colter went to a friend's birthday party and I thought the idea was genius.  There were four activities set up and the kids got to wander between them: Slime making (just mixing in stuff to premade slime).  Build a lego car and a couple of racing ramps to run the cars down.  Marshmallow and toothpick construction.  And food/snacks.  It was brilliant!  All of the kids were entertained and no one had to organize groups of kids.  They got to wander around doing what they wanted for as long as they wanted.  I am taking notes for Colter's birthday party!