Hangin' in Declo

We went to Declo for the latter part of Spring Break- we even talked Shaun into taking a couple days off of work so that we could stay longer.  The kids miss Grandma Jacki and Papa Orllo- and we just don't get to see them very often- so when we have a chance to go and spend some time- we totally jump on it.  

It was gorgeous weather the first couple of days that we were there- so when the kids were playing around outside I followed them around with my camera.  There are just so many things to climb up and over when you are out in the country.  First the kids found Papa's pasture gate...

And check out these clouds- they looked fake to me...

We went for rides on the 4-wheeler... We even got Kate on board with it.  Up until this point she has wigged whenever she gets anywhere near it.  I don't know the reason for the change... I guess it's just another glimpse at a little girl that is growing up.  

Cute dad...

We played on the swings...

Tyler went a little too high and scared himself...  hahaha...

They went down the slide...

I don't know why they couldn't go down one at a time... I guess squishing your siblings and not having your mom yell at you for it DOES sound pretty good...

 The kids must have gone up and down those stairs a thousand times that afternoon.

We made some new friends...

Played some ball...

And had a cookout at the end of the day.  The kids were in heaven.  And absolutely exhausted at the end of the day.  Those ARE the best kind of days aren't they??  We all slept like rocks and woke up to the smell of bacon.  Grandma Jacki rocks.

Saturday dawned kind of drizzly, so we went into town to see the new Mini Golf Course and Roller Rink.  And maybe my definition of Mini Golf is a little different than anyone else's... but I giggled when I saw the course.  It was inside an old school- so it was on carpet and the holes were above ground.  The kids had a really good time.  Initially I was going to keep score- I love trash talking my 7 year old, but after Ryan took 13 strokes to get into the first hole...  I used the scorecard to fan myself instead.

Ty raced through the course and I think he lapped the rest of us 3 times before we were finished.

Next, we strapped on some skates and hit the roller rink.  In a word:  HILARIOUS!  I can't remember a time I laughed so hard!!  Ryan looked like a cartoon character- his little feet were going back and forth so fast- you could hardly see them!

Ty spent the first 15 minutes here.... 

And surprisingly, Kate did really well!  She got tired really fast though and had a good time sitting on the bench laughing at her brothers.

Look how tiny!!!  

Ty finally figured it out.  Though he said he did NOT want skates for his birthday this year!  I told him it was just like anything- you just have to practice!

This was as far as you could get from Ryan before he fell.  Every time.  I kept thinking he was getting the hang of it and I would let go and get a few steps away from him and he'd go down in a blaze of glory.  But he wants to go again- so I guess it couldn't have been that bad!

We had such a good time!  Thanks grandma and papa!!!  I know we are hard as guests because of our celiac issues... but you are such good sports!!!  Thanks for all the work you put into our weekend!!  Love you!

2nd Breakfast

That's right.  2nd breakfast.  Not for me mind you- one is enough for me to be full.  But I have a growing boy at home- who literally LOVES to eat.  When Ryan sits down to eat something, he will close his eyes as he puts the fork or spoon into his mouth... you can just see him savoring it.  It's so cute.  And so him.

So when he asked for waffles at 10:00 the other morning (he'd had cereal at 7), I thought to myself- 'there are a zillion things that I could be doing...' but I decided I didn't care- so I made Ryan waffles.  And whipped cream.  And I cut up some strawberries.  Then when I called him in to eat- his eyes LIT up and he broke into the biggest grin!  He threw his arms open and ran up to my leg and just squeezed as tight as he could- all while yelling "You made me waffles!!  You really made me waffles!  You're the best EVER!"

Sometimes I giggle at how little effort it really takes to be considered The Best Mom Ever.  Of course- all it takes to be the Worst Mom Ever is asking them to clean their room... but whatever- I'm going to soak up my moment of awesomeness.



So I sat down next to Ryan as he ate his second breakfast and we talked about school and his friends and how excited he for summer (he's really excited to go swimming again).  I love my little 4 year old and sometimes I just can't believe how grown up he is getting.  Sometimes I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital... and yet- he is growing into an exceptional little boy.  I sure do love him.  And I'm glad that I forgo the piles of laundry and stacks of dishes to just sit down and talk to him once in a while.

As a mom of three, sometimes I get all caught up in saying "Yes" to everyone else- I forget to say "Yes" to my babies too.  So here's to saying YES and really, really meaning it.

Little Heidi

We snuck out for lunch the other day... and met grandma and grandpa downtown at our favorite little German deli.  It was so much fun!  Ty was home from school with an ear infection- but I figured since he wasn't contagious or anything, he could enjoy lunch too.  It was kind of fun to play hookie with him!

There is nothing like their red cabbage and sauerkraut!  Thanks for lunch grandma and grandpa!

Snow White becomes Sleeping Beauty

Remember I told you about the princess skirts I made for Kate?  She LOVES the stupid things and wears them all the time- good thing they wash so well.  She was wearing one the other day when she totally crashed on dad's chair- I didn't get her to her nap soon enough!

Taco Tuesday

I've had this thought recently... I've been thinking about Ty.  And things to come.  This kid is going to have to know how to cook.  He can't rely on fast food and quesadillas in college like I did.  And there is a good chance that once he does marry- his wife wont' have a clue what gluten free is.  He has to know about his food and how to put it together.  So we started Kidd's Kitchen, a Gluten Free Cooking School for Kids.  Okay- really it's just me and Ty- but the title made it sound so much more official!  I gave Ty the task of fixing dinner- I gave him plenty of warning and set out some ideas.  He was actually more excited about this than I thought he was going to be.  He found a dinner idea and a recipe all on his own- tacos!

So I helped him read the recipe and gather the ingredients.  Obviously I browned the beef, but he had to measure out the spices and he stirred it all together.  He also put together the rice and helped me cook some beans on the stove.  He was in heaven!  Which made me think... why didn't I do this sooner??



Ty was beaming when he helped set the table and everyone came to eat.  My sister and her husband came over to eat with us- and they were so sweet to "ooo" and "awwww" in all the right places.  Although... when you come right down to it- the tacos were really good!  I didn't fake any of my "yummy" noises!  I wonder what he'll make next week...

Pizza again!!!

I'm going to brag.  I made pizza the other night.  GFree pizza.  And it was awesome.

Big Mac, BLT, Quarter Pounder with some Cheese...

I have two planters just outside my front door.  Right now they are just full of dirt- but I have been looking at pictures online and in magazines for some ideas of things to plant in them once the weather finally turns nice.  I guess Kate noticed... because she took it upon herself to relieve me of my planting duties.  She planted a french fry the other day and told me that a french fry tree would grow soon.

Is it ridiculous of me to admit that I hope it works?

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter friends!!  This year was such a fun year...  There was literally no build up for a bunny, so when the kids got up they totally ran past their Easter buckets.  In fact they didn't find them until after they had sat down to eat breakfast.  The bunny used to hide our baskets when my siblings and I were kids, but I don't think the bunny was firing on all cylinders the night before.  He totally forgot to hide eggs for an Easter egg hunt too...  Oh well.  The kids were so excited- the bunny brought them new headphones, flipflops and bubbles!  There is a blanket ban on all Easter candy in our house this year so we missed out on Peeps, but all in all- no one missed them!   

After the kids dug through their loot, it was off to shower and get ready for church.  I love going to church on Easter sunday- everyone is in new dresses and ties- I just love it.  

I snapped a few pictures out in the yard just as we were headed to church- sorry for the washed out looking pictures- but if it's any consolation to you all- I'm taking a photography class this week to see if there is any help at all for my sad snapshots.  Still though... my subjects are freakin cute!!

I Took Three Monkeys Home From the Zoo

We went to the zoo again today.  Why you may ask?  Because I like it.  I really do.  And my kids don't seem to mind seeing the same scenery each time we make the trek up there- in fact, Ty hasn't been since last summer- usually i just drag the little ones.  So Ty was pretty excited to spend the day.  I like getting there as the gates open, but on a whim, I called my mom and my grandma to see if they wanted to go too... And I got a yes from both!  I was so excited- and my kids were stoked to go and show their great-grandma all the new things at the zoo.  When we got there- each of my kids got a map and acted the part of the tour guide- pointing out things that they thought would be interesting.

Kate still loves the monkeys- and actually her great grandma did too.  Ty and I got to see the River Otters- which are MY absolute favorite- I don't know what it is about them- but I think they are adorable.  And Ryan didn't want to leave the Rhinoceros enclosure.  I'm not sure what Grandma Janet's favorite part was... the baby elephant running around was pretty cute, and the agitated leopard was pretty interesting to watch...  I'll have to ask her.

And at the end of the morning- my kids were exhausted- which is another reason I LOVE the zoo.  We stopped for lunch and a Coke and then headed home.  Thanks for sharing our morning with us Grandmas!!  We had so much fun with you!

These next pictures made me laugh...  There was a display on the fence that showed how big each of the bears were- so I had my kids line up biggest to smallest too.  

Ryan and Kate totally gave their bears the stare-down.  And I don't  know what Ty was looking at... maybe a bird???

Save Me Now

This is another post mainly about Kate.  Sorry about the girly domination, but she cracks me up right now.  As I said in an earlier post- she is all about the tea parties.  And now we add a new dimension to the girliness... princesses.  I always promised myself that I would NOT let my daughter get so wrapped up in the princess mess that she forgets there are other things to life besides sparkles and tiaras.  I'm trying to stay true to my original course- but Kate has a way of making me think it might be okay.  Her aunt Hee Hee doesn't help.  Hee Hee loves her some girly-girl.

So we have entered into the reign of the princess.  My problem with this is the dress up dresses.  They are expensive and they just don't wear well.  I think they feel kind of itchy and quite frankly- they fall apart.  You are left with a mess of sparkly tulle and unwound thread stuck in the dryer vent.  So I set out to fix this.

Kate and I hauled ourselves over to the fabric store last week and picked out some fabric that could pass for  each of her favorite princesses.  And we went home to make a dumbed down version of each dress.

Now because I am not immensely talented in the sewing department, I opted to make skirts instead of dresses.  More power to those that can make their sewing machines do something different other than sew in a straight line.  And you lucky ducks- get a sneak peak at a couple of the ones we have finished.  Yes.  I said we.  Kate insists on "helping" with each one.  Her nose is literally inches from my sewing machine needle and she is standing ready to try it on as soon as it comes off the line.  It's pretty funny actually.

So far, we have completed a skirt for Snow White, Princess Sophia and Minnie Mouse.  We still have Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to go.  Wish us luck and wish me some patience with this next stage.  For you moms of older girls... how long does this go on???

TEA Party Animal

Pun intended folks.  Nothing I love more than a good pun.  That said- it's totally true.  My daughter is reaching a very fun age.  She turns three this summer and is 100% girl.  One of her favorite things in the world is to sit and have a tea party.  Her brothers humor her once in a while, but it usually takes the patience of a grandma to sit down with this little girl and really party it up.  

Kate was lucky that we went to Declo this last weekend to visit Shaun's parent's- because she was able to talk Grandma Jacki AND her cousin Carson into a tea party that lasted all morning long.  She was in heaven.  

Wild and Crazy Kidds

President's Day just passed us by... and you know what that means!!  Snowmobile trip with the Henriksens! For those of you that don't know, my dad books this trip for all of us every year- and every year it is a blast!  Thank-you again Dad... it was super fun!

This year I braved taking my good camera so that I could get a few pictures of us out playing in the snow.  I know- my luck I'll probably land on the dumb thing and break a rib or something.  As it turned out though... as I get older- apparently I get wiser too, because I didn't get hurt or stuck this trip.  Woohoo for me.

Here's my brother in law...

The man of the hour... my dad...

Shaun and I (might I say what a handsome couple we make all spiffed out in our snow gear)...

Dave... trying to teach an old dog new tricks...

Miss... showing off for the camera...

In all it was a fun weekend.  A special thanks to my mom for watching the kids and a shout out to my sister in law- Nat- it's just not the same without you.

A Post for Kate

I have a friend who posts letters to her kids on her blog.  It's a cute idea.  But if I just dedicate a whole post to each of my kids... that's kind of the same right?  

Indulge my sad picture taking abilities and take a look at this goofy little blonde thing...  

I'm still not really sure where she came from.  She is a little, tiny, blonde spit-fire that is going to send Shaun to an early grave.  Yeah that's right.  I said it.  I've never met someone who I can be fire-breathing mad at one second and cuddling up next to the next.

But oh how I love this little girl.  Kate will be 3 in June- which is absolutely insane to me.  Where did the time go?  Do I sound old?  Shaun says that's because I am.  I start every morning with a tiny hug from her, before she races off down the stairs to find her brothers.  She eats like a bird and can exist on 2 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, all the while going full-bore on everything.

She loves Minnie Mouse, "Spinnies" (skirts) and Princess Sofia.  Her aunt is determined to get her to know all the other Disney princesses- I sat and listened to them last night in the kitchen and I about died laughing at some her Kate's mis-pronounciations.  For example, can you name this princess?  "Boo-a Boo-ee"  It's Sleeping Beauty for you idiots out there.  She cracks me up.

And it turns out she may be more like her oldest brother than anyone else...  Shaun and I recently decided to take Kate off gluten to see if it would help her stomach-aches and other GI issues.  It took about two weeks- but we are pretty sure that even if she never has full blown Celiac Disease- at the very least, she has an intolerance.  Her GI doctor wanted to run a lot of very expensive tests (x-rays and MRI's) because her blood tests kept coming back inconclusive... but my gut (pun intended) kept telling me to give this a shot.  Why would I let my baby girl continue to be uncomfortable when there was a very obvious and very easy solution to fix it?  I didn't.  She's been off gluten for about a month and a half now and she is doing so well!  It's obviously harder for her than any one else since she can't read an ingredient list to see if a snack is glutenous, but with the help of her extremely protective older brothers- we are making it work.

Because of this gluten-glitch we have found, I have been trying to make an effort to let the kids help more in the kitchen... with the thought that if they know what goes into their food- they have a better idea of what they can eat.  Good idea?  I don't know.  What I do know is that my kitchen is a LOT messier than before.  That said- Kate LOVES being in the kitchen.  She has a "spot" that she perches on whenever she sees me pull baking stuff out of the cupboard and a stool she sits on when I am making dinner.  She is an excellent stirrer.  And we only lose about half of the pancake batter when she is on duty.

Anyway- this post was for Kate... and one day if you read this Kate... I love you lots.

A Post for Ryan

I have the cutest 4 year old.  That's right.  I said it.  I dare you to dispute me.  I'll find you and sit on you if you do.  

Ryan is... his very own person.  I know that's an odd sentence  but as I sat here trying to come up with a word to describe him... I couldn't.  Maybe one of you can find one for me.  Ryan is really one of the sweetest little individuals you will meet though- and he is so generous with his hugs.  These hugs will melt you- I promise.  Bad days magically start to turn around when this little guy lays one on you.  

Ryan is still in preschool with Miss Tammy- and he loves it!  Shaun and I have decided to hold him back a year from kindergarten- so he'll have one more year with his favorite teacher and we couldn't be more excited about it.  Miss Tammy has worked SO hard with our shy little bug- he is so much more outgoing than he was.  I know part of that is because he is getting older- but his separation anxiety has gone WAY down since she started working with him.  

Ryan's favorite subject in school is art.  And a more careful painter you will never meet.  I bought some water colors for him to use at home and I sat and watched him this afternoon.  He finished one "portrait" in the time it took his brother to paint five.  It was a very detailed painting of Nephi with a sword.  It made this mama proud.  I got a note from his preschool teacher about how "careful" he was when they were painting and coloring.  He brings home some kind of artwork most days and you can totally tell what they are!  Friday he brought one home that just screamed "Abe Lincoln". 

Ryan is also... Are you ready for this... READING!!  Yeah that's right.  My 4 year old is reading.  He has passed off 3 books in school and is just trucking along trying to get the other ones in the series passed off.  I am SUCH a proud mama when he reads to ME at night instead of me reading to him.  He's such a rockstar!

This picture of him is a little goofy I know- but I had a whole thing planned for some family Valentines that didn't end up working out because I could never nail Ty down long enough to do it.  Grrr.  But I did snap one of Ryan and Kate- I love his eyes in this picture though.  They are such a dark, chocolaty brown.  I'm so jealous.

We really do have a great little kid in Ryan.  He is sweet, tender-hearted and caring... not usually adjectives I would use for a 4 year old little boy- but there you have it.  He loves to tell jokes (just ask him about the chicken that crossed the road and you'll have hours worth of conversation and jokes) and play anything with a ball.  The kid is frothing at the mouth for spring so that he can play baseball again.

He has also been working really hard on getting our money out of his glasses.  I can't decide if buying the wire ones was a good thing or not.  He bends the crap out of them when he wrestles, but they do bend back into place.  But sometimes I wonder if we shouldn't have gone with plastic frames instead.  Hmmm....  We'll see.  Until then though- I have to giggle at all the stories he tells me as to why they are bent the way they are.  A couple weeks ago we were sitting in church and I looked over at him only to realize that HE WAS MISSING A LENS.  I grabbed them and asked them how long he had been missing a lens.  And he just shrugged.  Shaun and I walked the church and retraced our steps until Ryan jumped up and said "Oh yea!  I stepped on them last night!"  Seriously?  You've been walking around for a day with only one lens because you stepped on them last night and couldn't be bothered to pick the other one up?  

I just shake my head and wonder what tomorrow will bring.  Love you Ry!

A Post for Ty

Does anyone else see the irony in this "journal entry" of Ty's...



I'm glad his "splling test" went well.

All joking aside- this kid is doing amazingly well in school right now.  We just got his report card- and he had straight 5's (apparently they don't do A, B, C, D anymore)- which on a scale of 1 to 5... we're pretty excited about.  He loves his teacher (and so do I) and he has been working so hard to progress.  His favorite subject is Math (which he gets from his dad), but he's a great reader too.  His favorite books right now are a series called "The Magic Treehouse", and Shaun and I can barely keep up with him.  I gave up on buying one book at a time because I was headed back to the bookstore every couple of days.  I love it.  It makes me (those that know me know how much I love to read) beyond happy.

And for those of you keeping score... Ty 1,000 and Celiac Disease 0.  That's right.  He is rocking his diagnosis and is doing so amazing on his new diet.  I guess it's not really new any more is it?  We are coming up on the year mark in March.  Wow.  He is DILIGENT when it comes to making sure the food in front of him is food he can eat.  Shaun and I told him how important it is to ask questions- and he has not taken that task lightly.  He asks a lot of questions.  A lot people.  And I am so touched by the support of family and friends in this new endeavor- it means more to me than I think any of them realize.

Ty just finished up his Junior Jazz league- and he had so much fun (I did too- I love watching him play).  It probably helps that he's a head taller than anyone and that makes blocking shots a little easier- but hey- if you got it- flaunt it.  Anyway- things are pretty quiet around here for now.  He's trying to decide if he wants to play baseball or soccer in the spring and is working on earning the money he needs to pay for his half.  Ty works so hard and I am so proud of him.

Too Perfect

I don't know how to share this story without crying.  And it's not really even my story to tell- except it was a part of our lives... which makes it a part of our story- and that's what my blog is all about.  It's about us.  All of us.  

My brother and sister in law recently had quadruplets.  Four gorgeous, healthy babies.  Until one of them wasn't.  The littlest girl, Lexi, suffered from a brain bleed and passed away this last week.  And I have never before experienced grief so raw.  Not just my own- but in watching my brother and his wife...  We suffered because they suffered.  

I have encountered and suffered through some pretty intense experiences in my 31 years- and I have wanted to take pain away from my babies when I saw them hurt- but I have never wanted so badly to take away such emotional anguish.  

I sat and watched my brother and sister in law struggle with this and I have come away with so much awe.  I could never have handled the situation the way that they did.  They are such rocks and have such strength in each other and so much trust in the Lord and His plan.  I am in, well... awe.  

We attended the funeral for baby Lexi this weekend, and laid to rest a body of someone that was too perfect for this world.  I look forward to the time when we will meet again and I will get a chance to get to know my niece and to know her purpose on the other side of the veil.  Love you baby girl.

I'm a Big Girl Now

Remember that old Pull Ups commercial?  Where the little kid would sing about how big he/she was because she/he was using the potty?  We have reached that day.  It was kind of bittersweet.  Okay- Shaun thought it was awesome.  I'm kind of on the fence.



Kate is officially a "Big Girl" now.  No more diapers.  Is my wallet happy?  Yes.  Is my purse happy that it doesn't have to haul around diapers any more?  Yes.  Is it awesome we can go anywhere now without a diaper bag.  Yes.  Am I sad that we have moved onto the Next Stage of parenting?  I don't know.  Yes.  I mean No.  I mean... see?  I'm so confused.

I love babies.  Babies are sweet and snuggly and they never ever talk back.  Ever.  They might squeal at you for a second- but all you have to do is give them a binky and all of a sudden you are best friends again.  I love babies.

I love kids.  Kids are hilarious and rambunctious and crazy.  You can take kids to the park and to the zoo and you can have halfway intelligent conversations with them.  They have opinions and personalities.  I love kids.

But am I ready to be the mom with kids and no babies?  I don't know.  I guess I don't have much choice... that's what I am now... But I wasn't quite ready to be there yet.  I wasn't quite ready to be done with having babies.  It just came so soon.  So maybe I'll hang onto a diaper... I'll just slip it into my purse- it doesn't take up that much room after all.

Nate and Newt

My kids have some super cute cousins.  But unfortunately, we don't get to see all of them that often.  Bummer.  We do however, get to see Cameron a lot (Dave's little boy). I was babysitting him the other night and he and Kate (who are the best of friends) were being total goobers.  There is really no other word for it. Whenever they see each other Cam will yell out (at the top of his lungs) "NATE"! He can't say Kate- so she has become Nate.  And when Kate see's Cam- she yells out (at the top of her lungs) "NEWT"! (this is a long story involving my husband- he can't see a person and NOT come up with a goofy nickname for them- poor Cam got hung with Newt).  And they do this over and over again.

Let me set the stage and you can see how my night went:

"NATE!"
"NEWT!"

Histarical laughter ensues.

"NATE!"
"NEWT!"

Histarical laughter ensues.

And on and on it goes.  So I pulled out the camera to catch Nate and Newt at their finest...

See?  I told you they were goobers.

Chomp Chomp

Well folks... we survived another trip to the dentist.  Whew.  Going to the dentist  un-nerves me a little sometimes.  I feel like if my kids have plaque or build up or something the dentist is going to think I'm a terrible mother.  And really- isn't that what all moms' fear?  The fact that someone else thinks we are a terrible mother?  It's stupid really.  Why do I care what a man (who I see twice a year) thinks about me?  I don't know.  But I do.

I came out looking awesome this time though.  No cavities!  And my kids were so proud.

When Dad is Away

Shaun went with my dad and my brother to a Utah basketball game the other night... which left me and the kids to our own devices for the evening.  I have to admit- I'm super lazy sometimes.  When it's just me and the kids- I sometimes have a really hard time mustering up the energy to cook any kind of meal.  I remember when Shaun was helping his dad out a couple summers ago- he would be gone for 3-4 days at a time and poor Ty and Ryan... they had oatmeal for dinner more times than I am proud of.  But sometimes it's just so easy to make something along those lines because there isn't a fight and it's just such a cinch.

Soo... we had pancakes.  But not just any pancakes... we had "Fancy" pancakes.  What's a fancy pancake you ask?  I'll tell you.  It is something so stupidly simple... even I am in awe I didn't come up with the idea sooner.

It's pancakes.  With fruit.  And chocolate chips.  And whatever other crap the kids want to put in them.  I let them decide.  And it was a huge hit.  They love me.  I'm super mom.  At least until bath-time.

BlueBird Day

My dad used to say that a lot.  Okay- really he still says it... but I mostly remember it from my childhood.  See- during the winter, Salt Lake gets inundated with a lot of smoggy days and the inversion gets so bad you can't see the mountains or the sky for weeks at a time.  It's kind of gross.  But every once in a while- my dad would take us out of school and drive us up the mountain to the ski resort where the sun would be shining and the weather would be absolutely gorgeous- he called them blue bird days.  And we would ski all day long.  I loved it.

And apparently my dad is set on spoiling the next generation with blue bird ski days.  We have had a really crappy inversion going on lately and he stole my boys and took them up skiing last Saturday.  My sister went with and came home with some GORGEOUS pictures of the outside world.



The boys had so much fun!

Sleeping Bag Beauty

One of the perks of Shaun's current job is his ability to get great outdoor gear super cheap.  This has not helped our bank account.  I still love it though.  It's my favorite when I see him getting out of his car with a bag or a box in his hand with his latest "find."  The kids are as bad as I am at wanting to see what it is and who it is for.  

The last time- it was Kate's lucky day.  Shaun had found the cutest little pink sleeping bag for her.  She insisted in sleeping in it for a week straight.  

It was kind of nice for me though... no bed to make in the morning and no sheets to wash that week!  

I Hate Snow

I am a summer person.  Or even a spring or fall kind of gal.  Really- any season that does not involve snow- that's my kind of season.  I don't mind snow in the mountains- but I hate shoveling it.  I hate cleaning off my car.  I hate kicking wet snow off of my feet (and out of my shoes).  I don't care for driving in it- not because of the snow- but because of all the idiots that are on the road with me.

But Mother Nature apparently likes the snow.  She sent more our direction the last few weeks.  One storm- we had 24" in the front yard.  And the next one dumped 5".  I shouldn't complain- back East they had a storm yesterday that dumped 36".  But whatever.  Snow is snow and I don't like it.

My kids do though...

Jazzin' it up

Shaun got a pretty cool Christmas present from my parents this year... 4th row Jazz tickets!  I knew what he was getting before he did- so I cozened him into saying he would let me go with him before he knew what he had.  Bwahahaha (or some other evil sounding laugh)!  He kind of shook his head when he opened them and asked me who else he would have taken- which for a lesser person- would have made the swindling of my ticket somewhat forfeit.  Luckily for me- I'm not a lesser person.  I was still excited.  Any excuse for a date is a good excuse.

The evening of our BIG date came just a couple weeks ago... But naturally I forgot to charge my phone before we left- so I only have one picture of the game- and it didn't even have us in it.  I took the picture to post on facebook so my parents could see what great seats we had- with the intention of later taking a picture of Shaun and I actually at the game... but no dice.



I did however get a really great shot of the man's head in front of us...  Not so cool.

Pictures aside- we had a fun night.  We went to dinner downtown at PF Changs (they have a wonderful gluten free menu) and (again thanks to my dad) we had great parking- which was even better because it was FRIGID outside and walking around in it was the pits.

Thanks for taking me with you Shaun (even if you couldn't think of anyone else to take)!