Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day! Can I just say how grateful I am for holidays? I love little excuses to do something special or meaningful. I am also grateful for the underlying meaning these holidays represent. I know, often enough, we can get caught up in the commercialism of the day. We buy goodies and gifts, cards and flowers, etc. Some people may seem to be put off by the growing expectations of these holidays. I know sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't do more to keep up with all the new ideas or new items for sale. However, when I step back, I remind myself of what the true purpose of the holiday is meant to be. It's not a day to shower others with gifts and copious amounts of sugar; it's a period of time that we get to reflect on those we love. Yes, Valentines Day focuses more on romantic love, but I am grateful for the opportunity to express my love to more than just Jeff. I start the month with 14 little hearts for each person in the house. I write one thing on each heart that I love or appreciate about that person. Sometimes the ideas flow easily and, as horrible as it may sound, sometimes I struggle to identify 14 things...but there are ALWAYS 14 things (and more). I think the best time to reflect on love is when we may not be feeling it. I think the best time to show love is when love may not be warranted. Valentines Day gives me an opportunity to focus on showing that love and being kind. I am thankful for the several opportunities I had to reach out to others this month. I really appreciate the ways I was able to express my love for Jeff and the boys. Since Valentines Day was on Sunday this year, Jeff and I had an early Valentines date. We invited Krystle and Jordan to join us for dinner at the Viking Yurt in Park City. This was quite the experience! It had been slightly snowing on and off all day. When we got to the location we were supposed to meet, we were loaded into a Snow Cat driven sleigh. The snow kept falling as we climbed 1,800 feet for 23 minutes to an elevation of 8,700 feet! The views were breathtaking (when we could open our eyes long enough to see something when the snow wasn't pelting our faces). Even with the snow, the ride was worth it. The dinner was amazing! We were served 6 courses over a period of 2.5 hours. It started with an inviting non-alcoholic berry cider and ended with a cardamom vanilla ice cream with a delectable chocolate, marzipan dessert. In between we had soup, salad, a lemon tarragon sorbet, braised short ribs with mashed potatoes, and a cheese plate (with some very interesting cheeses). It was a perfect evening with good company, good food, and fun memories.

Valentines Day itself came and went with minimal fanfare. The boys woke up to a sugary feast for breakfast (one of the only days I am ok with eating cookies for breakfast) and for dinner, I prepared a nice meal with sparkling cider. Other than that, our day was spent in meetings, at church, or just hanging out with family. I really do love these people. I need them. I am grateful for them.

Super Bowl LV

Super Bowl Sunday! Admittedly, we are not a huge football family. We don't follow any specific teams and we only occasionally watch games during the season when there is nothing else on. However, we (or maybe I should just say I) love Super Bowl Sunday. After all the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season, I get a little sad when the excuses to gather as a family dry up...so I make any excuse I can to bring the family close. I am happiest when I am with (and serving) my family. I cherish the moments and the memories we make together. So this game is generally the first big excuse to gather as a family in celebration of something. Laurin, Casey, and Carter came down for the weekend and Amber, Scott, and Katie joined us for the game too. (Jacob was at a wrestling tournament.) Our weekend was unhurried. We didn't do anything of great importance, but we did the most important thing - gather, love, laugh. On Saturday, Casey went skiing with Danny while Jeff and I enjoyed a quiet day with Jonas, Laurin, and Carter. Sunday brought on the festivities. After attending church, we put on our football gear (or just some red and yellow flags) for a knock down (or rip-off) game of flag football. After the game, we gathered in our favorite room in the house, the kitchen! I had prepared foods to honor each team that was playing in the Super Bowl. For the Kansas City Chiefs, I prepared some BBQ beef, Mac and cheese, and gooey butter cake (supposedly the state of Missouri's dessert). In homage to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I made Cuban sliders, shrimp ceviche, and key lime pie. Of course, we had a veggie tray (that I strategically place out first so the family grazes on that while waiting for the main course) and several bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers to add to the feast. In regards to the food, I think the Chiefs won the majority of picky-pallets, but Tampa Bay won the game (and my vote for the food as well). We ate, we cheered, we laughed! It was a fun night and I'm looking forward to the next excuse to gather.

SHHS Wrestling

This year, Danny decided to do wrestling again. With COVID, we weren't initially sure there would be a season, but the state set some guidelines (which included only 2 spectators/wrestler most of the season, constant COVID testing for the athletes, etc.) and the season started. It was more abbreviated than last year, but it was at least something "normal". Danny did really well! He made varsity half-way through the season! He is a scrappy wrestler. He doesn't give up easily. Towards the end of the season, he hyper-extended his knee. He was cautious with it but pushed through nonetheless. Unfortunately, his season ended at regionals. He was positioned to be placed at 4th going into state. He just needed to win one last match, but during a take-down, he fell hard on the mat and smacked his head. I was only able to attend one match (due to the fact that someone needed to watch Jonas since only two spectators were allowed), but I was able to get a couple pictures. We're proud of how hard Danny worked this season and how much he is growing in his dedication to the sport. We're hopeful things will go even better next season! Way to go Danny!