So it's 10:30pm and TJ just left for the airport...

he will gone all week and I am oh so dreading it. I guess one good thing will be I will have more time alone to write on this little blog of mine.

Like I can write about that time Lexi started gymnastics and I how I wanted to be cheap which resulted in the most ghetto gym building ever. And to top it off Lexi didn't love it like she thought. She was so so cute and excited and nervous for her first day and she said " I wonder how many friends I am going to make!" She has 2 boys and 1 other girl in her class. I was so sad she was let down and disappointed in her first experience because she literally counted down the days until she started for months! I'm really hoping this week will be better or I may just enroll her somewhere else.

Kasen continues to be a doll and loves to wear the girls' clothes whenever he can get a chance. And I mean who can say no to that face? You can wear whatever you want little buddy, whatever you want.

Random

Random pictures I was taking before we left for church on Sunday. I have to say I love how relaxed Sundays are now that my calling is so low key.

Valentines Day Tea Party

Valentines Day

TJ and I went out to dinner and desert on Friday night and came home and watched "Chasing Mavericks". I also was delivered some beautiful roses that day too. On Saturday, the girls woke up to new shirts from mom and dad and in the mail they got stuffed animals and notebooks from grandma and grandpa DePriest. They later got ding dong ditched with cookies and $5 each from the Lee grandparents. We had our annual tea party and had the Elena and Callie over. I love this tradition but I'm not sure what to do once Kasen gets a bit older since I know he won't look forward to it like the girls do. I was able to help in both Chloe and Lexi's class for their parties and it was so nice to be at school with them. Later in the day the younger 3 went to the Wakefield and played Mario Brothers and Just Dance. Tallie and I snuck out on our bikes and took a trip to the library. Once we got home we gave each other foot spas and then played some games. It was a good day with her. We had a heart pizza for dinner and watched "Alexander and the horrible, no good very bad day".

It was a beautiful day and the weather was amazing.

I sure do love my little family and the fun we have together. 

 I made this ridiculously huge heart for Becky to wear during singing time in Primary. I made it more for the fun and laugh I would get. Sadly she did not wear it but some of the kids did. And here is Kasen being so sweet with Ginger and following her around with her food dish to make sure she always has it available.

Little black lambies!!!

So I know that I have mentioned before that I am such a sucker for little black lambs. But I will go ahead and say it again. I LOVE THEM. I love when I can catch them on the day they were born. So little and jet black and wobbly. I don't know what it is but I just want to have a bunch in my backyard. I literally wait all winter for spring to come to see them. Its not easy to catch them at their smallest either. I don't know exactly when they will be born and they grow and change colors in just days. So it's a real bummer when you are a day late. Having said that there are two ways to get our of my neighborhood.  One road is whindy and takes longer (which is wear the sheep are) and the other is a straight shot and faster. Because I am usually, for whatever reason, in a rush I take the faster route. Thinking I won't miss the lambs. Last year because I couldn't take time and relax I totally missed the little black lambs. I was bummed.  All because I was rushing I missed out on some of the good things in life. Just to save a little time. Well this year. I started early. I decided to start the whindy road earlier than normal and "slow down". And GUESS WHAT?!! I caught the lambs on the best day!!! It was such a good reflection moment (my thing with TJ). It totally made my day!

Slow down so you don't miss the little things.

Skiing

For Tallie's date went skiing with TJ. He didn't take a picture but he did send some videos (which do no good in a book). She had so much fun and she was doing so good! We are going to try and put her in ski school one Saturday and also take Chloe up to just practice with TJ while Tallie is doing her own thing. I am so excited that this is finally happening!

As of late..

We have had a lot of sickness around these parts lately. All the kids had coughs and then they all went away and then Kasen picked up his second bug and it turned into RSV and the poor little guy was so miserable. He dropped back to under 20 lbs and just laid around the house and coughed. He has missed 3 Sundays in a row. Lexi was next to catch her second bug and over night she started coughing again only this time I was positive it was croup. She kept throwing up because of her violent cough attacks and she literally coughed all day long with no breaks. I had to do a bunch of food shopping that day and she would just sit in the cart and cough into her coat and it was so loud that people just kept starring at me and commenting. I was getting so frustrated because its Valentines week and there was so much going on. Lexi had a party at school that I was supposed to help with and then Chloe also had one I was helping in. With the way she was coughing I just knew that everything would be cancelled and both girls would be so sad especially Lexi for missing the party and I had to reschedule hair appointments. There was no way this cough was going away any time soon. Well that night she got super bad and I mentioned to TJ that she should prob receive a blessing. So he called Rob to come over.

Lexi peacefully went to sleep and slept all night without coughing.

The next day she was back to playing, eating and everything normal.

She coughed ONE time that day and it was a loose normal sounding cough.

I do believe in the power of the Priesthood and that Heavenly Father cares about us and is often times just waiting to "fix" things. He is waiting on us to ask and believe all things are possible.

I am so thankful for TJ who is a worthy Priesthood holder and for friends who are ready and willing to help when needed. 

 Tallie is playing another year of Basketball and Nick Welsch and Jenny Fowler are her coaches.

She is grasping more of the game this time around and is a great little defender.

 Its usually this time of year that I get the "Project Bug". So I went to town on the upstairs bathroom and painted the walls, vanity, added hardware, framed the mirror and redecorated. I think it came out just as I was hoping. Both cute and gender neutral. I just wished I had taken a before picture.

It's also that time of year for some potato stamping for V day.

We also had a "Love" FHE where we all learned everyones love language.

Me-words of affirmation

TJ-Quality time

Tallie- Acts of Service

Chloe- Physical Touch

Lexi-(was passed out on the couch, sick)

We also played some Minute to Win it games and heart attached each others doors with kind sayings.

Lexi was able to go to her V day party and I helped out by making marshmallow and toothpick structures.

I also never wrote about the time that I got released from being the Primary Secretary after 3 years and going through 4 presidencies. It was kind of hard to take, especially because it came at the most craziest Sunday for the primary all year. I have loved that calling and working with all of the different people. I learned so much from all of them and have made so many friends. I miss the primary and the sweet kids and hearing them sing and just being behind the scenes. I don't really miss doing all the work though. I was pretty burned out there near the end. I have a new calling which is teaching with Nicole Lane teaching the 13 year old Sunday school. We have kind of a hard class but I am really enjoying it and going back to relief society after 4 years.

Ginger

One day we went out into the garage and there was this random cat snoozing on the shelves.

I picked it up and the first thing out of my mouth was "If no one claims you, I am going to keep you".

Weird for me to say since neither I nor any of my children are animal people. And TJ is NOT one for cats. 

I don't know what happened but I just wanted this kitty and that was that. 

I listed her on the neighborhood page to see if anyone was missing her but after a couple days with no response we named her Ginger and brought her inside. 

I love her.

The kids love her.

And even TJ loves her and will snuggle and ask often where she is at. And Ginger loves TJ and nuzzling his bead and sitting on his face. 

She is the sweetest thing ever and it has been so great to have her.

This gives me hope that one day just one day I might be ready to love a dog.