Sledding and a wedding.

Two weekends ago, we took the kids to their first wedding. My cousin Mandi got married in Hutchinson, and we went to the wedding with my parents. The kids had an absolute blast. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I had them practicing the chicken dance, the hokey pokey, and even the cupid shuffle, which they loved. So, they were tickled pink when the DJ played the chicken dance song and the cupid shuffle. The DJ also had the kids play a game similar to musical chairs where they passed a box, and when the music stopped, whoever was holding the box was out. Elliott joined the game like halfway through, and then he ended up winning the game. He was so excited. He got to open the box and keep what was inside- a green squishy ball.

The kids spent the night dancing, running around with the other kids, and drinking a lot of punch and eating a lot of sugar. They really had the times of their life. We even stayed until 10:00pm because they were having such a good time.

The rest of us had a pretty good time too. The DJ was just kind of ok, but we all danced a little and got to visit with some distant relatives. It was a fun night.

The other news around here had been the weather. It has been really cold, and really snowy. We are averaging about 20 degrees below normal for this time of the year, and some places are setting record for snow for the month of February, so that's how this winter is going. There has been bad snow storms with poor visibility, and it seems like we have to blow snow every other day. We are all anxiously awaiting spring.

There was one day last week that was in the teens, so we took the kids sledding. They had a really good time. They are at the perfect age where they are super excited to sled, and they can go down by themselves and bring themselves and the sleds back to the top. We spent a good couple of hours outside sledding, and then we were cold enough to call it a day. We went home and enjoyed some hot chocolate.

This past weekend was pretty laid back. The weather was terrible all weekend, so we pretty much stayed home. John went to the Stampede Game with his coworkers, but we had no babysitters due to the weather, so I stayed home with the kids. We had a fun night at home playing games, crafting, and then watching a movie.

Sunday was a windstorm, but we got stir-crazy and decided to do a little camper shopping. We didn't really find anything we liked, but we got some good ideas and got the bug to upgrade our camper if we find the right one. The kids had a fun time looking at all the campers, plus there were bouncy houses at the camper show, so they were in heaven.

Last night, we took the kids to the Midco to do some swimming. Emma can touch throughout the whole pool, she is getting so tall! She went down the slide a few times, and just enjoyed herself. Elliott is getting really brave, and loves to look under the water with his goggles on. He really enjoys swimming, and is turning into a little fish. I need to get them both into another swimming lesson class pronto.

Tonight was conferences for Emma. I am happy to report she is doing well in school, and just has some minor things to work on, like penmanship. Overall, she is a great student and her teachers love her. So, yay!! We celebrated by eating at Ruby Tuesday's, and now the kids are snoozing, and I am ready to call it a night.

I'll be dreaming of warm spring days.

John laying a smooch on Elena 

Auntie/Niece Time 

Sledding 

Snack break 

Emma and Poppy

Valentine Boxes

We are almost halfway through February already! The big news around here lately has been Valentine's Day and counting down the days until it is Valentine's Day. Last weekend, we went and bought Valentines for the kids to hand out in school. Emma got kitty (of course) and puppy valentines and will hand out Reese peanut butter cups and Elliott got Paw Patrol Valentines with pencils and suckers.

Last weekend was also dedicated to Valentine Boxes. Elliott needed one for daycare, and of course Emma also wanted one. So, Emma requested a purple kitty and Elliott wanted a yellow giraffe. It was crazy how long it took to complete these boxes, but they turned out pretty cute. I mainly did Elliott's, and then Emma and John completed her box. Emma can't even bring hers to school, but she is still super proud of it. It was fun, and Elliott cannot wait to bring his to daycare and show all his friends.

The other big news around here has been the cold. It has been cold and snowy, and just kind of miserable outside. Basically, it's been a normal February. We had one day that was actual temp of -20, and the wind chills were -45. It was nasty. The groundhog did not see his shadow, so maybe spring isn't too far away (fingers crossed!).

John has also been taking the kids (one at a time) to the Midco Aquatic Center during the week. Right now him and Emma are swimming at the Midco. He likes to take them during the week because it's less busy and there are swimming lessons going on, so it's nice and peaceful in the pool. The kids are loving it, and I enjoy not having to go out in the cold and then swim in the chilly water. Burr!!

Last weekend was pretty low-key for us. On Saturday, we mostly worked on Valentine Boxes and then went to the library for a while. We finished the evening with a viewing of Balto (that was nostalgic) and then we called it a night. On Sunday, we went to the Washington Pavillion which we had not been to in quite a while. The kids had a lot of fun, and did not want to leave. We spent over 2 hours there, and they threw a fit when it was time to go home.

This weekend we are heading to Minnesota for my cousin, Mandy's wedding in Hutch. I think the kids will really enjoy the wedding and the dance. I'm not sure they know what they are in for. It should be a fun weekend, as long as the weather holds out.

The kids are all set and excited for Valentine's Day, we can't wait!!

Brrr!!!

Elliott so proud of his Giraffe

Emma's purple kitty