33

I turned the big 33 this year. We celebrated all weekend.
On Friday: Livvy and I went and got Manicures. Then Friday Evening we took the kids out to eat and then went to Yogurt Bliss and got frozen yogurt.  It is a self serve place where you choose your flavors and toppings. 

Saturday: Jeremy and I went to Salt Lake to a restaurant called the Roof. It was very nice and had this for a spectacular view. Afterward Jeremy and I just sat for about an hour enjoying the view and talking.

Sunday: The kids brought me breakfast in bed with cinnamon rolls and strawberries. Then they brought me some presents. I got this really great big blanket from the kids.  It is big enough to fit me and all three kids under it.  Plus I had roses waiting for me on the table.  Garrett gave me this sweet note. 

Jenn came over and gave me a massage for my birthday and then we finished off the day with Cheesecake. 

*Plus I had cheesecake for breakfast this morning. : )   It is nice to have a birthday.

Another Basketball Star

We have had this little basketball hoop for along time. Devin pulled it out the other day and started to shoot baskets. He was pretty excited each time he made one.

Slam Dunk!

Funny Story: Devin was shooting the ball and then decided to give the ball to Jeremy. He gave the ball to Jere and then he turned the thing so that it was facing him and then he moved it really close to him and said, "Now you can make it."

Flowers for Me

For Valentine's Day these are the flowers that Jere brought home for me. They still look pretty. I love getting flowers.

Fancy Dining

We celebrated Valentine's a little late and went to what I would call a  fancy restaurant called Flemings in Salt Lake. We enjoyed our fancy dinner.   We love the Food Network and watching them prepare fancy dishes but we have never really had a fancy dinner.   It was fun and exciting.   We both tried things we had never had before.   Between courses the waitress would come and wipe off the crumbs from our table.  They gave us black napkins because we were wearing darker clothes.   There were lots of wines to choose from.  She had to go and ask the bartender if they made any specialty drinks without alcohol.  

Delicious bread with some fantastic spreads.

Roasted pear and candied walnut salad with vinaigrette

Roasted  BBQ Pork Shank with mashed sweet potatoes.

Chocolate Mousse Cake with cashew brittle and a vanilla bean sauce.

Jeremy's meal consisted of a beef briquette with ratatouille.  He also had the same salad and dessert I did. (We didn't drink the wine). 

This isn't something we would do very often but it sure was fun.   Our  rebate from my new phone paid for this dinner so it felt like we got this dinner for free. : )

Tents

The kids downstairs made a pretty massive mess tent. They like to make tents and then have sleepovers in the tents over the weekends.

They discovered the pull out bed in the couch.

Pretty creative way to get the tent to stay up.  But we made them take it down.

"Making the tent"

Also a good place for all of their stuffed animals.

Olivia took the picture or the tents because she wanted me to see them.

New Accessory

Emily sent me this new cane for my birthday. Since the doctor wants me to use it for about 6 more months she thought it would come in handy. It looks like it has a foot on it and it has a lot of tread on it. The cane is a little heavier and seems to give me better traction so that I don't slip as much. So far I like it. Just wish I didn't need it.

Loosing a Tooth

Garrett has had his front tooth wiggly for a month. He would hardly ever wiggle it and not let anyone else touch it. Yesterday at school he was eating Pizza when he noticed that his tooth was gone. Luckily it was on his pizza and he didn't swallow it. He brought it home in a small treasure chest box. The tooth fairy brought him a dollar in change. Isn't he so cute (minus the runny nose)

Super Heroes

For Family Home Evening yesterday we did a special Valentines lesson. After school I had the kids decorate a pillowcase with hearts and another picture for "a cape" then we colored masks.

We started by reading Scripture: John 13: 34-35 (about loving one another) Then for the lesson we watched a clip of the Incredibles and then we talked about how we could be a Super Family too with Super Powers if we showed the "Power of Love" for each other. That when you love someone you spend time with them, you help them, you are kind to them, you are nice to them etc.

We then gave examples and asked the kids what super power they could use

examples:
If mom is doing dishes: The Power of Helping
If Dad reads with you: The Power of Reading
If Olivia helps Garrett when he is sick: The Power of Caring
If Garrett says something nice to his sister: The Power of Kindness


Then they got to run around with their capes and masks on. At one point we turned off the lights and turned on the lasers which made it more fun. It was a fun Family Home Evening. Then for the treat we had chocolate covered strawberries.

Heroes

Happy Valentine's Day

Last night we made a special Valentine Dinner with Turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green beans. Then for desert I made chocolate chip cookies in heart shapes.

Then this morning the kids got up and we had a small surprise for them.  We got Livvy and Devin Pillowpets and Garrett a new Webkinz since he got a Pillowpet for his birthday.

Devin was running around the living room pretending his pillow pet had wings and was flying.

They all think that their pillow pets are great and extra fluffy.

Then I made them cinnamon rolls for breakfast and frosted them with pink frosting.    I have a craft for them when they get home.  Valentines day is a fun day.

Gross

You know it has been too long since you cleaned out your fridge when you find a can of opened pineapple that has turned black! I think that can of pineapple was opened before Christmas. I know, yuck. It all started when I wanted an orange for breakfast. I went to the fridge to get one and some the oranges had gone moldy. I pulled out all the oranges and saw orange slime in the bottom of the drawer. So I cleaned out the drawer. But when I was putting it back I noticed that the bottom of the fridge looked really gross. I asked Jeremy to come in and help me since I can't get on the floor very well. Well he cleaned the bottom of the fridge and decided that the shelf above it also looked gross so we cleaned off that shelf. So now we have a very clean fridge that we can find things in. Oh, I never did eat that orange for breakfast.

As we were cleaning out the fridge, We found 5 bags of tortillas, 3 big boxes of Velveeta, and 3 bags of shredded mozzarella all unopened. I go through these phases where I tend to buy a lot of the same thing. I guess now that I know they are in there I can stop buying them at the store each time I go.

Earthquakes

Yesterday evening at around 7:40 p.m. our entire house started shaking. I was in the living room and Jeremy was in the back bedroom and the kids downstairs. I heard a loud noise and the house was shaking. Jeremy and I both felt it but the kids didn't. It only lasted for about 3 seconds but it was a little crazy. Nothing fell or broke. I had never felt something like that before. In the news it said it was 2.5 earthquake that happened about a mile from our house. So I guess those Earthquake drills that they have at school really are necessary.

Sunday night at around 2:30 in the morning apparently there was another one that registered a 2.8. I remember waking up at 2:30 but don't remember feeling the shaking. That is 2 earthquakes close to the same spot in 2 days. Crazy.

So again at 6:13 on Sunday Feb. 13th we were all in the kitchen eating cookies when we heard the noise and the house started shaking again. Jack was barking like crazy and the chain on the light above the table was shaking. So glad it was small. We looked it up it was a 2.8 again. We hope there is not a big one coming.

Here is a map of where the earthquakes are happening:
http://www.seis.utah.edu/req2webdir/recenteqs/Maps/112-41.html

One Little Piggie

Devin learned how to make these great snorting noises. He can make them quite loud. I'm not sure how he actually makes those sounds.

Another Doctor's Appointment

Yesterday I had a CT done on Monday and went to to see the Doctor again today and got more x-rays taken.

My CT came back clean and the x-ray showed that the cancer didn't come back. But the x-ray showed no new growth since October. The crack is still there. He said I just needed more time. I really dislike that phrase. I asked him about the pain his reply, "You've been through a lot." He asked me how active I was. I told him I have 3 kids and I teach everyday. His reply was that, " I needed to either go back to physical therapy or find time where I can walk in the pool, ride the exercise bike, or walk on the tread mill to help strengthen the leg." Much easier said than done. When I wake up in pain, come home from work in pain, the last thing I want to do is cause myself more pain. He wants me to stay on the cane for a little while longer at least until spring because I limp when I walk. He said to come see him again in six months. So frustrating and disappointed. He then said his hope was that by August when I am supposed to see him again I will be better.  August seems like a long ways away.

So here is the newest x-ray.  With no change! So depressing!

Winter Storm

Today out of nowhere we got hit with a winter storm. The weather this morning was chilly but it looked like it would be a nice day. Around 4:00 today the wind started howling and the snow started coming down hard. The lights started flickering. I was so glad that I was back from the Doctor's visit. I was wishing that Jere didn't have to drive home in this storm. We are actually under a storm warning now until 4 am tomorrow morning predicting 5-10 inches of snow.

Garrett at one point says, "I hope Dad gets home soon."

Devin then climbs onto the chair puts his hands against the window pane that is shaking from the wind and yells, "Wind Go Away, My daddy is coming home."
It is so sweet to see that they are concerned about their dad.

Most of the snow in our yard was gone before today. What you are seeing here is about 20 minutes after the storm started.

Look closely and you can see the snow coming down in the background.

Though with all the snow our little bush looks amazing.

 

 

 

Hopefully most of it is gone tomorrow. I get really nervous with snow and ice and walking. I am paranoid of falling and re-injuring myself.

Make that Shot

Garrett still loves basketball. In his game on Saturday he played really well.  He got the ball once and almost made it during the game.  But here he is during the half time shooting and him making one.  He looks so happy.  He gets a little tired by the end of the game and stops trying but I am so glad he likes basketball.  He looks forward to the practice and the games.  The games last about an hour.

FLOP

We did the Rock Candy experiment again and it was very disappointing. We changed a few things from the last time hoping for better crystals but we didn't get them
As you can see there was crystallization on the top of the glasses but no crystals formed on the string this time. However this did not deter the kids. They went and got a spoon and ate the crystals off the top.

An Atypical Morning

Usually in the morning there is a lot of stress. Finding backpacks, shoes, packing lunches, getting dressed, eating breakfast etc. There is usually one kid that isn't ready all the way when it is time to go. Then sometimes it ends with me yelling at the kids because we are late. Well one morning last week it was different. All the kids were ready, and playing with no fighting or arguing. It made the start of the morning so much nicer. I have no idea what the difference was but it was great. I wish this week would have started off that well as well. This morning one kid couldn't find his shoes, another kid forgot to feed the dog. So the chaos begins again.

Garrett was getting his reading done for the day.

Devin was playing with one of his birthday presents. I don't usually put Devin's shoes on until we are about ready to leave or he will take them off. 

Olivia was just sitting in the floor bouncing the ball.

Garrett's Conversation with Grandma Doolittle

I was talking to my mom and Garrett wanted to talk to her. Here is their conversation. I think it is pretty funny and Grandma got a good laugh too.
Grandma: How's school?
Garrett: I didn't go to school today. It is Sunday.
Grandma: What did you eat for lunch today?
Garrett: Cheetohs and Chips
Grandma (sarcastically): That sounds healthy
Garrett: No, not really
Grandma: Why don't you eat healthy food?
Garrett: Because I don't like that kind of food.
Grandma: You like apples.
Garrett: Yeah, but I had one of those yesterday.

He can be such a funny kid but he doesn't want you to laugh at him because he isn't trying to be funny.

Here's Wishing

It has been really cold here the past couple of weeks. So cold your fingers feel frozen by the time you walk from your car into a building. We have had inside recesses all week.
My sitter sent me this picture of Devin and her little girl. So here's wishing for Summer when you can go swimming, play outside, eat Popsicles. But we are a far way from from that. So hopefully that Groundhog was right yesterday and spring is coming soon.

Has to get used somehow

The Iron at our house is rarely used. I really dislike ironing. Well Garrett got melty beads for his birthday. The beads can be used to make designs or objects. the kids have been having fun making these creations. You make the design and then using your iron and ironing paper (I didn't even know ironing paper existed) and melt the beeds together. Olivia made the ones in this picture. Garrett took and hid his before I could get a picture.

So these melty beads are giving our iron some use.