February Fun

February started off with a fun-packed weekend and then kept rolling. Kate flew into town on Friday, February 6th, to see the production of Newsies that Nolan, Camden, and Lincoln were in. Last year, Nolan and Camden participated in their school's production of Aladdin. This year, the school chose to do Newsies and Nolan got a lead role (Davey)! Plus, Lincoln was old enough to participate in the ensembles along with Camden. Kate had done a production of Newsies and wanted to come support her cousins. Jonas and I picked up Kate in the evening then just went back to our house to watch a movie before calling it a day. Saturday, February 7th, was the main event! Once we got up and had breakfast, we headed to Krystle's house. That was our landing pad between events. First up, we got to go to Addie's basketball game. It was fun (and funny) to watch her team play. They're all so small! Some of the kids, Addie included, couldn't even heft the ball high enough to make a basket, but they were having fun. After the game, we grabbed lunch at Krystle's and hung out before we were off again. This time we headed to Jonas's basketball game. He has been playing since December. Addie and Kate joined us but the boys had to get ready for their final Newsies performance. Jonas played so well! It was fun to see him actively finding ways to help the team. If he didn't have the ball, he was setting up picks or shooing off his defender to get open to get the ball. It was fun to see...even though their team ultimately lost the game. I think this loss was easier for him because he knew he had left it all out there on the court. It was a great game and everyone played hard. After that game, we met up with Jeff and grabbed dinner before finally heading to Vista Heights Middle School where the elementary school's production of Newsies was taking place. We met up with Jordan and Krystle there. (Don, Sandy, and Cooper came too.) The musical was awesome! Nolan did such a great job! (Camden and Lincoln too.) It was fun to see all their hard work in action. They have been rehearsing since last September! After the play, Jonas and Kate grabbed some ice cream with the Tanners then spent the night at Krystle's house.

Sunday (February 8th) was the Super Bowl! I picked Jonas and Kate up from Krystle's and brought them back to our house for the game. Kate's flight actually left during the game, but she helped with food prep and got to enjoy dinner and a little of the game before leaving. This year, the Seattle Seahawks played the New England Patriots. None of the original teams we were rooting for made it to the bowl game so we weren't really invested in either team. However, Jonas decided to root for the Seahawks who actually won, 29-13! (This was a little boost to his morale because every other team he picked during the playoffs lost.) In honor of the teams, I made Boston Baked Beans (for the Patriots), lobster macaroni and cheese (a nod to both teams), and a Seattle dog (a hot dog with cream cheese and caramelized onions...for the Seahawks). For dessert, I made a Boston Cream Trifle (for the Patriots) and mini dutch baby pancakes (which surprisingly got their start in the US in Seattle). There was so much food! In addition to our family (and Kate for an hour or so), Danny's roommates joined us as well as Grant, Liz, their new baby, Lawrence, and Liz's brother and sister-in-law, Adam and Abby. It was a full crazy house...and we wouldn't have it any other way. You boys tossed around the football before the game then enjoyed watching the game and hanging out.

As if that wasn't enough, the Winter Olympics started that weekend too. Because of all that we already had planned, I decided to record the opening ceremonies and a few events (mostly snowboarding because that is what interests Jonas) to watch on Monday, February 9th. After school, I picked Jonas up and we ran through his normal extra curricular activities (piano and tae kwon do) before grabbing dinner and heading home. We ordered Olive Garden and I picked up some gelato early in the day since the Winter Olympics are in Italy this year. We enjoyed our little Italian feast as we watched the Olympics. I know it's not a big deal. I realize there will come a day when Jonas will grow out of these little celebrations, but for now, I will always try to make memories out of the mundane.

The following weekend was just as fun! Thursday (February 12th) Jonas cashed in his second ditch day and once again we headed to Brian Head for a day on the slopes. He was pretty excited because it had snowed a little the day before so there was some fresh "powder" on the slopes (it was only about 1-3 inches deep though). He was one of the first on the lifts and one of the last. He spent all 6 hours, with minimal breaks, on his board. It is fun to see him grow more confident in his skills. He was a little disappointed that the "jump" that was there last month wasn't really accessible. It really isn't a jump, but the snow is piled up there. He was hoping to try some moves that he has been seeing on the Olympics, but he didn't really get the chance. Still, he made the best of his time learning how to maneuver the board better and go faster. On our way home, we met up with Jeff in Nephi at the Bar Dub Grill for dinner.

We ended up celebrating Valentines Day on Friday, February 13th (and a little the following morning) because of our Saturday schedule. This year, Jonas decided to take chips to his class with a little note that said, "I love our friend-chip." I still can't believe this is his last Valentine's Day class party. That morning, he realized that he was encouraged to bring a bag or a box to put all your treats in. We scrambled to find a bag and I drew a quick basketball on it with a few subtle hearts. Jonas initially didn't want anything on it other than his name, but when he saw what I did, he gave his approval. Phew! After school, we picked up a "heart baker" pizza from Papa Murphy's and I gave Jonas the little Valentines treat/gift from me. It seems like these treats/gifts get a little less exciting each year. Carter and Everly actually came over that afternoon to give us all a flower (which was so cute, but I didn't get a picture) so Jonas got to share  pizza with them. Jeff and I then headed to Sundance for dinner at the Tree Room. It had a such a cozy ambiance with an old western vibe. The food was incredible! We set our phones aside and simply enjoyed the experience. The next morning (Saturday, February 14th), I made some little heart waffles for Jonas. He actually gave Jeff and I a little gift too. He had made a felt heart basket at school and found some Ghirardelli chocolates to put in it for me along with a card. For Jeff, he also gave him a card then sacrificed some of his treats to give to him. I didn't care that the treats were recycled from his sweets drawer or the candy jar. I love that he wanted to give and he gave of himself. I also really loved the cards. He cut mine out in a heart shape and really took time to write something thoughtful for both of us. 

That was it for Valentine's Day, but the rest of the weekend was still fun. Stan, Kristi and Maci were in town for a volleyball tournament so we met up with them Saturday (Feb. 14th) mid-morning to early afternoon to watch a couple of games. That evening, Jonas had basketball practice then his coach took all of the team to Coin Crazy for a team building activity. Jonas had a blast! Sunday (Feb. 15th) was pretty standard, but it was President's Day weekend, which meant neither Jonas nor his cousins had school on Monday...so it was the perfect time for a sleepover! Jonas was beyond thrilled. The Tanners came over for dinner and stayed until mid-afternoon on Monday. I love seeing them grow up together. They rode the One Wheels, played night games, built a huge fort, watched movies, played games, and more. That was the best way to spend the President's Day holiday (but sorry...no pictures. I just forget now. They entertain themselves and I get chores done around the house. Haha!)

Tuesday, February 17th, was Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the horse. In addition to the red envelope with coins, I got Jonas a couple pairs of socks, a Hot Wheels Mustang (a '67 Shelby...6-7), and a P-51 Mustang fighter jet from WWII. For dinner, we enjoyed a meal from Panda Express. That was it...nothing too exciting. Like I said before, as the years pass, the celebrations get more streamlined, but I still want to celebrate these little holidays. I live by the motto of making memories out of the mundane. However, I do miss the days when making little crafts or doing silly activities to celebrate these holidays was something Jonas enjoyed. 

Wednesday, February 18th, we got the first real snowfall of the year. It has been a very dry year thus far. Even the snowpack levels in the mountains are down. We haven't had a significant snow storm all winter in the valley. That all changed on Wednesday! The snow just kept coming. We got at least 4-6 inches on the ground when all was said and done. Jonas was beyond excited to bust out his snowboard and try the little hill behind our house. The next day (Thursday,  February 19th), I took him to Peteetneet to try the steeper hills there. I'm super impressed with how confident he is on the board. I know I wouldn't be! Even though the snow there was already disappearing from weather and use, Jonas still found patches to utilize. We spent some time on the steeper hills then made our way to the other side of the old school where there were smaller hills. Jonas practiced his 180s and jumps until the streetlights came on and my toes were frozen. We returned once more (before the snow melts the next week) on Saturday, February 21st, with Jonas and his friend, Lane, for more time on the hills. They had a blast! 

The last week of February was pretty routine, with one evening exception. On Tuesday, February 24th, Jonas and I had a little date night. Jeff was hosting a Priest/Laurel activity at the house. I had helped him prepare a dinner to serve that night and by the time I was done helping him, I had no desire to make another dinner for us. So Jonas and I went out to eat at Cafe Zupas prior to going to see the new animated movie, Goat. We had originally planned to see the movie that night, but I hadn't planned to do dinner before so that was an added bonus. Moreover, after we ate, we still had a little time to kill so we decided to pop into Old Navy to look at some clothes. Jonas is definitely more aware of current trends in clothing and is finally getting to the point where I can no longer just go shopping for him. He wandered the store looking at all the options before he settled on trying on a pair of baggy jeans and an oversized t-shirt (the current style). He actually looked pretty handsome in his new "fit", and he was pretty excited about it. We quickly made the purchase then headed to the theater to watch the movie. It was a cute animated feature with a good moral to it. I treasure these little dates with Jonas because I know that soon enough they will be over...just like this month! The majority of the days this month were long and routine, but the weeks flew by. I can't believe we're moving on to March. It feels like we're going to hit a snowball effect between now and the end of the school year. Hold on!