February iPhone Pics

• Super Bowl Sunday!  Had to wear my new shirt that Ryan and Shannon got me at the Oakland Raiders game ... in LONDON.

• Kansas was COLD in February. 

I'm talking so cold that my mood ring was BLACK!  

I didn't even know that was a color the mood ring registered!

• I went to dinner at Tony and Christa's one night, and Christa pulled THIS out of the oven:

My brother and I were dying.  Christa was all, "Grow up, you two."  But she eventually laughed a little too.  

Come on...how hilarious is that!?  It's some sort of squash I guess.  But wow...too much. ;)

• The snow and cold temps made for some good pictures!  I took this from my kitchen window one morning before work.

• Cristo Rey Lady Pumas Basketball was in full swing in February.  This was Senior Night:

• I don't remember why I took this, but I think it was because I was just SO excited there was actually some warm sun early in the morning for once.  It's been so cold and dark all winter...

And my hair is outta control  #INeedAHairCut

• Started planning a little trip to Africa for next month...

I think I should have been a travel agent.  Researching and planning trips is seriously one of my all-time favorite things to do...outside of actually going on the trips. :)

• I bought these really expensive (and really interesting looking) boots made of reindeer skin when I was in Sweden.  I couldn't remember how they were supposed to be tied, so I asked my friend in Sweden.  He sent me this picture:

So I sent him these back:

I'm not crazy about them now that I have them home, but they're definitely unique (which I love) and will always remind me of Sweden. 

• Shannon got me this cool pine cone candle...to appease my obsession with Tahoe pine cones.

• Speaking of Shannon, I got to see her a couple of times this month!  Here we are eating dinner with the biggest slab of ribs ever made.  

(We didn't even put a dent in that plate...)

• February was really cold...but we did have one weekend of just glorious weather.  60's and sunny in February is pretty much unheard of.  I definitely soaked up those warm temps at the park with my niece and nephew...and let the wind blow through my hair in the car. 

• Kansas.  Sunset.  Enough said.

(From my front porch)

• I took Hunter a Valentine's Day necklace that my mom had sent up for him.

I'm not sure...but I think he liked it.  Hahaha ;)

• There is officially one more CrossFitter in the world :)

It's a challenge and I'm loving it!

• I had Presidents Day off work, so I took Hadley and Hunter for a little play date.  

They are the worst air hockey players I've ever seen. ;)

On the way home, Hadley said, "I'm just going to shut my eyes for a second."

And about a second later, her poor head was bobbing all over the place.

Don't mind me while I snap pictures while driving.

(JUST KIDDING!  Only at stop lights.)

• I'm trying to eat healthy (more paleo-ish) and found a couple of recipes to try on Instagram. 

We'll see how long it lasts, but this was my kale, quinoa and salmon for lunch!

• Christa put this cool braid in my hair, and I liked it so much, I couldn't take it out.

Here is day 1 and day 2 with the braid.  

• And Day 3 with the braid.  3 workouts down and it's still hanging in there...kind of.  

Messy is in, right?

• Hunter asked me to play CandyLand with him.  When I asked him about the rules and how to play it (because he was cheating) he promptly got out the instructions and started "reading" them to me.  He's 3.  And can't read a word...

• This recipe has a great story to go along with it:

I saw this recipe on Facebook and decided to make these healthy muffins.  

Easy enough, right?

Well, not when you miss the last step and DON'T PUT ANY MILK IN!!

Haha - I can't even make that up.  That's why I just stick to smoothies in the kitchen.

I'm hopeless.

• GPAC CONFERENCE CHAMPS!!  (For the 2nd year in a row.)

So proud of my girls!!

Valentine's Day

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day.  Never have been.

But this year, some cool friends came through with some cool gifts...

So maybe I DO like Valentine's Day.  A little.  But only this year. ;)

I always say I don't like flowers because they just die and are a waste of money.

But really.  What girl could not like getting these at work?? 

Lillies (my favorite) and roses that smell like they're straight from heaven ^^

And on top of the flowers, I got an awesome lunch box that suits me quite well, and an air plant with purple grass.  I mean, come on.  My people know me too well.  :)

The air plant came in the mail (in a box) on Friday.  It was a really solid mail day:

Got a sweet card from my momma:

AND I got my February Birchbox!

That's about as exciting of a mail day you can get around here!

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We got off work early on Friday, so I went to see Fifty Shades of Grey before all the masses of people went that night/weekend.  I didn't read the books, so wasn't sure what to expect, but I wasn't impressed with the movie at all.  In fact, I laughed out loud at a couple parts, like, "Are you serious!?" 

On Saturday, actual Valentine's Day, I went to a workout class early in the morning, then had basketball practice like I do every Saturday during the winter, and then went to CrossFit, and THEN went to watch my niece play volleyball in a tournament.  I'm crazy, I know. 

No shower after all of that working out = not smelling (or looking) so great.  But it was great to watch Allie play.  Her team did way better than I was expecting, and she is quite the setter!

While driving home from the tournament...I got this Snapchat from her:

Hahaha - she kills me.  She asks me at least once a week if I am taking her to the SOLD OUT Taylor Swift show -- in September.  That girl...

So as if the day wasn't crazy enough, I then went straight down to my brothers to watch my niece and nephew for the night.  

I've never ventured out with both of them (4 and 1), but hey, there's a first time for everything.

I decided to take them to a local play place - kind of like Chuckee Cheese but bigger - at their suggestion.

It started out all smiles:

And I was all, "I've totally got this.  You guys go have fun.  I CAN DO THIS."

HA!

That lasted all of literally 10 minutes.  First of all, it was freezing, and trying to get the kids int he door with diaper bags and coats and NOT letting them get run over in the parking lot was hard enough.

And then Hudson instantly started crying at the big clown, the one game Hadley wanted to play.

Then Hadley got lost or stuck or something up in the big play gym.  And what am I supposed to do?  I can't fit in there with Hudson...and I can't just leave him hanging out...

Oh I could go on and on with the stories...  Hadley cut her finger on a game.  "IS IT GOING TO BLOOD ON ME!?  IS IT BLOODED!?!?" with big tears.  

Hudson melting down ... just because he's 1 and can do that.

Lordy Lordy.  We were outta there...

The only thing that stopped the tears was the promise of a cupcake.

We then attempted to go to dinner.  Like, at a restaurant.

I know, I know.  What was I thinking!?

It actually went okay...for a little bit.  But Hudson had just HAD it and totally melted down.  It was so bad - and I was clearly so frazzled - the people around me felt bad and were helping me out, haha.

I shoved a couple of bites of food in and walked out with out Hudson's coat (negative degrees outside) ... and he had ONE shoe on.  And I sent HADLEY back inside for it all.  No joke.

Babysitter of the year, right here.

The one saving grace from the night:  This sunset on the way home from dinner :)

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Oh, and these pictures...

This was Hunter painting my Valentine's Day present.  

The cuteness.  It kills me.

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So, yeah, Valentin'es Day isn't so bad when you get flowers and lunch boxes and cards and paintings...

...but I'll work on being just a little more prepared for the kid time next year.  

A weekend with Hunter

I got the pleasure of spending some serious time with my favorite three year old nephew last weekend so his parents could enjoy an early Valentine's Day date night.  

(I had my other niece and nephew on actual Valentine's day.  I mean, I can only babysit so many kids at once, haha ;) )

I picked Hunter up after his nap on Saturday, and immediately gave him the iPad - like any good Aunt would do.  It's his favorite thing and it always makes me wonder what parents did before they were around.  (I'm kidding...but only kind of.)

See, he even has the iPad in the car :)

We spent some time playing, and then met my friend Shannon and her parents up north for some dinner.  I was feeling good.... like, I'm SO prepared for this.  I had a diaper bag packed, a bag of toys, the iPad (duh), and then another bag packed full of all kinds of snacks and foods Hunter liked.  

But when we walked in to the restaurant (we got there a few minutes early) and asked him what he wanted...it was the one thing I didn't have.  Chocolate milk.  AND to top it off, the barbecue restaurant we were at didn't have it either.  So of course I picked him right up, ran half a block down the street (literally ran -- carrying a very heavy three year old) to a CVS and bought him chocolate milk. Spoiled??  Of course. Wouldn't have it any other way.

So anyways, he sat there like a perfect little angel with his spread of snacks and milk AND the iPad and didn't make a peep all through dinner.  Success!

On the way back to my house, we had to stop off at Old Navy for a new outfit.  It's like a requirement when he stays the night with me -- he gets a new outfit. And he's even old enough to kind of help pick it out.  He liked the boots and even tried them on in the store for me, and he picked out the shirt.  

Back at my house, it was movie time.  We got all set up in my bed with all his stuffed dogs (I think he brought like 4 of them), and a tv tray with cookies, milk, and the iPad.  (The iPad never left his side -- even when the movie was on, hahaha!)

I mean seriously.  How cute is this little guy?  He propped his legs right up on me!

I have a confession about what happened after this.  I got tired.  Like, really tired.  I get up early!! And I literally could not keep my eyes open any more.  So I turned the lights off, got in bed, and told Hunter to wake me up when the movie was over!  Ha - I mean I felt so bad, but he was fully engulfed in Cars, and I was struggling.  So about an hour later, he leaned over right in my face and whispered, "TeeTee, it's over!"  I turned it off, tucked him in, and said good night, and that was that.  He went right to sleep and slept all night long!

For some reason I was so nervous having him next to me.  I mean every time he rolled over or changed his breathing I sat right up and checked on him to make sure he was...still alive I guess?  I don't know.  Not used to a toddler in my bed I suppose.

Then this conversation happened around 7am:

Hunter:  rolls over and opens his eyes, smiles really big, "Hi TeeTee."

Me:  Hi Hunter

Hunter:  I have cookie now?

Me:  Of course you can have cookies now. 

:)

He did get some cookies, but he also ate a semi-normal breakfast, too.

He got TWO kinds of cereal, chocolate milk AND juice, and got to FaceTIme with Gram.  

Pretty solid breakfast if you ask me.

Especially considering he picked out all of the marshmallows from the Lucky Charms and left the rest...just like his dad used to do!  (Or probably still does...)

It was off to church after that.  

Maybe I'm bias, but I'm pretty sure he looks like a little model in his new outfit. ;)

Hunter did great in church (ie he was quiet and didn't cause a big scene).  

After that, we went to pick up Hadley, and then we all (with Tony and Christa) went out to Tony's land -- about an hour away.  

The trip started out fine.  I thought it would be fun in between these two in the back seat.

Well, that lasted all of about 20 minutes...and then the, "What time is it?" and "How much longer?"  and "Are we there yet?" started.  

They couldn't wait to jump out of the car and run...straight through the mud.

                                                                           The corn feeder was a big hit ^^

After walking around the land for awhile and doing some animal track searching, we decided to try and make it down to the river.  And I mean "down" because it was down a steep embankment.  

Tony went first, slipping and sliding down with Hadley in his arms.  It was too steep to pass Hunter down, so I took him down to a spot I thought looked much safer...all the while yelling at Tony for taking the dangerous way.

And then, sure enough, I slipped right down, too.  On my butt, now covered in mud.  And you would have thought I just stabbed Hunter the way he was screaming about it.  For the record, he was fine.  I had him on top of me and never turned loose of him, it just scared him when I fell.

Either way, we all made it down to the water (except Christa, the only smart one) and enjoyed throwing some rocks and sticks in as the big chunks of ice floated by.

Now for the fun part:  getting back UP the hill. 

Now I know it doesn't look steep, but it was.  AND it was super muddy on top of that so there was no traction.  You just slid.  So I got down as far as I could, and Tony got up as high as he could, and we passed the kids up.  It was quite the scene, but we eventually made it.

(I didn't quite get all the mud wiped off...)

It was time to hit the road back home after a few more nature scavenger hunt.  (Oh and all we found was a nasty dead opossum!)

The kids decided to take off racing back to the car.

The running lasted all of about 3 minutes...

...and then they both needed to be carried the rest of the way.

The car trip back... oh  man.  Boredom had set in and they were both screaming and pulling on any piece of my body they could get their grimy little hands on.  I had HAD it by the time we got back to the house, haha.  

Maybe I don't want 6 kids after all??  ;)