Valentines 2019

It's the end of February already so I finally decided that I should take down my Valentines Day decorations, and work on a recap of our holiday.  We have had a great month, full of plenty of love. On Monday we started getting ready for the parties by putting together the Valentines for Luke and Ruby to take to class.  They each signed their name on the cards and then got to staple the prize and the treat together.  Their faces may not show it, but they were pretty excited about how they looked.

We found out the week before Valentines that Luke's class would be making bags in class, so he didn't need to make a Valentines box.  Initially I was relieved because I am not great at helping with these kinds of projects.  But then I realized that if Ruby was making a box, Luke would for sure want to do one as well.  I bought the boxes pre-made and then the kids had the best time decorating. 

I really don't consider myself creative or crafty, but somehow I have turned into the mom that makes a big deal over every holiday and the smallest occasions.  I had bought a few little surprises over the past few months and was really excited to put everything together.  Luke and Ruby get so happy over the smallest things, and they were just as excited over their Valentines Day treats as I expected.

Grandpa and Grandma Whitesides had sent stuffed animals for the occasion, so the morning was pretty much perfect with plenty of laughs and loves. 

Luke and Ruby are just so easy to love so a day dedicated to reminding them how we feel was fantastic.  In between candies and parties, Ruby kept telling me how much she loves Jesus and that Valentines is a very special day because it reminds all of us that we should love him too.  Amazing!

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I got of the kids' class parties but they both had a great time at school and came home overly sugared and super excited about the day.  Within a very short time they had all of their valentines sorted and had even done a little trading to get the best candy.  Ruby actually got to go to both Baby Bulldogs and Mrs. Stephanie's so she had a full day of parties. 

This popped up on my Facebook feed and it hurt my heart just a little.  I absolutely love Luke's age and stage right now, but sometimes I just really miss that cute little baby boy.

About 20 years ago, while living together in Tonga, Kimi became one of my very closest friends.  She is still one of my very favorite people even though we rarely get to see each other.  Her son is here in Provo going to BYU and when she texted me Valentines morning to ask if I could help get him a Valentine's Day treat, I was more than happy to help.  Tim and the kids wanted a little field trip so we all headed out later that afternoon to pick up some snicker-doodles and a pizza.  He is such a cute kid and I loved being able to see him, and spread a little love for my Kimi. 

January Miscellaneous 2019

January was long...and cold...and we were restless...and got a little bit of cabin fever...sometimes it felt like January would last forever...but despite the gloom we still found plenty of reasons to smile and be grateful for the family we have and the life we live.

Luke celebrated the 100th day of school with his class.  I love how much he has learned this year - his reading has completely taken off and he constantly amazes me with the words he knows.  He has great friends in his class and several cute little crushes.  Luke is very particular about what he wears and plays with his hair constantly.  And those little freckles across his nose...my absolute favorite! 

Ruby found a dance costume I wore when I was a little girl.  For the past month she has been obsessed with the costume and wears it constantly.  When she first put it on I had a moment of panic and considered not letting her play with it because I didn't want it ruined.  Then I realized that after being packed away for 40 years without a dancer in sight, there is no better option than to let Ruby wear it.  She has found so much joy dancing around the house and putting on shows.  The memories of watching her play are much more valuable than the costume could ever be.

Family date at the Nickel Cade

She loves her bed almost as much as she loves her pets and her dolls.

This is her second favorite pig...thanks Erika for the Christmas gift.

Crazy Hair Day - I think we nailed it!

This neighborhood crew roams from house to house.

Jewelry by Pop Beads.

Sometimes winter isn't quite so bad.

Go Team!

Most days Ruby loves to go to the daycare at the gym.  She loves to do the crafts and learn a little sign language, but apparently that isn't the only perk of the gym.  She told me yesterday that she had two boyfriends there, one is named Georgie who is four or three or two, and she doesn't know the other boy's name, but he is her boyfriend too.  I'm not sure if the boys are in on the crushes yet.

Tim and the kids slaved all day to make our favorite German meal.  Homemade schnitzel, rotkohl, and spaetzle with gravy.  They were so sweet and even made a separate gluten free version of everything.  The meal is super labor intensive, but so delicious.  The is was the first time that Luke and Ruby really ate the meal and other than the cabbage, they loved it. 

Luke and Ruby completely worship their big brother.

You sunk my battleship

The game is just as fun now as it was 30 years ago.

Remember what I said about how he loves his hair...

The prettiest princess party.

Ruby was so happy to have her friend Afton come over to play.

Just dreaming about our next pool day.

We have a serious case of spring fever over here

When you only have one scooter, the only option is to share.

On cold winter afternoons we have to get a little creative to keep the neighborhood entertained.  I had bought a kit with masks and stickers a few years ago on clearance and randomly found them at the perfect time.  The kids all had so much fun making the masks and then were ready to play superheroes.  Luckily we have enough capes to outfit our own little superhero army.

Luke was so excited to be invited to his friend Chance's birthday party at the ninja warrior playground.  Chance is a few years older and all the boys in the neighborhood totally look up to him so it was great for Luke to be included.  I drove a few of the boys and got to watch some of the fun.  They all had a great time at the facility, but said that their favorite part was going to McDonalds - apparently Chance's dad let them all order shakes and fries and they thought that was so cool.  

Tim's visit to Kaysville was rewarded with an awesome sunset. 

This picture represents nearly every day of these cute girls' lives

Luke got a new feather comforter and couldn't be happier about it.

We ended the month by going to craft night at the library for Family Night.  The kids made snow flakes with beads and I loved seeing how much their creations reflected their individual personalities.

I had to have a gum graft where they took a graft off the roof of my mouth and patched up my front gums.  It was extremely painful and took well over a month before I was even close to feeling better.  I'm really not sure where this picture belongs in the recap, and it is definitely not fit to publish, but I did want to document the rough patch.