Time flies when you're having fun!!! Happy Valentine's Day!! It really isn't a holiday we participate in, John is so good to me all year long that there really isn't a need for a once a year reminder that he still loves me.
We are enjoying our time with Adam and Maria while they are with us, possibly for another two months. Cindi and I planned a joint activity days activity this week that went really well. All the girls get along so great that the hardest thing for me is keeping their attention. They just want to play and visit with each other.
Monday Brigitte had a raging fever, of course I didn't believe her when for the previous week she had complained of a sore throat, so on a horrible snow day we are driving to the doctor's office. We watched people spinning donuts in front of us to find out that she had strep throat. O.k., maybe she really hasn't been feeling good for a while and I am the mother of the year that brushed off all her complaints. How do you know when they really are sick though and not just trying to get out of work?!
Last night we went to a college hockey game and my alma mater won!!!! Yay!!!! It was a total blowout!!! Before the game we all skated for an hour and Brig got to show off her moves. She had people on the ice applauding her and talking to her after the skating session. It really made her day!

Where does the time go? It's already been another week and I am amazed that it's flown by so quickly! Wednesday was sooooo busy, we had four birthdays!!!!! My very adorable niece Zoe was 1!!! My other very cute niece Morgan turned 6, and Brigitte's two friends both turned 10!!!! February 4th must be one of the busiest days in maternity wards!!!! Today my nephew had his birthday as well, Happy Birthday Christian, I hear you had quite the party!!!!

Thursday and Friday we were lucky enough to have Madysen and Harrison come and stay with us while their parents went to Cancun!! Lucky!!! Harrison hadn't been feeling well, he had strep and was on amoxycillin. Today he woke up with the worst rash!!! He was allergic to it!! I had never seen anything like it. The rash didn't bug him but I felt so bad!!

As this week ends and a new one begins, I was just appreciating how very blessed I am to have the life I do with the problems I face. After seeing some of the trials of others, I will take my own any day. I know I keep promising pics, but they really are coming!!! It's just a little too late to get them downloaded tonight!

John is back and had a blast.  Adam and Maria made it safely and today took Brigitte sledding.  Yesterday, the Winter Games began at the ice rink and Brigitte got to be a runner.  She really enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes of the competition.  Runners get to take the scores from the judges and take them to where all the competitors can see them.  Ten volunteer hours done, only six more to go!!  I was drafted into volunteering as well while waiting for Brigitte.  I got to man the table where the flowers and programs were sold.

This is a really quick update, but all I have time for this week!!  Pictures still to come, promise!!

Changes coming soon!!! John went to Moab to ride with a bunch of friends. He just had the suspension on the new motorcycle done and had to go and try it out. It has been raining since he left so we hope he only gets a little wet. Since he went out of town Brigitte and I are doing what girls like to do best. We have been shopping and redoing her bedroom. My hawaiin girl went for a more tropical theme.

Yesterday we went to Stephanie and had Brigitte's hair cut. She really wanted to go short again and had lots of hair to lose. She was able to donate her hair to locks of love. What a cool thing to do. Of course she didn't know that until we explained what locks of love was!!! As smart as kids are these days, it amazes me the things I take for granted she knows! As soon as John returns with the camera, I will post pics of her new do!! We took before pics on her phone, but I still can't figure out how to get them onto my computer!!

Adam and Maria are returning to town on Sunday. We aren't sure how long they are going to be here yet. We only found out they were coming late last night!! Yikes! I have been a cleaning fool all day long. Brigitte is less than impressed with her call to service, and if it was anyone but Adam I'm sure I would have heard lots more about it. Anyway, we are excited for the time we will get to spend with them.

What a momentous day for America!!!  Whether you voted for Obama or not, today we saw history front and center.  As we move forward from here, we can only hope for a united America and one that is better in four years than it is today.  Every President faces challenges when they take over the toughest job in the country, but I believe Obama really has some major things to face.  With the shaky economy, an unpopular war and the challenge of our massive debt (both as individuals and as a country), it will be necessary to take immediate action to improve the situation.  I don't know about you, but I am grateful not to be in his position come morning.

On a more personal note, last night we got a cell phone for Brigitte.  At what time in our lives has this become something fourth graders need?  While we were picking out the phone Brigitte brought up the fact she is one of a handful that didn't already have one.  I understand they are great to keep in touch and keep tabs on what kids are doing, I just never thought I would have given her one at this young age.  As we have talked about this in the past, it was believed we would look at it around junior high.  The last few weeks have provided several challenges that have left us wanting in the area of being able to communicate with one another as we are all trying to get where we need to go.  Unfortunately, we had an issue with a plane at work and I got stuck late writing statements and investigating what exactly happened.  As this could become a much more familiar part of my new schedule, and because John is working so far from home we felt it would be good to at least be able to keep tabs so Brigitte knows what to expect.

Our cell company has this great family allowance program that allows us to limit her time, phone numbers allowed or not allowed, messaging and downloads.  I was really impressed by the way they cater to families with the ability to monitor and limit certain phones.  It really makes it nice to be sure the phone is only used to call certain people.  We can even disable the phone during school hours.  Who would have thought those abilities would exist when we first saw cell phones.  Once again I am truly grateful to live in a country and a time with so much possibility!

Here are some fun pictures from the holidays.  John and Harrison were deeply engrossed in fixing whatever they were working on.  Brigitte made the train in school and isn't Zoe so adorable?  The one of Harrison with the bears was just too cute not to include.  

Brigitte loves to be outdoors, can you tell by how big her smile is as she heads out to sled!  We are off to ice skating later today and she will be upset when I make her leave after an hour.  To prove that she is one of the girls, I can usually bribe her with hot cocoa if we leave without whining!!  What girl can't be  convinced with a little chocolate.  How in the world did I end up with a child that loves to be cold!?  Where do kids get their ideas?  Do they try to figure out what would make us the most uncomfortable and decide that is what they will love to do?!  Anyone who knows me knows I really don't like to be cold, and especially after living in a warmer climate, I never really climatized back to the freezing cold we get here.  To think that now year round I spend several days a week in an ice rink just goes to prove we really will do anything we can for our kids.  

I have a child that will not go outside when the sun is shining and the temperatures are up there, but give her a little snow and lots of cold and she won't come inside!!!  Saturday we spent hours sledding at the park with a friend, then her friend came home from school with her today and they spent hours outside sledding at the house and digging holes in the mountains of snow!!

Ice skating really was a good fit for a child that feels no cold!

At work today people were talking about what they give up for the new year, I asked why they have to give up anything?  Can't we start the new year thinking about things we need more of and have our resolutions follow along?  What about more family time, more exercise, more enjoyment of the little things or maybe more education!!  Aren't these things just as important to work on as losing weight, or giving up an addiction, or spending too much time on the wrong things?  I think they are!!  Lent is when people come up with things to do without!!  This year we are looking at the things we need more of!!  Our family will definitely be trying to improve ourselves with this years goals, but they will be more positive with what we need more of!!!  I know all of you need more of something, please tell me I'm not the only one!!  What are some things you all need more of?