Super Bowl Sunday
Febuary 2, 2014
We spent the Super Bowl with a dear friend of ours, Reed Nixon. Shawn is his home teacher and has had the opportunity to get to know him. Reed is amazing! He became a quadraplegic after breaking his neck in a car accident. Shawn and Reed get together and talk sports. We thought there was no better person to spend the Super Bowl with than Reed and his family. The kids were great and the food was yummy. Just wish the game would've been better!
Perfect Piggy
So there is a cute story behind these pictures. Lanie hasn't pulled her piggy bank out much since she potty trained. Well, one day, she was begging to go to Chuck-E-Cheese's. I wanted her to understand that outings have to be earned, so I pulled out her piggy bank. I said, "If we there is $10.00 in your piggy bank, then we can go to Chuck-E-Cheese's." We spent the next little bit sorting and counting the money, which was actually very fun for the kids. Our final count was $10.35 which meant one happy little girl. I know she didn't totally understand this whole process, but it was so cute to watch her excitement as she realized that we had enough money to fulfill her request. Thank you Piggy for holding the PERFECT amount to make a little girl's day!
Unforgettable Moment
On Wednesday night of February 5th, I got a dreaded phone call from my mom. I answered to hear my mom say, "Anna something terrible has happened. Angela died!" (I get a pit in my stomach even writing this) I accepted the news and calmly asked what I should do. My mom asked me to call my Aunt Pam (Angela's mom) and find out what she needed. Pam was hysterical and not in a position to talk but her friend Christine, offered up some advice. Since we had just had a foot of snow drop that day, I couldn't safely get up to Vermont immediately, so the next morning, I packed up the kids and made the 2 1/2 hour drive up to see Pam and Anthony. I am so glad we spent the day up there and that my kids could offer some grief relief. In that time, my mom arranged to fly out and offer her help.
So my mom got here on Saturday morning. She settled in, then on Sunday after church, we headed back up to Springfield, VT together. Pam was so relieved to have my mom there. And so was I.
Gayle met us in Springfield, and we stayed at a God-Forsaken Bed and Breakfast. It was cold, smelly, and mysterious. Two nights there was enough for us! I was kind of a mess, so I made Shawn come up early and stay with us. He compared the place to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Quite the memorable experience!
The viewing and funeral services were really good. It was incredibly hard to see Ang initially cause I just wish we could've helped her more. But I realize and know that she is in a safer, better place with those whom she missed and loved.
Shawn conducted the funeral and dedicated the grave. It was his first experience doing this and he did a wonderful job. I am so grateful for his composure and Priesthood worthiness and I know others felt peace because of it.
As if all of this wasn't overwhelming enough, when we went to pick up Shawn's car at the hotel, before the luncheon, the battery was dead. We tried charging it (keep in mind it was only 5 degrees outside....SO COLD) and what happened? Our cars started on fire! Terrifying! Shawn got the jumper cables off as quickly as he could, threw them in the snow, and put out the fire. He stayed behind and called road side service for help and sent me to the luncheon with the kids. They took care of him and he made it to the luncheon shortly after me. We left that afternoon to come back to Massachusetts. What a whirlwind!
Bad News = Good News
We got home on Tuesday night so my mom could fly out on Wednesday. But since the week was going so unconventionally, my mom of course was not able to fly out on Wednesday. We got snowed in and her flight was canceled. This was no bad news, at least not for us. It meant NANA TIME!
EcoTarium
We took Nana to our Wednesday storytime at the EcoTarium.
We got to meet a live snake that day.
And who doesn't need Chuck-E-Cheese's after meeting a snake.
Nana took us for a fun Valentine's outing at Chuck's E's.
Made for a lot of smiles!
We love Nana JoJo!!!
My mom was delayed and stranded here till Friday or maybe Saturday (we didn't mind though), then she sat at the airport till they got her out. She needed to get home to make it to Chris' in St. George by Sunday to watch his kids while they went on vacation. Traveling Nana!!!
Preschool
Lanie has been part of a fun little Joy School rotation this year. She has really developed through it, it's been amazing to watch. We are so grateful for her school friends: Sadie, Sage, and Sydney. Lanie has loved their moms, her teachers, Miss Shelly and Miss Valerie.
On my week of the rotation we did the letters "T" and "U". For T, they learned about all the different kinds of Transportation: air, ground, and water. They did a matching game and we built a driving range with pillows and masking tape. They were darling zooming around.
For the letter "U" they learned about the United States of America and practiced writing U-S-A. These are 4 very smart little girls.
Field Trip
Part of our rotation is Field Trips. Two times each month we take the kids on field trips. We found a place in Hudson called the Roller Kingdom that teaches roller skating lessons for $5 per session. Shawn came along for some extra hands. The girls were nervous at first, but by the end, they were really getting the hang of it. Mav was adorable in his skates but was not a big fan of the whole adventure.
"Tallest Tower in the World"
Because this is what he really likes to do. Build Towers!!! It is so fun watching Mav play at the Lego Table that Santa built. This kid is such a boy!!!
And Lanie is such a girl! She is sweet, emotional, thoughtful, and intense. One day she will make a great mama. I love watching her innate nurturing skills. This was a sweet moment!
Olaf???
Well, we sure didn't have a deficit of snow this winter. You will notice that most of the pictures in this post are indoors. That is because we were snowed in most of the month. One day, when I was sick of being inside and during Mav's nap, I took Lanie out to get some fresh air. We built this snowman. You'll never guess what Lanie named it....
Happy Valentine's Day
The kids' Valentine's Lunch consisted of our usual Peanut Butter Sandwiches which were "magically" cookie cut into hearts. Add some red sprinkles and voila! I am made to look like the coolest mom ever! We kept Valentine's VERY simple this year!
Disney On Ice
Happy Valentine's Day a week late!!!
Maybe we are creating a tradition. Year two of giving my family Disney on Ice tickets for V-Day. Got the tickets for free with the Simon Gift Card Promo. I felt happy about that! Fun family time!
What's a boy without his tools???
Mav found our stash of tools under our bed and he couldn't have been happier!!
"Coo-Jiveh"
Join the Inside Joke
So Shawn and I have an ongoing joke that he should NEVER bring home grocery store flowers that are still in their plastic wrap with the price tag on them. I find them thoughtless, desperate, and cheap (maybe that is harsh and jerkish, but it's how I feel). Anyhow, since we had that conversation, we've made fun of it and he often comes home with grocery store flowers still in their plastic with the price tag on just to make me laugh. I love him!!! But this particular day, to prove a point, Shawn walked in from work, went straight to Lanie, and gave her some grocery store flowers (and Super Why cereal). This girl couldn't have been happier and felt more loved. So honey, you proved your point, hun!!!
Game Night
Our friends, the Ramsey's, invited us over for Sunday dinner and games. They have kids the same ages as ours and so the kids played while we played. They introduced us to a fun game called Bausack (weird name). We love playing games, especially new ones! Lanie clearly made herself at home as she read on the potty while she did her business. The reason I took that picture is because the last time we were at their house for dinner Lanie was potty training. Now she is a potty going pro! Victory!!!
Library Day
Saturdays are library day with daddy!!!
Sand Play
Who needs playdoh when you have Swedish Sand. We love this play sand stuff that the kids got for Christmas. Has gotten us through a lot of snow days and is much easier to clean up than playdoh. The only problem is the kids try eating it. Foo!!
Best Daddy Award
Saying these kids love their daddy would be an understatement. He is so lucky to have them and they are so lucky to have him and I am so lucky to have them ALL.
Yellow Marshmallow
This kid hardly ever falls asleep in the car, but who can't resist a good snooze when you're vest is like a pillow, packing you in your carseat? He was stuffed into the buckle and passed out!!! All sprawled!
The "Different" Library
Tuesday mornings, Hudson Library has Laptime where the kids go and get music and stories. They are both old enough now to interact at the class. It's really cute. But more exciting than the class are the computer learning games for Lanie and the train table for Maverick. Mav hoards all of the train cars and lines them up along the track. He prefers no one to bother his routine. You know, we usually go to the Northborough Library because it's just around the corner, but on occasion we take the 15 minute drive to this library, which the kids often request. It's their favorite and they call it the "Different" Library to make sure we know which library they want. I like going there too; it's on the lake and in an OLD building. It's awesome!
We Love Our Son
There is just something special about a mother/son relationship. I just adore this little guy! He is the happiest two-year-old around!
Happy Birthday Auntie Pam!!!
Auntie Pam's Birthday Banner!
You would never guess how hard it is to take just one good picture of two toddlers
next to a banner to wish someone a happy birthday.
Here is our process and grand attempts!
Snow....snow....and more snow!!!!
Yep this was pretty much the entire month!!! It made for an incredibly LONG depressing month. Our best efforts tried to have fun, but there were few days over 5 degrees the entire month.
It was bitterly cold AND snowy.
Top left: Parking lot full of cars. Being snowed in literally meant no one left the parking lot.
Top right: Snow plows couldn't keep up. Shawn driving behind them, trying to get home from one of the few days he went to work.
Bottom left: So much snow that the snow tractors in our complex got stuck. This tractor had to have another tractor come pull him out. It was ridiculous!
Bottom right: Me standing by the snow bank. They were as tall as me. Piles and piles of snow EVERYWHERE!
I love winter, but not this much winter. Give me snow in December and then go away. February is not the time to START winter!!! End rant!
Winter Escape
We needed some fun and we needed to get out of the house. So I planned a 24-hour getaway. We drove 2 1/2 hours to the White Mountain National Forest in Lincoln, NH. We got a hotel so we could do some swimming with the kids. It was delightfully fun!
The next morning we surprised the kids with Elsa and Olaf dolls, got them in their snow suits, and took them to see Elsa's Ice Castles at Loon Mountain Resort.
Before we went to the Ice Castles, we went on a hunt for Covered Bridges. We saw Albany, Sacco, and Bartlett Gift Shop Covered Bridges all built in the 1800s. We also stopped at a mom and pop cafe, Cabin Fever, for homemade pie and ice cream. Ended our adventure with lunch at Black Mountain Burger. The kids slept for most of our drive through the White Mountain National Forest which worked out perfectly cause then they were awake for the Ice Castles. Side note: I grew up with a mom who LOVED covered bridges. We did multiple puzzles growing up of covered bridges that she now has framed in her house. I now understand why. They remind her of New England and are beautiful tucked away in nature. Thanks mom for sharing your love of these with me. I love them too!
Ice Castles
When we were in Utah over Christmas, I heard about the ice castles in Midway. I really wanted to go see them, but it just didn't fit into our schedule. But when I had researched them, I noticed that there were 3 locations of the ice castles: Utah, Colorado, and New Hampshire. When we got home from our Utah trip, I made plans to go and see these with my little family. So here we are! Lanie loved the ice slide, Mav was afraid of the hanging icicles but loved the castles once it was dark and they were lit up. It was freakishly cold, but I am so glad we went. I love when we can take these quick and memorable getaways.
And I love my little crew!!!
February was such a bitter-sweet month. I am not going to lie, I was glad when it ended cause I knew it meant we were that much closer to warmer weather. Sunshine brings smiles!!!
