January wrap up

January felt slow and yet I am surprised it is over. After Brandon's birthday Josh left town for the week. We did WARMS that Sunday night with the Rays and it went well. I'm glad my kids get to serve and hopefully appreciate that they have a wonderful home to live in and food to eat. I mostly spent the week playing games and doing puzzles with my parents while still running the kids around, teaching piano and cooking a lot. I helped my mom put together her recipe book. She is a fantastic cook and there are a lot of family recipes so I found a website that will publish her book and she typed them all in and I edited and ordered it. She got one for each grand kid and daughter and I think it is going to be wonderful to have. I appreciated their company while Josh was gone and it was nice they could go pick up Curtis from track while I was teaching. 

Friday morning I drove them to the airport and then I made it back in time to get the girls to dance and then Lily volunteered at the glow dance at Evergreen for NHS and Josh finally made it home after some trouble by 9pm. We had been having issues with the washing machine so I finally scheduled a repair person to come that Saturday morning and he said it would cost more to repair it than buy a new one so that was sad. We have also been having car issues and Cody came to help out that morning and told us it was much more serious than just the censor we had thought it was so that was also sad. Brandon had a basketball game and he is playing well; it is fun to watch him play. Then he went to a baseball clinic and Lily went to a party and then Josh and I went on a date. It was the first time we'd really been alone in over a month so that was nice. We used mom's Christmas gift cards and went to dinner and then to Lowe's to buy a new washing machine. Not super romantic but it was nice to just be together and to be able to talk. 

Monday was a day off so that was super. I invited the Wiests to come do piano lessons (I teach all three kids now so it takes awhile) and then stay for games and dinner. It was a nice afternoon/evening and we also got our new washer so I could do laundry again. That next Tuesday I took the morning off from life and just rested. I had been caring and feeding for 8 people for weeks and it was so nice to be alone and not have to do anything so I literally laid on my couch and read for four hours. It was so nice and I finished my book for book club, which was that night. Wednesday was a delay so I missed my gym time but it was nice to sleep in and Thursday I went to the temple, which is always wonderful. 

There were some car problems that week but we decided to go ahead and get ours fixed but now something else is wrong with it that just makes it uncomfortable to drive, though not unsafe. So we're car shopping and trying to figure out what to get with having two new drivers soon. Saturday was stake conference and it was wonderful. Lily had dance and Brandon had basketball and Curtis had indoor track conference championships but then I got to go to the adult session and it was amazing. Every speaker was awesome, including my favorites, Michelle and Josh. I played the piano for Tony and that went relatively well and then I just got to sit back and listen to great talks and be taught so well. We went back Sunday morning and it was also great; Elizabeth spoke and some great teenagers and of course President Bracey and President Boyd. It is funny that even just 10 years ago our stake leaders seemed so grown up and experienced and now that is my husband and friends and peers. 

This past week has been busy with cleaning projects and I went to a lunch thing at Colleen's house because Michelle said I should go and I worked out and then I got a really bad cold that has me quite congested. The kids had off yesterday and I took Lily out for her Christmas date to Leonardtown. We walked down the wharf and went to Social to try their hot chocolate and Mac and cheese (she still likes Panera better but the hot chocolate was tasty) and then we walked some more and shopped at the book store and then we got ice cream. It was fun to be with my girl and while I wasn't feeling super so I wasn't very chatty, we had a good time together. Josh and I also went to a nice dinner Sister Campbell set up with some community groups that our church has worked with for service projects. There were just about 10 of us there but it was nice to meet some new people and have dinner made for us. I again wasn't feeling super well so I was very glad when we could come home and I could get in my PJs and we could chill with the kids but it was nice, and a shout out to Michelle for being the bestest friend and getting my girls home from dance for me even though it was totally inconvenient for her. 

Welcome February! It is historically my most challenging month of the year so I am trying to make goals and stay busy and not let the financial stress of January get to me. I am excited for Curtis to turn 15 and for Josh to be home for Valentine's day and for Lily to hopefully get her license if we can get in enough driving hours over the next three weeks.