Happy Valentines Day

For the at least the last two decades - if you live in the same house as my mother, on Valentines day - the breakfast table looks a lot like this. The culmination of her longstanding yearly tradition - The 14 days of Valentines. Every February 1-14th is marked with a daily treat of some kind - a little valentine. Stickers that say "Valentine, Stick with me" or Gum that says "I "chews" u to be my Valentine"...each day the Valentines basket is filled up with a treat. If you don't live with my mom, but are one of her offspring or friends of her offspring or family of her offspring or random relatives that she thinks might need it - she will deliver to you - on or before February 1st - a package filled with sealed brown paper lunch bags - each with a date on them, and conveniently a day of the week. And each day you could rip open your own treat. She also sends a table cloth and decorative plates and cups for you to decorate your own table to have your own special Valentines breakfast. On Valentines day - she delievers an actual Valentine gift wrapped in red or heart paper - and makes a special breakfast. Its really quite amazing that she does this...and has been doing it for so long - she now prepares this tradition for at least 40 people. All through college and the many years I have lived in a different state than her - I always got my package of goodies and presents and she always sent treats for my room-mates however many there were. But, this year is the first year in a very long time - that I get to wake up to the special mom made and decorated breakfast in person. My mom is very cool.
Individual place settings even...
The greatest thing about this tradition is that it has made this holiday for me and most of my family less about romantic love and more about family love, appreciation and togetherness. I have never had a disappointing Valentines day (even when I had a boyfriend) - because I still get the red hearts and the treats and I still feel a lot of extra love and appreciation on the holiday. The only thing that plagues me still - is finding a way to appreciate my mother and this tradition for the great gift it is in my life. This year - we tried to compensate with a large basket of Disney cookies (on the table)...but, its just never really enough. Really, my mom is very cool.


A few days ago, I overheard a conversation between Bear and my mom. He just randomly announced, "I just love Aunt Jen so much" (ahhhhh) And my mom, said "why is that?" He said "because she has so many things we don't have" To which my mom replied, "like what?" And he said: "Like stairs, she has so many stairs. We don't have stairs at home in our house."


So, here are some of my glorious stairs - if nothing else, on this Valentines Day, you, too can love me for my stairs.

Happy Valentines Day!

New Hair, Same Alien

I took the scissors to Duckies hair this morning. She cut a chunk out of the back of it a while ago - and I just couldn't take it anymore. She looooves her new hair.

She loved posing for pictures...

But, she's still the same mischievous alien...

Where Have I Been?

We have church at 9. At 8:15...the phone started ringing like crazy. What?! Church is cancelled?! Yes...and I got several e-mails informing me as well:

All,

I received a call from Bishop Hendricks stating that all 9:00 meetings
throughout the stake have been cancelled due to heavy snow. I'm
sending this out in case anyone checks their email prior to going to church.

Thank you.

Yeah, its a blizzard out there. A white out. At least 8 inches on the ground. I didn't know they could cancel church like that - but...yay! I love the organization of the Church - our hometeacher called, my visiting teacher called - the Elders Quorum President called. We called our visiting teachees and home teachees. It really works. So, the good news is. I'm taking my snow day to catch up on my blogging.

I've been gone. No blogging for me. I have some excuses.

First...

It was the holidays. The alien parents came...there were so many people in my house and so much to do - I thought my head might explode. More on the holidays on the post below. And, yes, my Christmas tree was crooked. Crooked the whole time it was up - I kept trying to fix it and then it became the defining marker of our Christmas season - everything was a bit off balance!

Second...

Taking care of aliens is hard...and a lot of work. A lot of days, this happens... A LOT.


We are still having fun too...doing silly things and playing a lot.





And, there are many things that keep you away from the computer - like Flower's 3rd Grade Patriotic Program. She did a very good job and gave me a cookie - which made me like it so much more.




Mostly, I'm just grateful for the Gameboy. To think I wouldn't let them play them for the first 3 months they were here. I have learned the value of a little box that makes aliens quiet.



Third...


3 adults in one household is hard. Harder than I could have imagined. Lately - I mostly feel like this about the situation. Its really, really hard.

Fourth...

Yes, mortgage interest rates are down...they are pretty volatile at the moment...and when the "Fed lowers rates" - its not the good old 30 year fixed mortgage rate that one might think - though it does have an affect on them. I'm crazy busy with work. I'm always at a computer. Always - all day Saturday...long days. So, the last thing on earth I usually want to do is come home and blog....but, it all means money. And money is good. Its really good and very needed.

But, don't worry...


There are snow days that make me want to blog. Since I've been blogging today - the blizzard has subsided and the Bishop has finished clearing our walks on his ATV. This is the BEST. CHURCH. EVER. (Grandpa is doing the porch right now). This is what my street looks like right now.

Good thing the aliens still like to help with the snow...though they can only withstand it for short periods of time.


So, there you have it - that's where I've been and what I've been doing. There's a long list of other stuff too...like - its Oscar time and I have lots of movies to see (lots on that on my OTHER blog.))
AND, I'm addicted to reading so many blogs out there - I had to stop leaving comments for fear someone would click on my page and see nothing exciting. But, really - there are some GOOD blogs out there.

So, what's the verdict? Am I forgiven? I must warn you - it might be a while before another snow day hits... So, to the 5 of you who read my blog - enjoy it while it snows!

Hope your holidays were...

I have been long absent from my blog (more on that in next post) - but, I have been blogging in my head for the last 2 months...so, I'm going to catch up a little. Hope your holidays were...


A Lot like this...



Maybe some like this...



Maybe a little like this...



Not like this at all...



Maybe a few moments of this...



Only a few brief seconds of this...


Almost all like this...



Hope everyone had good holidays...ours were crazy, crowded, fun, exasperating, joyful, overwhelming, filled with love and insane!

BYE, BYE for now!