February - Where did it go?!

So I realized the only post I'd done for February was for Dani"isms". Lame, I know, since this is as close to a journal/family history I can manage. So before my memory disappears as fast as the month did, I'll try a recap.

The girls has three days off of at the beginning of February; so after returning from the cruise to take in one Friday of school, Natalie and Emma road-tripped with Grandma Susan and Keely to Dallas the following Monday. They spent the night in a hotel and then went to the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. They all loved it, but were a little disappointed to learn that they wouldn't actually see King Tut's sarcophagus as it's so valuable that it doesn't leave Egypt anymore. Grandma got in some good spoil-time too - the girls all came home with new outfits!


In keeping with the current trend of only going to school a couple times a week, a few days after they're return from Dallas - Natalie and Emma (and Jeremy) all came down with various versions of the FLU!! We had Natalie puking one day and then Emma crying from headaches and fever the next. Jeremy suffered through his in stoic silence. We think, though, that he actually had it the worst. He told me in the recovery phase that he thinks he actually was suffering from walking pnemonia. Not to be left out, Dani and I each took a glancing blow from Mr. Flu, but managed to walk away with only stuffy noses for a day or so.

For Valentine's Day we passed around the chocolates! Big Hershey's kisses and the standard heart-shaped box of chocolates made their way to our tummies! We spent the day helping out at the Checketts garage sale, and then Jeremy and I and Tim and Hilary split a babysitter and did dinner and a movie. We enjoyed a yummy dinner at the Texas Roadhouse, caught the 7:30 showing of Twilight (yeah, the guys too, and they enjoyed it) and then we finished off the "day of love" with more chocolate -one of our favorite desserts: the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake from Chili's. Mmm, mmm, mmm!

The third week of February got us back into the swing of school. Natalie and Emma attended all five days illness and vacation free! I played catch up on household chores (although it's hard to tell now!), and Emma and I had dentist appointments. Yeah, slow week if mention of the dentist makes it into your blog!

Actually that Friday night and Saturday morning was our Stake's annual Women's Conference. This conference is always inspiring. Friday evening I heard women of the stake tell about their various trials and how they were supported and strengthened by the Lord. While I have to admit it wasn't an evening of uplifting topics (divorce, joblessness, depression, disability, and death - yeah, it was a cry-fest) I did leave with deep feelings of gratitude and humility towards Heavenly Father. But finishing the night off with friends, great discussions, and Red Robin's fries and campfire sauce did make for a good evening.

On Saturday morning I returned to the conference with friends for some mini-classes, speakers and lunch. One of the classes was on food storage and breadmaking both of which have been on my goal-list for this year. I was also thoroughly fascinated by a sister who is a New Testament guru speak on the background and meaning of many of the subjects in the book of Revelation - all I can say is ah-ha and amazing!!!

This last week you would have most likely found me helping Hilary paint a military mural for the Army-themed youth conference next weekend. It turned out to be a lot bigger project than we'd anticipated painting three life-sized men in miliary fatigues holding an American flag. We finished last night and are satisfied and relieved to have it finished. Being the supportive friend that I am, I told Hilary next time she got a grandiose idea like this for another church project to call me - so I could talk her out of it!

When I wasn't learning the art to painting camoflauge, I was at the school watching Natalie's 5th grade musical performance entitled "The Magic Jukebox" and trying out chili at Emma's 1st grade chili cookoff (her class got the award for the "beanieist" chili!) Natalie's show featured various songs throughout the decades. There was everything from swing to the Twist, to Elvis impersonators, to the famous 80's hit "Footloose." Natalie took center stage for the 60's classics Locomotion and Dancin' in the Streets. She made good use of her halloween costume, a hippie, and showed us how to flip her straightened hair and hip-check her fellow dancers. Hopefully, I'll get the video posted soon.

For the last day of February (yesterday) the kids (yep, even little Sunbeam Dani) attended a primary activity where they learned about Nephi's travels from the setting of a large tent in the primary room and then built their own boats out of popsicle sticks. Emma actually chose to stay home and help Dad put up some molding in the den. He's using the molding to run his surround sound speaker wires to the back of the room so, after four years in this house, we can have true surround sound for our TV-watching pleasure. I have a feeling he's next going to ask for a flat-screen TV to go with this great new surround sound. I suppose it's a possibility if he keeps working as hard as he did this month at the practice. I think this last week was a practice-best for him in terms of patient load - 63 is his count. I'm so grateful that he's staying busy during these hard times and I praise the Lord for this and all our blessings.

Well until next month... or sooner if I can get my act together!