Valentine's Day

This year for Valentine's Day we invited some friends over to decorate sugar cookies.  It was fun, and we had a big turnout, which is great, except Logan gets a little overwhelmed when people come over and play with his stuff.  He got over it though, especially since everyone eventually left.  I don't think he's much of a people person, at least with large crowds of people.  

The day before the party, Evan and Logan helped me cut out sugar cookies.  The first batch took forever with their help.  After they "helped", I put on a movie to distract them a little bit more, so I could finish cutting the hearts out faster.  

''helping''

Logan has been very enthusiastic about helping me cook and bake

They also got a Valentine's Day package from nana and papa.  Logan was super excited about the Rocket valentine's day card from my parents.

Evan also got a Valentine's Day card and candy (along with Sadie, who was still napping).  This face though.  I swear this kid has the greatest smile when he doesn't make strange faces.

Some of the kids decorating cookies.

Some more kids.

Sadie just really wanted to eat her cookie.

Logan concentrating on something.  Next to him are Sarah and Miriam.

Sadie enjoying her cookie by completely stuffing it in her face.

I love Sarah's face here.  

Logan concentrating on decorating his cookie.

I had a lot of fun.  I do love hosting people over, and especially for little preschool parties like this.  Poor Evan missed all the fun because he was at school, where he had his very own party and a valentine exchange with his class.  He was even lucky because Rick doesn't have class on Fridays this quarter, so he had Daddy come in and help with his party.  I gathered that he was very happy to see Rick once he realized that he was there.  (Nobody ever said that Evan wasn't oblivious on occasion).  

On Friday night, we went out to eat at Applebee's.  Rick's sister Leslie sent us a gift card, and since we didn't know when the next time we would be able to get out as just the two of us, we decided to take the kids.  I've been craving fish and chips for about 2 months now, and I ordered that.  The only problem was that as soon as I had one bite of it, I was completely satisfied and remembered how greasy fish and chips are. I couldn't finish the rest, it was too much.  

We spent Saturday grocery shopping, including getting all the stuff for our Valentine's Day dinner on Sunday night.  And then Saturday night, we just hung out with the kids and went to bed pretty early.  

On Sunday, we went to church and I was released as the primary president in our ward.  It's definitely been a great experience, and it's been bittersweet dealing with it.  But, I know that it will be okay.  Honestly, I just really love the primary and I love to serve, so being without a calling after putting so much time and effort into one is a little hard to grasp.  I have been planning on relaxing a bit and trying to catch up on some stuff around the house (and this blog) that have been neglected.  

On Sunday evening, it started snowing again.  Rick and I decided that for Valentine's Day this year, we would make sushi!  We have always wanted to try and we decided that both of us were smart enough, and there were several tutorials online, and youtube videos that we could figure it out.  We also made gyoza which is our favorite appetizer to order when we get sushi.  I also made "candy sushi" for dessert for us and the kids.  The kids ended up eating lunchables because we didn't get around to rolling the sushi until after their bedtime.  It was a bit of a process, with a lot of little things to do.  We did a shrimp tempura roll, because I won't eat raw sushi while I'm pregnant.  So that added another element of cooking.  

Rick rolling the sushi.

With all the stuffing for the rolls.

candy sushi, shrimp tempura rolls, pork gyoza

They didn't turn out pristine or anything, but they sure tasted good and they looked enough like sushi to me.

The sushi candy that the kids weren't quite sure about. 

Pork gyoza.  It was so much fun to make these.  And they tasted so very good.

Me and Rick selfie.  

I'm so grateful for Rick and everything that he does for our family.  We had such a great Valentine's Day.  I'm glad that he always likes to try to learn new things and is willing to do dates from home as it's so hard to get out with our kids a lot of the time.  

Back Yard Snow Fun

It snowed a couple of times last week.  I think I jinxed us with the whole "we're having a really mild winter so far.  I love it."  Someone in the ward told me, "It's coming. And it will last later."  I hope that's not right.  At the moment I'm kind of mad at Phil the groundhog for not seeing his shadow.  Way to bring up my expectations that our mild winter was indeed over already. 

Anyways, the first day it snowed last week, I was dying from the cold and told the boys that I couldn't go outside.  It was kind of a lie.  I just didn't want to.  The longer I live in Ohio, it seems the more I wimp out about going outside in the cold.  But in my defense, it really was cold.  Plus I had a doctor appointment that day and by the time that was over I was just completely wiped out. 

The next day when Evan came home from school, I told him to get his snow pants on.  It was probably record timing that he was already downstairs with snow pants on and snow boots in his hand.  Little Logan was already dressed and ready to get outside.  Reluctantly, I went out and took some really cute pictures and then hovered around the open door just watching them enjoy themselves.  

Poor Sadie doesn't like the snow that much, and was taking a nap in her warm crib while the boys were out playing.  I was kind of jealous of her. 

Our backyard. 

Evan worked on cleaning the car.

Logan with a cheesy face while throwing a snowball.  Throwing snowballs is his favorite thing in the world.

He also likes making snow angels.  He kind of looks the little brother in "A Christmas Story" here.

Another snowball. 

He also bullied Evan out of the car.  Can you tell who our "threenager" is?

Evan attempting to smile for the camera.  

He didn't get far on the bike.

Evan pushing the car through the snow.

Logan going down the slide.

Evan filling up his car with "gas" (the hose)

Logan just loves the snow.

We had a red snow marker that the boys had fun spraying all over the snow.  It looked like something died back there after they finished the bottle.

Recently Found Summer Pictures

So, there are from about 8 months ago!  I tend to take a lot of photos with my cellphone, but just last week I asked Rick, "Hey, don't we have a pretty decent point and shoot?"  We definitely do have a decent one.  So, we found it, charged up some batteries and discovered about 10-15 pictures from this summer that I forgot to post!

The first set are from the zoo.  We love the Columbus Zoo.  It's a big zoo, and it seems like our family tradition to go there every 4th of July weekend (when it's free admission for military and family).  It's always packed, but the boys like going to see the animals.  I think that Sadie was bored most of the time though.

This was Sadie's face the entire trip.  She wasn't enthusiastic at all. 

Rick and Logan.  Logan loved walking everywhere.  Evan was smart and wanted to hitch a ride.

Just eating his apple, in the stroller!  (lazy 5 year old)

Another expression that seems to sum up Sadie's attitude.

Rick pointing out turtles to Logan.

Logan and Daddy. 

The only time that Sadie really perked up, of course.

The next set of pictures was when we went to our friend's littlest boy's birthday party.  They are such a great family and the kids had so much fun playing at their house in the sand and water.  The great thing is that their three boys are all very close in age to our three kiddos.

Sadie is such a water baby. 

Evan and Logan in the sand with the birthday boy Andrew.

Sadie hoarding the toys.  Typical.

Check out Logan and Shawn pointing water guns at each other.  It's so funny seeing those two interact in Sunbeam class too. 

More water fights.

Sadie found the sand. 

What?  Who?  Me?

2016 Thus Far

We've had a pretty calm January.  After all the craziness of a cancelled flight and getting home, we decided that we are never flying anywhere again if it's not on the military's dime and we weren't going to do anything but really stay at home in January.

And for the most part, we've done that.  We're kind of homebodies.  Things got a little crazy in primary as we prepared for the new year too.  My sweet little Logan is now a Sunbeam and Evan is in CTR 6, the big kid class in Junior Primary.

And then school started up for both Rick and Evan, and we just sort of settled back into our routine. School, ABA therapy, and Speech/OT were all started up again.  I had to go to the doctor for my routine appt and they couldn't find the heartbeat of the baby on the doppler.  What a stinker.  So, she had to bring in a handheld ultrasound and I got to see the heartbeat.  Blah.  That was seriously a stressful few minutes.

And then I got sick.  And, it might be because I am pregnant, but it was one of those horrible colds that turns into a cough, awful sore throat and sinus drainage, and I couldn't shake it at all.  The coughing was so bad, that I would start puking.  I didn't even puke in my first trimester.  (I was just nauseated constantly).  We even ended up buying a humidifier for our room.

I ended up going to Urgent Care.  I switched to Tricare Standard to go to a different Dr and hospital to have this baby and I couldn't get into a family doctor.  The Urgent Care doc told me that I had respiratory infection (duh) and a bad sinus infection.  They swabbed me for Strep and it came back negative, but I left the Urgent Care with a prescription for antibiotics.  My second day of taking those and I immediately felt better.  It was a really nasty infection and I am very glad that it is done with.  Hopefully I don't get too many more infections or colds like that.

Since Rick is the Assistant Cubmaster and I'm in primary, we went to the Lego Car Derby.  The boys had so much fun making their own cars.  Unfortunately they weren't able to race them on the derby track because they didn't have the right wheels and axles.  There were some tears (from a lot of kids--it was a long meeting and way past everyone's bedtimes), but I think overall everyone had a fun night.

We also only had 2 snow days!  2!  That's a miracle for here in January.  We had a couple of 2 hour delays as well, but the weather so far has been so mild.  There were way more cancellations last year and the year before it seemed.

Anyways, we really haven't done too much.  Part of that is Rick and I have really started to take a hard look at our finances.  I finally caved in and bought Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and he has some really great advice in it.  Rick and I are really trying to cut down on our spending, especially going out to eat which is so easy to do when you're out and about for appointments all the time (cough Evan's fault cough).  Anyways, it's working out pretty well for us.  We knew that Rick was making plenty of money for our needs, we just need to work on paying off all our debt.

Now, it's random pictures from January.  I really didn't take too many since I wasn't feeling very well for about 3/4 of the month.

Oh yeah, and we bought a 40 lb turkey from our friends that raise them.  No, I didn't know it was going to be 40 lbs, but it was so good.  We have enough turkey frozen for the next three months. 

I've been craving watermelon like nobody's business.  But, a little guy likes to come and steal some from me whenever I want to sit and eat some.  

One of our Snow day activities was painting.  Evan go this piggy bank to paint from his Aunt Sarah.  He was doing well until he tried the eyes.  And now he just looks completely possessed.  Freaky.

Sadie insisted on wearing this oven mitt the other day while eating dinner. 

This picture is just a couple of days ago.  After we picked up Evan from school, I had to run up a check to his ABA therapy office which is about 15 minutes out of the way.  These two were exhausted from a trip to Hobby Lobby earlier that morning with friends.