Random thoughts ...

* So much snow lately.  I don't mind it, though.  'Cause when I look in the backyard at the giant garden and fruit trees that are all buried in snow, I realize how much easier they are to take care of that way than when they are all in full bloom.  Snow-covered is ok by me for now.

Ice has definitely been an issue this year ...

My 2 boys trying to remove said ice from the rain gutters.

* Sitting by my teenage son during a youth fireside last night, sneaking glances at him to see if he was really hearing the fantastic advice from the speaker and praying that he was feeling something -- made my heart happy to see him definitely paying attention and smiling or laughing at the right parts.  Small 'pay day' for a mom.

* My 'Super Bowl' was on last night ... the Oscars.  As Mike will definitely tell you, I'm not a sports kind-of-girl.  But I am a movies kind-of-girl, and the Oscars are my kind of event.  I dvr'd about 5 hours of pre- and post-shows, as well as the actual Oscars.  Good times.  Until my cute husband tried to talk fashion with me, analyzing each actress's dress as they walked the red carpet.  Cute boy.  Stick to sports, babe. :)

* Had a fun date night with my honey and some of his high school friends.  We stopped by their old high school for a walk down Memory Lane, since it will be torn down soon.  His senior year locker ...

I think it's funny that he even remembers which locker he had.  I can't remember which hall my locker was in during my senior year, let alone which number it was.

In the gym where he was quite the legend.  Or so he tells me.

One last shot ...

* Being a grammar nazi myself, this cracked me up.

* My Haley did it again.  She finished in the top of her 6th grade class spelling bee, and then went on to compete in the school spelling bee.  Smarty pants. :)

* My ballerina.  Love their monarch butterfly costumes this year.  And better yet, both Elle & Paige are in the same cast this year so they'll dance the same night.  Hallelujah! Sure love the studio where they dance.

* Saw a fantastic film with my indie-film buddy, Rachel.  Quartet had amazing music, funny old people and Maggie Smith.  How can you go wrong with that combination?

* Missing my mom who is off taking care of her ailing sister.  So glad she's there to help but we miss grandma, too.

* Listening to little voices coming up from the basement.  Elle is happiest when she has friends over to play, and today we have Luke & Tessa.  Their mom is home with full-blown morning sickness.  Yeah for a future baby. :) Boo for morning sickness.

* Just plugging along with life, ya know?  The day-in/day-out of homework, piano, lessons, PTA, etc., etc. keeps us busy, but life is good so I'm not complaining at all.  Being a taxi driver/sideline cheerer/piano teacher/classroom volunteer/homework helper/cook/professional maid/young women's leader/grocery shopper/reader/out to lunch'er/kid cuddler makes me happy.  I love this stage of life where the kids are all home and we're busy.  I'm not wishing it away at all.

Heart day '13

This years' Valentine's ....

I'm loving the picture Valentines.  So easy to do and far cheaper than the boxed stuff.

After a red'ish dinner of shrimp with cocktail sauce, chips & salsa, cran-apple sparkling drink, chocolate-covered strawberries and heart-shaped steak ....

Elle treated us to a visit to her restaurant (or 'restrot' as she so cutely spelled it)....

"Welcome to Elle's Restaurant"

... complete with "restaurant menus: bananas, string cheese, crackers, jello and yogurt."  Then we ate at the individual tables she had set up in the hall.  She took our orders, which proved to be comical since she could only find a few of each item.  We ended up breaking crackers and splitting string cheese to share with each other.  It was a perfect Valentine's night with the kids.

Mike & I celebrated a more grown-up night out the next night.  Can't go wrong with lobster fettucine, I promise.

Throw-back Valentine's

http://mayfieldmayhem.blogspot.com/2011/02/they-totally-love-her.html

Elle had to give a talk in church recently and she told this story from earlier Valentine's days.  Reminded me of how cool the whole experience was, for the girls and for me - standing by watching it all happen.

This year, Valentine's will mean helping with a kindergarten school party and a Jr. Jazz game in the evening.  Whatev, as Haley would say.  I've already eaten my weight in Dove chocolate hearts so it's all good.  :)

Kodak Moments

We finally made our way to Scheels to check it all out.  It's a full-on field trip, I tell you.  Next time we'll know better than to visit on a Saturday when the rest of the valley is there, too.  But still ... it'll be worth a visit back.  We'll have to go back, since we never got a chance to use our ferris wheel tokens.  The line was over an hour wait.  No thanks.