February Miscellaneous 2020

Oh February, the shortest (but definitely the longest) month of the year.  We actually did okay this month - it helps when you spend the last week on vacation.  We had a few big moments, and then a lot of life moments along the way. 

Luke's class does a monthly weekly challenge where the goal is to read a book and then complete some type of book report project.  He has been really excited about the challenge, and wants to make sure he gets everything done for each month so he can earn an ice cream party in May.  For his January project, Luke was mostly concerned about getting it done quickly, and didn't quite do his best work.  When it came time to present to the class, he was embarrassed because he felt like all the other kids in his class had much better projects.  So, for February, he wanted to make sure his project was really great.  He read a Magic Tree House book about the Titanic, then got to work on a 3D puzzle of the ship.  He worked so hard on the ship and then we spent a lot of time setting up the rest of the diorama.  By the time he finished, he was so proud of what he had accomplished.  Apparently it was a huge hit in the second grade and Luke came home so happy with the class' reaction.  As his mama, I loved watching him work so hard to achieve a big goal.

Saturday afternoon outing to MooYah

The kids love the chalkboard, and we love the burgers.

The kids had a day off school and Tim appears to have gotten desperate to keep them entertained.  Ruby found this sweatshirt at Kohls and loved it so much that she spent her own money to buy the beauty. I kind of hoped it would be a short lived obsession, but it is still one of her favorites. 

These neighborhood gangs....forever my favorite!

Thanks Miss Nikki for the fancy hair!

These two are so strong!!  They put on their workout gear and come downstairs to lift weights and  jog on the treadmill.  I love that they watch Tim and I work out and want to follow our examples. 

Tim and Brycen keep trying to go hiking, but winter just doesn't want to cooperate.  They didn't get too far on this trail because it was so icy.  Eventually they gave up and headed to the movies. 

I went on a date with my mom to an Anderson & Roe concert at BYU.  When we bought the tickets I hadn't ever heard of them, but knew that she was excited so I agreed to go.  The day of the concert ended up being really busy and I started to regret the commitment, but quickly changed my mind once it started.  As a duo they were so dynamic and entertaining. It was a really fun date.

After way too many days without sunshine, Ruby took matters into her own hands and created her own beach vacation.  Did you notice Ken and Barbie lying on the towel next to her?  She joined them on their honeymoon...they had a great time swimming in the tub then "laying out" with their puppies. 

Tim got some last minute tickets and Luke and I were thrilled to go to another BYU basketball game.  Luke was shocked when I walked out in a BYU sweatshirt - the best part is that I've had it since I right before graduating from BYU.  The game was great, Luke has turned into the best little sports buddy...I see a lot more of these games in our future.

In early February my Aunt Marcia (my mom's brother Gary's wife) passed away after a long illness.  Even though she had been suffering, I was really sad for her family to lose her.  During the time she has been sick, my Uncle Gary has been slowly deteriorating.  He is 12 years older than my mom and in the past few years, that age gap has definitely been noticeable.  Uncle Gary had been in a care center rehabbing from a broken femur, but they were able to bring him to the funeral.  For most of the time he seemed pretty vacant, which made sense as he was mostly deaf and blind, and struggling mentally and physically.  But, my mom and Aunt Marlene have always brought out the best in him.  While at the luncheon, they got together for a photo and it turned out to be the sweetest shot of these three siblings.  This picture ended up being even more precious as Uncle Gary followed his wife and ended up passing away on February 29th.  What a difficult time for his family - I'm so glad my mom could be a support to them throughout all of the difficulties.  Seeing them both pass within such a short period of time has definitely reminded me of how lucky I am to have my parents. 

Let Me Call You Sweetheart 2020

Without a beach vacation planned this year, it seemed like February might be long and dark and a little tough to bear.  I forget though how hard it is to be down when Luke and Ruby are near.  They get so excited about every holiday and we ended up spending the month crafting, creating, and celebrating love.  The fun started with a trip to Home Depot to make the cutest Valentines craft.  Luke and Ruby have gotten so good at painting and hammering that Tim and I mostly just hang out and supervise.  I loved that their creativity really showed  in their finished projects.

We decided to prepare early for Valentines parties.  Luke and Ruby helped me put together their Valentines to exchange, and we spent an afternoon making their boxes.  Having Luke's buddy here definitely made it feel like a party and the boys loved having matching boxes.  

The morning of Valentines, both kids woke up early, excited about the holiday and all of the fun parties and plans.  Tim and I got them each some little Valentines surprises and of course, they though everything was awesome - especially the Andes Mints.  Tim made heart shaped pancakes which was the perfect way to start the day.

Of course, I got the most beautiful flowers.

I went to Luke's school and helped with their class party - decorating sugar cookies was definitely a hit.  Ruby hung out with me at the party until I realized her kindergarten had already started and quickly rushed her to class.  After school the kids loved showing off their loot and telling us all about their favorite valentines and how much fun they had at school.  My mom and dad are so sweet, they came over and hung out with the kids so that Tim and I could have a night out.  Dinner and a movie may not seem very original, but for us, it was a fantastic date.

Snow Days

It have been a weird winter for snow...we had a good storm for Christmas and then almost nothing since.  Despite the minimal snow, the kids actually had their first official snow day which was super ironic.  During the first week of February there was a Monday where the forecast had called for blizzard like conditions with several feet of accumulation.  When I woke that morning and headed to the gym, I was surprised to only see a skiff of snow.  So I was pretty confused when I got a call from the school district announcing that school was closed for the day due to weather.  We are still not quite sure who made that decision.  The kids were excited for an unexpected holiday, but a little bummed that they couldn't go sledding or build any snowmen. 

Luckily the kids got a "do-over" the next week when the long hoped for storm finally arrived.  As soon as Luke and Ruby got home from school they put on their snow clothes and spent all afternoon outside building a giant fort.  They were so proud and begged to spend the night outside.  Most of the snow was gone by the next day, but the fort stuck around for a week or two. 

The weird weather continued throughout February and the kids were never quite sure which season to expect.  We had sunny days with snow on the ground, and warm days that looked super cold.  This month we have definitely learned about layering our clothes, and being prepared for anything.