Best/Worst 11th Anniversary

As I mentioned in a previous post sickness will not leave us alone! But I THOUGHT everyone was doing ok so I got a babysitter so we could atleast go to dinner on our anniversary. I also tried to stop at a candy store and get some chocolate strawberries for me and Chad. IT WAS CLOSED! About 30 min before we had to leave, Rylee puked. So I canceled our plans and we decided we better stay home. 

We decided we would just get take out and stay home.  Carter could sense our disappointment and wanted to make this day special for us. He asked if he could make us chicken and potatoes and we said yes. So he went right to work setting the table and lighting candles and making dinner.

 He made us potatoes in the insta pot and baked chicken bacon and cheese with a little help. all the kids were extra sweet. We played a game after dinner and just enjoyed a happy evening wi

 Once the kids were in bed though, we splurged and went to coldstone for dessert! We watched a movie and tried to go to bed. The wind was blowing like you wouldn't believe. Our window has a broken seal and so the wind comes through it and whistles REALLY loudly. I couldn't sleep so we grabbed our pillows and headed for the couch. Yes, we slept on the couch for our 11 year anniversary. So romantic!

 We were determined to not let this ruin our weekend though (we actually quite enjoyed it!) But we wanted to have some fun. So the next day we surprised our kids with pulling them out of school and heading into Sandy for some fun! We first hit Classic Fun Center which was SO fun! We loved rollerskating and scootering around. There were bounce houses, laser tag, and arcade games to keep the kids busy. There was something for everyone!

 Bri did awesome with skates and her little trainer. She loved it!

 The big kids loved being able to just roam around and go where they please. We have entered a different era where I can trust them to go do whatever they want and know they will be responsible.

 We broke for lunch and headed to Chuck A Rama. A family favorite! The kids were hungry after all that running around and ate SO well.

 After that we hit up Scheels to ride the Ferris wheel! I was probably the most scared of everyone!

 The kids loved posing with the bear

 and Abe Lincoln in the front of the store. They were all so WELL behaved too! We all had a lot of fun.

 After that we found a fun rec center to go swimming at! My kids are not like me at all and love the water! Again, it was nice to let the big kids go,knowing they are ok in the water. They went down the slide almost constantly.

 I only have pictures of B&R here because the other 2 were off playing.

We hit Sonic on the way home and we all enjoyed this day so much! This may become a new anniversary tradition! We've traded the Bed and Breakfasts for memories with our kids and I really think it was worth it. Not one single original plan went through for our anniversary, but because of it we got so many sweet memories and experiences that we maybe would have otherwise missed. After all, when we were sealed in the temple, we were told that it was the day our family was started. So in fact, it is the anniversary of our family. A day we should ALL celebrate together. I love my tribe!!

S-N-O-W and TOFW

So we had no snow up until about the middle of Feb. Then of course just before the weekend I had plans to leave town, the BIG one hit!

 Roads were nasty. Snow was wet and heavy. Carter, Chad, and I (and even mollie) got in on lots of snow shoveling.

 This is about an hour after I shoveled our walks! You couldn't even tell I had shoveled!

When I dropped Bri off for Preschool the walks were clear! 2.5 hours later they were filled with about 6 inches of snow! I knew those kids would be walking in snow up to their knees so I hopped out and shoveled a path as quick as I could go!

 Then I hopped in my car to go to Time Out for Women in Idaho Falls with Jenna! Her husband had bought 2 tickets and a hotel room for her and she invited me to go with her! It was such a wonderful weekend of catching up and being lifted.

I sure love this friend and I hope we will always stay close!

 The roads on the way home were not fun driving in! Or the way there! But I took the truck and I made it! I was a little aLOT nervous!

AND I got a cute dress out of it!! Love Love LOVE it!

Preschool Field Trip

Brielle's preschool had a fun field trip to the Childrens Discovery museum in February. It was fun to take friends along with us and watch them play their little hearts out. We used to take Carter and Mollie to do all sorts of fun things like this but our little girls haven't gotten the chance yet so it was fun to take just them for a fun outing. Brielle brought along her friend Brightyn. 

 The dress up play area was a favorite I think

Such a fun time! Steffani tagged along too and so it was a fun day to be with friends for me too!!!

My Valentines

V-day was pretty low key this year since we are saving up for Disneyland in September! I thought I took a picture of them that morning but i can't find it. So here are my cute little valentines headed off the school to spread some love and eat lots of treats. 

 Teacher v-day gift clorox wipe robots.

 Bri helped make little juice box robots for her class.

 I helped at the preschool party for a while

 And helped with the cookies and passing out valentines.

 Then I had like 1 minute to rush to do Mollie's party. Luckily Steffani Rowley was helping me and we did a few games, did more cookies and passed out valentines.

 These 3 troublemakers have had an interesting year! Theres a bit of a love triangle going on here. What can you do about a first grade crush?! sigh...

 They all came home and dumped out their loot! When did valentines day become the new halloween!?

 Mollie was eating some candy and lost her first tooth! I was glad it FINALLY came out because it had been dangling for days! The tooth fairy didn't disappoint and delivered $5 for her first tooth!

 And as our tradition always goes, our house was lit up in red and white for valentines day night.

 And you know you have arrived when your romantic evenings you used to have on valentines day have turned into dinners at McDonalds! Yep...thats what we did....YUCK. But I am thinking of it as a gift for my kids.

And here's my Valentine! We still had an enjoyable evening together and got a few treats out of it. The best treat though is in the way he treats me. He is always kind, supportive and shows me love even when I may not deserve it (Which is like never!) I'm so grateful he is mine and for the love he shows to me and our kiddos. 

February

In January I got a new calling! It was to be over Carter's bear group. So the Blue and Gold Banquet was my first pack meeting I was a part of! I was over decorating and so we picked an olympic theme since the winter olympics were in full swing, and went with it!

 torch centerpieces.

 Food table

 Podium where we welcomed the new scouts and introduced all the scouts!

 We had several olympic games going on that everyone could do. I was over curling.

Later that week we went to dinner with Aubrey to meet her new fiance!! I meant to get a picture of all of us but this is all I walked away with. I'm so happy for her and she will be getting married the end of may.

 February was exceptionally warm! So me and Ry spent one day walking around the block 800 times while she mastered her new bike! She is so adorable to watch on it. She'll be really good by this spring.

 Another day I was feeling ambitious and decided to go for a bike ride with the girls. I always forget how heavy that thing is and that I live on a hill. Brielle has outgrown it so its time for her to get riding her own bike! But coming home was fun :)

 Chad has had the unique opportunity of coaching (the famous) Chad Hymas' son on his basketball team. I told chad we HAD to get a picture for posterity. So I begged for one after a game one day. He was kind and obliged.

Time goes by so fast! I can't believe we are already a few months into the new year! Where does time go?