Oh Love

This past week Nathan had to travel to Iowa for a work conference which left me home to wrangle the two kiddos and our crazy work/school/life scheduled by my lonesome. I had everything planned, organized and ready to flow and then....

1. Daycare was unexpectedly closed Thursday AND Friday
2. I got sick.

Needless to say, I am super thankful that we got around to making Jentry's Valentines early in the week.

However, I was in charge of her class party treats and had planned to make them Friday morning. Now any right minded person would have drove 7 blocks to the local grocery store and purchased 25 of the best looking PRE-MADE treats available and gone about their day resting away their illness. But for some reason, that is not me. Apparently, I like to challenge myself and make everything more complicated than it needs to be. 

With my big-boy helper, it took all morning to make enough heart tarts for the entire class.  By the time I took the last batch out of the oven it was lunch time, my kitchen was an absolute disaster zone, I was still in my pajamas and I needed to load everything in the car and get them to the school asap.

 

The finished product was worth every minute of the madness.  At least that is what I am going to tell myself. After all, love is not always easy or as planned or without effort. But oh is it rewarding!

My mother-in-law gave me this beautiful scripture plaque for Valentine's Day. I hung it directly above my kitchen sink so that it is a daily reminder of what love really is. 

You're Not Doing Your Job, Mom

This parenting thing can certainly test a person.

Needless to say we have had a few 5, 6 and 7 p.m. bedtimes lately.  Ugh.

Meet Miss February: Storm Kayla

Groundhog day brought a long anticipated winter storm and SNOW DAY!  This was the first significant snow storm of the winter season and it certainly lived up to the hype.

But....................before all of the clouds, wind, cold and snow we had unseasonably warm weather and I was determined to soak up every ray.

My parents even decided to take advantage of the great weather by making a day trip to Sutton.  

Thanks to Papa and Oma Mack, Nathan and I were lucky enough to join them for dinner and dancing in Hastings.  I don't know if the four of us have ever had a night on the town without the chillens. We had a great time and my dad told me, "You have always been my best dance partner." Ah, thanks dad! Nathan was just grateful that my dad does enough dancing for three or four men, so he didn't have to twirl me around.

February 1st the storm began to roll in and by the next morning the ground was covered with several inches of the white stuff. The kids were so excited for a day at home, however I am not used to working with three other people in and out of my office all day.  Thank goodness that most days they all leave the house by 8 a.m. 

After breakfast Jentry turned the kitchen into a science lab. She had fun but confessed that she really wanted to make an explosion and "blow stuff up!"

After lunch, Jentry and I attempted to clear a path to the street. I did a ton of shoveling while she continuously hurled snowballs at my back. It was really special. She is just so sweet.

By the weekend the roads were clear but the drifts of snow remained. Jentry begged to go out to the farm and dig tunnels in the snow. We borrowed some snow gear for Mason so that he could have his first experience in the flakes. After some morning meter work, we spent the afternoon playing. 

Oma tried to give Mason a ride down the bunny slope.

Not sure if he thought it was fun, however the rest of us were quite entertained.

It was such a fun afternoon in the winter wonderland.