Look! I took pictures!

I have to start off by giving my husband props for coming through on Valentine's Day, especially after my earlier Valentine's Day post.  When I got up Monday morning, there were Valentine's plastered all over the kitchen and a game I have been wanting on the counter.  The were very nontraditional Valentine's.  (for example "When the zombie plague comes I will love you enough to put you out of your brain eating misery." and "If you ever get mauled by a bear with chainsaw hands, I hope he stays away from your face…because I think you are cute."  I just stood there laughing at all of them.  It was perfect.  Then on Saturday he installed a new stereo in my car (hooray, I now have an i pod connection!) Yeah, I am happy. 

We had a great week, full of lots of fun happenings.  Since September we have had a pass to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum.  I have tried to get us there once a week.  Sometimes that happens, sometimes not.  We did make it this week and I even went with camera in hand.  We had fun, as usual.  Kaylinn's favorite is the grocery store.  Maddie has recently discovered blocks and balls.  Anytime she can get her hands on those she is entertained.

Thursday my cousin Erin came over and helped me start painting Logan's room.  I am so excited.  We are finishing out the space theme that I have started.  I am going to paint and hang up some curtains.  I think that will really bring the room together.  I will post pictures when we finish.  I use the term we very loosely: Erin is the real artist in this partnership.  I am totally lucky to have her help me with this project.

Friday night we went to a University of Utah Women's Gymnastics Meet.  It was a lot of fun.  I was surprised to find that it is very popular.  There were 14,000 people there that night.  We don't go to sports events very often, but I think we should start.  

Saturday Logan and I went with family (pictured here are Brad and Spencer Humphrey--my brothers) to a board game convention called SaltCon.  I know, kind of nerdy, but we had a lot of fun.  They had a huge game library that you could just check games out of and play.  Then when you got done with that one you could go get another.  I think I learned how to play 6 new games that day.  My brain was pretty well fried by the time we got home (at almost midnight!). We would go again next year.

Weeknight Sports

 Wednesday night is sports night for the Allen family.  Most times the gymnastics and the basketball overlap, and it turns into divide and conquor.  This week they didn't, so I left Mike home with the extra kids and grabbed my camera to take pics.  Up above Kaylinn has on her excited thinking face as the teacher just asked her what she is seeing in the class' imaginary trip to Disneyland.  Below is one of her favorites about gymnastics class:  the balance beam.  She has also started practicing cartwheels and forward rolls in her spare time at home.  She absolutely love gymnastics.

 Logan Basketball

 The team consists completely of 3rd graders in a 3rd and 4th grade age division.  So we don't exactly win a lot.  And, basketball isn't Logan's strong sport.  But, it gets him running around which is always a good thing especially in the winter with limited outside playing time.  Plus his team is full of his friends so that is fun for him.  Up above is a fight for the ball.  Below is Logan screening the other guy on one of their teams plays.  He excels in defense in all team sports that he plays.

Diet update:  I have officially lost 20 pounds!  Woohoo!

Maddie update: She can now get herself to a sitting position.  Ah, the endless possibilities...

A week in the life...

This week we spent mostly at home.  Loki (the dog) is so young and had a tendency to get into trouble when left alone.  Plus it was so FRIGID outside.  Inside just seemed like the better option.

We did our normal things: 
Monday night: FHE (from Logan's scout book this week)
Tuesday: Logan karate, me piano lessons, Mike scouts (Tuesday is also at this point officially Biggest Loser night)
Wednesday: I spent the morning at the dry pack cannery with some ladies from my ward.  Actually my first time there, it was fun.  piano lessons, Logan basketball and Kaylinn gymnastics
Thursday: I taught joy school (a make up for last week when Maddie was sick) piano lessons, Bunco (I won, woohoo!)
Friday: taught art in Logan's class (pretty exciting actually, we were making action paintings Jackson Pollock style.  The kids flicked paint all over their paper). 
Saturday: We finally managed to get in our weekly trip to the Children's Museum.  Because Mike stayed home with the dog and the baby, I let the kids invite a friend each.

In other exciting news, I had clean out the freezer week this week.  Between the cold and the dog and did I mention we are all just passing around colds (go winter) and this week Mike and I have the sick, I didn't feel like grocery shopping.  So I just went through my freezer and pulled out bits of meat that are hiding in there and fixed something around them for dinner each night.  The best one was a bag of shredded beef I had left over from a crock pot roast I did a couple of months ago.  I sauteed up a bunch of bell peppers (thanks Costco) and some onion.  Then I added the beef and some salsa.  I served it with all the condiments (guac, sour cream, cheese, refried beans and corn) and we had it over rice.  It was sooo tasty.  Then, the next day I had the leftover of the leftover (oh yeah) in tortillas to make a fajita burrito.  Again so tasty.

Diet update: yeah, not so hot this week, better get back on the wagon and the exercise was nonexistent except what I did with the dog.
Maddie update: Her crawling has been very slow in coming.  She little by little has inched her way into getting around.  Finally this week she started crawling actually using her hands and feet and really getting somewhere.  The catch is (boy is she ever an emotional girl!) she mostly crawls far when I leave her alone and the whole time she is crying at me and looking so dejected like, "Why would you leave me alone over here?  I just want to be with you."  Silly girl.

 I have been working on a long project of monthly embroideries.  I have one frame that i have been switching out each month as I go along.  I started with December,that makes so far a total of 3 down with 8 to go. I just slowly complete one each month and I figure I will be done in a year.  With all the time at home I managed to finish February (only 4 days late, which actually beats the pants off of December which I finished 18 days late).  I love how it gets me excited about what is coming up the next month.