Presidents Day

President's Day was another holiday that we got to spend with Kevy! We were going to go to a Train Musem down in Fairfield with my parents becasue my Dad also had the day off but we found out it is only open on the weekends, so we met up with them down in Vacaville at the Nut Tree Plaza becuase it gave us something different to do and another andventure under our belts. It ended up being one of the most beautiful days. We had luch down there and then we just hung out and let the kids play around on some of the stuff they had. There was a little playground for the kids to play on, and picnic tables in this really cute plaza. All the pretty daffodils were in bloom and this little boy came up to Lizzy and gave her one. I don't know why exactly other than he probably thought she was cute.

We rode the carousel, which lets face it, is always a hit with the kids.

 

 

The thing that we had the most fun doing was the giant checker board. The girls had never played checkers before so we helped them. It was fun because we actually drew qutie a crowd. Apparently people didn't know you could check out giant checkers from guest services so they were all mesmerized watching us. They alsodidn't seem to get it becuase kids would come and try and take some checker peices and we had to tell them to leave them alone, it was a little akward.

Lizzy had Janie as her helper and here they were trying to decide on their next move.

Nellie had Russy as her helper, but it took him a while to get it and he kept taking the checkers off the board too. Nellie was completely convinced that Lizzy was winning so she was whining and complaining the whole time. It was lovely! The funny thing is Lizzy was only winning by a bit, but Nellie has a hard time losing sometimes.

 

Annie wanted in on the action too. I love that cheesy smile of hers.

I just love this picture of my two guys. I should feel bad that Russy likes Kevin so much more than me, but I am okay with it. I am so grateful that they have each other. It is such a special thing to see them together. One of my favorite things lately is how when Kevy is fixing something, Russy is right there with him and he truely believes that he is helping Kevin a lot! It really is funny, but so so cute!

 

Valentines Day

I have always felt like Valentines was kind of a lame holiday. So a few years ago I decided that I wanted to make it more fun. I started doing a valentines dinner for all the loves in my life, because I have a bunch of them! And it has been something that everyone really looks forward to and enjoys. When I was a kid we always made heart cakes and decorated them ourselves and gave them to friends. So I decided to continue that tradition but I just make big heart sugar cookies instead because it is a little easier to frost and decorate them.

It was really fun to have Russy participate this year. I let him decorate a cookie for a little friend, but then he decided that he would eat as he was decorating, so we deicded to let him just eat it himself. LIzzy decorated hers for her friends Macy and Erica.

These two little girls were decorating them for their boyfriends. Both Jane and Nellie have boys that they really like. It was cute. Jane has a little boy that she goes to preschool and church with named Jed and they both like eachother. In fact they are telling everyone that they are getting married. It is pretty funny. Nellie gave hers to a boy in her class that she is in love with named Jace. He used to live in our ward but they have since moved but they still go to the same school. It was pretty fun delivering the cookies and seeing the kids get excited to get them.

I decided that it would be better if I just frosted the cookies and then they could decorate them because in the past it has been hard for them to frost them and then they were contaminating the frosting with their germs so it just worked out better this way.

We decorated the cookies on the 13th and then delivered them after school the next day and then came home and had our special dinner. I was actually really proud of how well I decorated the table just using stuff I found around the house. Kevin and I have been trying really hard to save money and I have been doing a pretty good job at it. Not to toot my own horn or anything.

I always make a homemade pizza for Valentines Day. It started as individual heart shaped pizzas and then one big heart one and then this year I just decided forget wasting the dough to make a heart shaped one so I just made a regular one. Sometimes I am more about what is practical.

Not the best picture. I'm not sure what happended, but Nellie's face makes me laugh! It was another good Valentines day with my loves!! I hope that the kids can look back on their childhood and remember lots of fun things that we did together as a family.

 

Rain!!!

We love living where we live! One of the things we love is that we get a good amount of rain but not too much that it get annoying. But we have been having one of the worst droughts on record this past year. It has been so bad that even though I really don't worry about things like that I have been really stressed about it. Our local reservoir has never been this low, it was down to 17 percent! Totally crazy!

On Fast Sunday the First Presidency asked us to fast for rain and it was the first time that I can really remember joining so many people in fasting for the same thing. It really was such a neat experience. The thing that was even cooler was three days after the fast the rain came. It was one of the biggest storms we have had in years. It was truely incredible to feel that the Lord was blessing us for our fast and our faithfulness. The lake rose 14 feet from this storm! It was a miracle! We still have a long way to go to get back to normal but this was a great start!

The kids were having so much fun playing in the backyard with the umbrellas and playing in the rain. Lizzy was using mine because she left hers at school and lost it. Kids!! Oh well!

Russ really loved being with the girls and especially playing on the tramp. It was really cute.

 

Father Daughter Dance

Three years ago Kevy took Lizzy to the little dance that they have at school for a fundraiser. Nellie wanted to go so bad too, but the next year we were moving that weekend and then last year the school we went to didn't have one so this was the first year for Nellie. She was so dang excited. She asked me almost everyday before it if I had sent in the order form for it. She was not going to miss it this year.

Both girls had such pretty dresses from Grandma and Grandpa that they got for Christmas so it was perfect for them to wear them. Plus they were the same colors so that worked out good. Kevy also had clothes that matched so it was perfect all around. Kevy has always been such a great Daddy to his girls. I feel so grateful to have married a wonderful man who is a wonderful father!

They really decorated the school really cute. The theme was "Baby its cold outside" which was really ironic because we have been having record breaking heat this January.

The girls were excited that they had an Olaf decoration. They were exctied to show Janie. Lizzy gets just a little into these things. I love how she has so much excitement and happiness in life!

 

Little dancer girls getting their groove on. They told me how Kevy got really into the dancing, and was showing them his serious dance moves. I love that about him, he never has to put on a show and try and be cool. He is who he is and I adore him!!