Like a Kid in a Candy Store

Valentine's Day was a wonderfully, hectic, non-stop day. I had to wake up early to squeeze in a run before I hosted a play group in our home. Then it was lunch, naps and off to meet an out-of-town friend to tour the candy factory (more coming on that...). Back to the house just in time to meet Grandma to go to Grey's swimming. Back home for dinner and then off to my date night surprise.

Jared bought tickets for us to an Avs game. So exciting!!! I love being with Jared--even just driving over without kids in the back was a little piece of heaven. Unfortunately, the Avs lost 9-1. It was the first time they had allowed that many goals in the FIFTEEN years the team has been here. It really was pathetic. And I had my hopes up to see Forsberg play until his retirement announcement earlier in the day. So sad. We did get to sit close, hold hands and talk uninterrupted while munching on deluxe nachos.

Back to the candy factory. I have been wanting to take the kids to Hammond's Candies for years. They offer a free 30-minute tour to see how the candy is made. We got to see them making taffy, ribbon candy, chocolate-filled candy canes among a lot of other things. And to top it all off--we got samples!! I am eating a milk-chocolate caramel as I write this. Grey was in heaven. I was not once his sugar high hit. Ugh.

Butterflies!

Jared & I took the kids to the Butterfly Pavillion last weekend for some family fun followed by our traditional Sweet Tomatoes lunch. As always, the butterflies were gorgeous and the insects creepy.

Grey was so excited about holding Rosie the Tarantula again.

Lately...

I have been missing on here again for a month! Good news--life is getting back to normal. I got the doctor okay to work out again last week and I am back in my routine. My muscles are sore and it feels so good! I am weird like that...

I have been spending a lot of time focusing on my goals. I feel like the month and a half I was told to "rest" was a blessing to step back a re-evaluate. I have been able to focus my efforts on better scripture and gospel study, get into a routine having Grey/Mommy preschool and really playing with and reading to my sweet children. I have re-realized the blessing it is to be at home with my kids and to teach and love them. I am not great at balancing that with anything else in the world--so I apologize to those I have been neglecting!! Someday I will figure out how to balance it all, right??

Anyways... my first outing after the "rest" was to the aquarium. Sorry for all the low-quality iphone pics. Apparently I have not remembered to take my camera ANYWHERE lately.

Then many more outings to catch up on all the errands I missed. It sure exhausted this little guy. But I think we are all caught up now.

(Why does he look like such a punk teenager in this one???)