February Fun

For Activity Days, we took about twenty 8-11 year olds to a nursing home to visit the residents and deliver Valentine's.  They witnessed the bare backside of one of the lady residents who was making her way to dinner with no pants on.  I tried to block her from their line of vision, but was not very successful!  So funny!  Also for Activity Days this month, we took the group to a BYU gymnastics meet.  Kelsey, Avery, and Kendall got to come too!

Andrew's Valentine note to me:  "You are special to me because you say yes a lot and cos you are sweet like candy.  Happy Valentine's Day!"  He really is a sweetheart.  I also want to remember that Andrew consistently prays for me that I will get all my work done.  :)

In a recent FHE, Brandon was asking the kids about what it takes to create a good and successful family.  Andrew's first response was "happy wife, happy life".  He said he saw it on Nana's fridge.

Rachel told me that she wants to be in a movie, but she doesn't want to take any acting classes or be in any plays - just wants to go straight into the big leagues.  You can imagine how exciting it was when her class was featured on the weather portion of the news one evening.  She is practicing ballroom twice a week and had a competition this month, and she really is very good at it.

Kendall waits until she is hungry and then eats a ton!  One day for lunch, she ate 2 hot dogs, chips with melted cheese and a bowl of cereal.  Also, Kendall has been an incredible reader!  She has needed the least help of the kids, and she is so calm and easy going about it.  Bless her!

Carson is sitting, attempting to crawl, and pretty much eats anything we give him.  He loves dance parties with the family and being outside in the swing.  We barely survived sleep training, which took two weeks of crying and him being stubborn.  He is sleeping much better now!

Valentine's BOMB!

Hamilton in Chicago!!

Brandon and I got away to Chicago to cash in our Christmas gift, and get this - we STILL like each other!

We walked around Wrigley Field to see how it has changed, and they are still doing quite a bit of construction.  Then we went ice skating at the Ribbon near Millennium Park, and I was grateful that I didn't fall a hundred times.

Scott Shurtliff, my old co-worker and now Bishop of the Hyde Park Ward, arranged for an Aon Consulting reunion lunch with our co-workers who I hadn't seen for 10 years.  I was actually super nervous and many unnecessary insecurities had me worried.  What would I talk with them about?  They have been climbing the corporate ladder for the last 10 years, and I have been a stay at home mom.  I knew they wouldn't diminish that at all, but I was just feeling anxious about if I could still relate to them or converse with them like I used to.  Brandon was willing to come, which eased my anxieties, and it went great, of course!  Piyush Chaudhari, Kathryn Hayley, Arvind Ramakrishnan, Wei Lin Wong and Scott were there - all absolutely amazing individual who I respect so much.

Brandon also agreed to meet Scott for ultimate frisbee very early on Saturday morning.  They played at an indoor soccer field, and it was fun for him to reminisce about his ultimate frisbee glory days!

We explored Hyde Park to see all the changes.  There is now a Five Guys, movie theater, Ross, Michaels, Whole Foods, Marshall's, Mini Target - wow!  Those places would have been really convenient to have so close!  We also went bowling at the Univ of Chicago and walked through campus.  (Brandon won 2/3 bowling games)  Of course, we made it to church in Hyde Park as well, and experienced the diversity that the ward offers.  Afterwards, the Shurtliff's hosted a few families for dinner and we visited with the Nydeggers, Cannons, Evans', and the Hammonds.  So fun to catch up in person!

"Chicago" places we ate:  Purple Pig, Southern Cut, Shake Shack, Bongo Room, Pinkberry, Garrett's Popcorn, and had lots of Goose Island Rootbeer.

We took public transportation almost everywhere, and there were just as many crazies as I remember!  The city/public transportation was also dirtier than I remembered - I wonder what I would think of Chicago now if I was visiting for the first time?

We also saw HAMILTON and OMG, it was absolutely AMAZING!  I can't even describe it - I loved every single second of it, and we laughed and I cried.  It was just so dang good - I hope that I never forget that magical night!