~Valentines Weekend~

We had a wonderful Valentines weekend full of family time; the best way to celebrate. 

On Friday night we went out to Long Island and ate at Cheesecake Factory! The drive there and back, as well as the entire time we were out to eat was just wonderful to be together. There is something extra special about getting to drive somewhere here in NY; it's just nice to talk in the privacy of our own car. 

Saturday was bone chillingly cold! The wind was dropping the temperature to a -35 degrees! And we were crazy enough to go out in it. We dropped the boys off with my VT companion and her family so they could watch the boys, and Trav and I headed to the temple. Kicker was we took the subway to save money and froze to the bone, when thanks to subway construction it ended up being a wash; only in the car we could've parked at the temple... ah, oh well, right? The session was absolutely AmAzInG! Seriously, I've been on the verge of tears ever since; happy, spiritual tears:) 

~Sunday, Valentines Day~

Both Travis and I spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Charity and the Love of Christ. For the rest of church the men took over all the callings so the women could enjoy their meetings. Maddix gave a talk in sharing time as well, with Trav's assistance and then bore his testimony all on his own! I barely missed it! I was so devastated, but seriously so proud of him!! All of church was just perfect; such a wonderful and perfect day at church. At home the boys played while Trav cooked this amazing Valentines dinner (I helped a little): Potato Salad, Caesar Salad, lemon asparagus, the most delicious steak, and TRES LECHES!!!! AHH I just died while we ate; everything was perfect. 

And I think my favorite part was that this Valentines Day I just felt like all our hearts were in the right place. 

And that was our awesome Weekend. 

Now onto our last three weeks of "heavy" rotations and then we're home free! 

My FAVORITE!! 

Travis hadn't been home two minutes when this
happened! 

My BiRtHdAy~SuPeRbOwL!!

Tuesday was my birthday. 

It was also Groundhog's Day. 

Two good things happened this day: 

1. Our little Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early Spring 2. Travis took me to see WICKED!

I have been SO fortunate to scratch off some major Bucket List items this year living in New York, but I NEVER even dared to write "See Wicked" because I dreamed it was impossible... $$$. 

BUTTTT Broadway week is over the week of my birthday and tickets were buy 1, get one free! Needless to say, I had butterflies, I had no prior knowledge of the in's and out's of the play and I. Was. Blown. Away!!!! I can't get "Defying Gravity" out of my head! But I don't mind! 

Travis: 

Really excited about the Super Bowl. 

Completely done with being a med student; he is ready to move on.

Took Maddix to help stock the Bishop's Warehouse and really provided Maddix a good example and memory of giving Service. 

Lacey: 

Just WICKED... wicked cranky children, and a WICKED night on broadway;) 

And Wickedly missing my friends, the Sorensen's who moved. 

Maddix: 

More or less the same. With some nicer days. 

Loved going out with his daddy. 

Aaron: 

FUNNY. Cranky. Hyper. Minion to Maddix. 

Says, "I not a hansom boy, I a good boy." 

"Two tsums (thumbs) up!"<-- after going to the bathroom. 

Peeing on the toilet like a champ. Pooping in his pants like a chump. 

<I despise potty training>

Teething :*(

Bday Selfie

Add caption

Super Bowl goodies with some friends

Little Football fans

And a shout out "Happy Birthday" to my too cute and overly intelligent little niece, Keili!
Happy Birthday Keili! We miss you tons (you to Ali!)

A Travis Week

Travis:

His stressful trip turned into a "Travis week." After arriving at 4:30am Tues morning and doing his last interview that day, he was able to meet up with his good friend, Ajay who's living in Chicago and hung out for the day. Wed he worked. Thursday he set out to explore downtown Chicago, in a Ferris Beuler manner. While at the Art Institute of Chicago, he sent me the photo that Cameron stares at, then a close up of his face, and played out that scene:) That night he went to see Star wars and ended up with an entire theater to himself for the showing; lucky! Then Friday while trying to convince me he was just calling on a break he soon gave away that he received a text from the doctor that the power was out so he didn't have to go to work and he was driving home! I was SO excited!

Lacey:
I was slightly sick throughout the week so I played around with the boys a lot and put off cleaning and homework. I also took 5 days and de cluttered all the rooms in the house. I am so excited that everything is packed back in the boxes they should be in, and that I finally rid myself of tons of junk we had no business holding onto! I got to talk to a lot of family this week and am getting really excited about the activities we want to do in May when we visit Utah.

Maddix & Aaron:
This week THESE particular boys have been a real test of patients. We are extremely fortunate to have two healthy, intelligent, confident, and driven boys. But it's also very hard having two boys so active, smart enough to become sassy, fearless to the point of recklessness, and so determined to put their own mark on the world that they want NOTHING to do with your rules or authority. I know it's a stage, but I am so ready for the endless whining over losing at games, the hoarding of toys, outbursts over having to help out, the lying to test boundaries, and the surprising level of selfishness to go away. Again, I have good boys. Our boys are so loving and caring, and that's what makes it hard about this recent turn of behavior... because it's just SO not our good Boy. Where is that good boy? If i'm not mistaken... 5 is supposed to be the golden age: Terrible 2's, Thrashing 3's, Ferocious 4's, and the Fabulous 5's??? Also Aaron is currently asleep on the couch after a monstrous fit with his mouth in pain; apparently he is cutting a tooth and he does NOT feel well. Seeing as we can't leave the house with him like this I'm curious what we're going to eat because I'm supposed to be grocery shopping! Fridge surprise it is for dinner!

The boys were SO excited however, when they woke up Saturday morning to find their daddy home! He snuggled with them during morning cartoons, and then we went sledding at the park on what was left of the snow. This almost did not go well. The first time down the hill that the boys took, their weight together shifted the sled right into the fence around the baseball field, sending Aaron right into it. Travis and i ran over to find Aaron with a mouth full of blood. THANKFULLY, he'd only minorly bit his tongue and wanted to continue; we moved to a safer and less icy hill and continued with an afternoon of fun!! Then we went home and Travis helped me sift through boxes for de-junking that ended up in an afternoon of reminiscing over old memories! 

At church someone didn't show up for their talk and instead of filling in time, Bishop just announced we'd take this time to end early. So church ended 30 mins early:D 

At home i was so tired Trav had me nap 1 1/2hrs and I awoke to Aaron saying, "mom we make'd yu a birfday cake." And a Maddix rushing over, "No! No we're not. We're just, ya know, baking other stuff. It's not a cake. And it's not for you... Aaron, come on." And Travis made me a cake from scratch since he would be working on my birthday and I just thought it was entirely sweet of my boys; especially when the cake came out somewhat in pieces, and there was only a drizzle of icing. It was lovely irony for all the cakes I've ruined over the years:D 

The Bean

That face! 

Pure Joy! 

My boys! 

Trip down memory lane.
"I wonder if I still fit my scouting
shirt." Hahahaha! 

Aaron's face while singing! 

~What a Week~ Jimmy Fallon & Storm Jonas

So last week! 

Two memorable eVenTs: 

1. Jimmy Fallon Show & 2. Storm Jonas

Jimmy Fallon

First off, my awesome friend T flew in to go to the show with us, and my amazing friend from church, coupled with Carol and Dave split the time babysitting the boys so we could spend the day in Manhattan waiting and attending The Tonight Show. 

This was an incredible experience. We waited in the Peacock lounge where we filled out surveys for the family feud game they later played on the show. They escorted us to our seats in the theater and a warm up comedian hyped us into the mood for the Roots to take stage and then Jimmy, who soon followed through that magnificent blue curtain! The cast line up-Awful; however, on the commercial break he came into the audience and stood right next to John, T, and I. He answered T's question, and talked to us for the entire break. At the very end of the show when Jimmy went into the crowd for high fives Travis was one of the first ones you see on camera; he was so focused on the delivery of the high five, in his words he looked "like a tool." Our friend Whitney, next to him, had this amazing face after missing a five from Jimmy, and her husband... Tom... Well he was out there Dancing like a Loon!! Seriously, we watched it 100x's. 

What an incredible experience.

~StOrMaGedDoN~

This was equally incredible, if not more. We kept being told it was coming, but the skies were starry and clear. Even coming home from Jimmy Fallon, there were no signs. At 2:00am it started. It just kept coming. We received a lockdown notice so before that went into act, T and I "suited up" and traipsed through the snow to the grocery store to buy a few things. At home we ate our traditional "Snow Storm Oreo Shakes" (started in Poland). By the end of the night we received word the airport was shut down and Travis wouldn't be able to leave to Chicago, and T would be stuck with us a little longer. The only thing Trav could do... was jump in the snow... in nothing but gym shorts, just like he used to on swim team; he's a maniac. 

Sunday Trav woke with the idea he would dig the car out and drive through the snow buried streets.. 

BaHahahahahahahahaha.... right? 

It took him 2 hrs just to get a path cleared to the gate. The alley took 7 of us digging and snow blowing before we could get cars to maneuver in and out. He wasn't going anywhere. We ran into the problem of having nowhere to put the endless snow, so our neighbors suggested letting it blow into the backyards of the homes below us; this worked fine until a man came out and started yelling through the fence with my neighbor. Their conversation ended like this "this is illegal in Brooklyn!" "Well then go back to Brooklyn, ya bum! Here in Queens we have a sense of community!!" In the thickest accents I'd ever heard.

  Since T's flight was rescheduled for Monday night and the roads were slowly clearing up, she and I ran around Manhattan with almost No One else around (The museum was EMPTY!) before coming back to find out Travis could still make his rotation he left immediately. So he did. Then T soon followed. And it was just me and the boys...

... and that is where we're at. 

No Sidewalk... We had to walk in the roads

Trap trying to flatten the wall to pack on more snow

I've never been in this room without
Tons of other people! 

We've built a snow mountain and added a slide, I started back to school which of course, means I'm starting to get sick. Travis is staying with his friend, Ajay while in Chicago so he's enjoying himself. Before starting to feel ill, I've spent the past few days dejunking and trying to deep clean our place. Hopefully I'll finish before I just give up! 

They love the slide!

And that was our awesome week! We ended up with 27ish inches of snow, stood in the middle of our busy Metropolitan road with NO cars for a once in a lifetime experience, and have a constant stream of wet socks, hats, mittens, and boots surrounding our heaters!

Here's hoping THAT was our winter and we can just move onto Spring! ;)

Metropolitan with NO cars! Amazing!