It's a...

We went to Amanda's for the gender reveal cake this evening. Jamie Gillman aka cakebakedblondie on instagram, made this beautiful cake that is either pink or blue on the inside. Amanda had given her the envelope with the results of the ultrasound in it. Lilly had a paper for us all to write our guess down, or what we wanted it to be. Joel and Kristen were there too. Nate did a live youtube video for his family. Amanda cut into the cake and even though she couldn't see the color yet, David started to whoop and cheer and Lilly took off down the stairs to cry on her bed. Amanda got the piece out and it was blue! After we finished filming and cutting pieces, Nate went down to cheer Lilly up. When she came back up I tried to tell her one of the perks of being the only girl (as I grew up with 3 brothers) and that is that you always get your own room! She had some ice cream but didn't want to eat BLUE cake. Walter was happy! He enjoyed every bit of it! We hope Lilly warms up as she did to Walter. I guessed boy. I didn't win anything though, except another grandchild to love! 

Valentines day

We got a little more snow last night. Always a happy thought for me. For Valentines this year I wrote on the menu "Surprise Dinner" and he has been worried about it! Mostly because I told him I wouldn't be eating it. I tried making salmon in the instant pot. It turned out okay, but wasn't cooked all the way, so we threw it back in to try and cook it some more, but it kind of ruined it. There is a reason I haven't cooked salmon for him in 36 years and I won't ever do it again! The smell. Ooooh, I just can't handle it! Hopefully he knows how much I love him that I even tried it! I also made his favorite bread pudding and then we celebrated by going to the temple. It was a lovely evening, but the apartment still smelled like fish when we got home! Amanda was supposed to find out the gender of her baby today, but had the technician write it and put it in an envelope.  We will all find out tomorrow! Stay tuned for the gender reveal!

Cute little stinker!

This little 19 month old is sure a cutie!  I love spending my days with him. We always have a little snack and watch a Mickey Mouse show before naptime. He gets pretty into it. He loves the hot dog dance (got gog) and will even get up and dance now and then. But today he was a fast little stinker! He somehow reached my brand new bottle of mod podge and when I jumped up to get it from him, he was already running towards the hall with it. He was holding it by the lid and somehow that lid came off! The bottle hit the tile and tipped over onto the hall carpet! It all happened soooo fast! The look on his face and the squealing as he was running to get away from me. Oh my goodness. Today it was a good thing he was cute! We will need a steam cleaner to get it all up. I used hot water and rags until I felt like I had gotten a lot of it up, but I know I really didn't. It has dried a little stiff tonight. Our landlords will be happy to see us go for sure now!  ha ha.  

North and South...Always.

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I LOVE this movie. When Donna came to visit I made her watch it and now she is hooked too! We watched it on Netflix even though I own the DVDs. I told her Netflix had cut out a scene, so I got my DVDs out and there were a TON of deleted scenes! Not whole scenes, but little snippets here and there that totally explained other things that were said and done. So on a snowy day when I didn't have Walter (maybe Martin Luther King Day?) I turned my DVDs on to watch it ALL again. I can seriously watch it over and over. But I will not watch the Netflix one anymore! Of course the best part is the train station scene and it will forever be in my opinion the MOST ROMANTIC SCENE EVER. But another favorite scene is the look on his face when he realizes "it was her brother." Oh. My. Goodness. Anyway, Donna ordered the movie but it was the same Netflix version. I showed her the "correct" version to buy. Not sure if she has traded it yet, but only watch the FULL VERSION! If anyone else wants to be introduced to Mr. Thornton and Margaret Hale, just say the word and I'll watch it with ya! 

Even better snow!

Wow what a storm!  Now THIS is great snow! Wet and deep! They did forecast this storm and they got it right! I am loving it! I had to go to the top of the steps again to take pics. We actually got snow outside our door and that never happens!  We are totally under an awning so you know the wind had to be blowing just the right direction for it to cover my little bike and plants (fake plants). The stroller is at the top of our stairs and totally under awning. I don't think we will be taking any walks with it! It is a good day to stay in and make fabric rosettes. Making a valentine heart for Kristen and Joel. I have made them now for all my daughters and daughters-in-law. It is the month of LOVE!

First and Last Pack Meeting...

Jacob has been 8 since August, but for one reason or another, this was his first "official" pack meeting.  He got to carry the American Flag for the flag ceremony and he got some awards. This also happens to be David's last pack meeting because he has now turned 11.  I didn't get any pictures from our birthday dinner with him at Culvers...but yes, he did turn 11.  WOW time flies! Anyway, he earned his Webelos award and got to pin his mom, and he was also awarded his Arrow of Light. He got an actual arrow with different colored feathers symbolizing different things. Walter was awarded a cookie for being so cute! In other good news, we offered on a house in Lehi and our offer was accepted!  We are finally on our way to owning a house in Utah!!! To say we are excited is an understatement...Hansen's son's family needs to move into this apartment as they listed their house and are having one built. They need to live here while it gets built. We have GOT to get out of the apartment! So thankful we found a house we can live in (it needs fixing up some as it is 25 years old, but it will be so great to be in our OWN HOUSE!

Snow!

We finally got some good snow!  It looks so pretty!  I wish I could have watched it as it was falling, but from our basement window we can't see much of anything.  I walk up to the top of the stairs to take these pictures.  It is good wet snow and that is what we need! I am thankful for it!

Jacob's game...

 We made it to one of Jacob's games. He was all about defense!  No matter which side of the court he was on, he was on his guy...hands out, ready to block him! It was so funny and cute. Look out for #27!  He is a blur he is so fast, and he will block his guy on either end of the court and watch out for his scary, in your face eyes!  ha ha. What a cutie. We had fun watching him play. 

Cookies and books...

Today Walter and I got to go to Jacob's classroom to read and have cookies! While we were waiting in the hall for the kids to come in from the playground, we saw some of Lilly's artwork in the hallway. The picture is a little blurry (my pictures are ALWAYS blurry!) but her details in art are amazing! She colors very neatly, and she was about the only one who cut out carefully around all the owl's heads. I was impressed. Then Jacob's class came and we went inside. He decided to read to me The Tale of Despereaux. I had JUST bought this book at DI over the weekend. It was fun to have him read the first several chapters to us. Walter sat pretty good on my lap, especially once the cookies came around! Jacob took his picture for me. It's always fun to go to the kids' school and see what their classrooms and teachers are like. Now I need to finish reading that book at home! 

Loves...

I just love, love, love this snow!  And how pretty it makes everything look! Timp is so gorgeous covered in snow! And I just love, love, love how much Walter loves balls!  He will say "catch!" a hundred times a day. Just wants to play ball all day. He loves to throw it like he's making a basket and I think he thinks my pie towel is a basket!  He will throw it up against that wall (any ball, not just the soccer ball) and catch it again when it comes back down. Over and over. The last picture is of him doing the same thing, getting ready to shoot the ball up towards that funny little inside porch light that must look like a basketball hoop! I just love watching him and playing catch with him!