Is Winter over yet?

I am so glad it's the last week of February. March is the beginning of the end of winter and the hope of spring to come!

Here's how we've spent our February:

Off track time for McKinley.

A week in St. George for Kent's work and our fun!

McKinley of course got sick.

Work has surged into full blown sick season! Boo! I need the money though. Why can't I get paid not to work?

New calling as the special needs YW Camp Director for the SJ area (while still teaching the 4-5 year-olds)

Found out I need braces again (but don't have $3000 to spend on them right now)

Kent went to Connecticut---he hates traveling and I am so jealous!

Hayden got sick (fever, throw-up x1, and cough) now developed into croup.

McKinley got sick (cough)

Sawyer got sick (fever, throw-up x1, and cough) Do we see a pattern???

I'd better not get sick!

I finished a couple books, made some pillows,
working on some curtains,

planning a vacation.

The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown

Summary: Another thrilling adventure by Dan Brown. This one centers in Washington D.C. and the Masons.

My thoughts: I've always been fascinated with the Masons, and with the founding Fathers. So this book was right up my interest alley. I love the symbology and explanations of ancient things the author gives. So interesting.

I kept wondering why people join a group like the Masons though. One thing the author said was that the mysteries drew people in which led to an interest in and a search for God. Hm, interesting.

But I do feel bad for Dan Brown. He is oh so close to grasping the truth...and then misses it completely. He needs to email me so I can set him straight on the nature of God, or send him a couple of 19 year-old yound men who could let him in on the secret too.

Pillows

I finished up my pillow project. I was a little nervous to do the hemstitching by hand, but it was actually really easy! I keep looking around my house to see what else I could hemstitch. The next project is curtains to go with the new pillows. I got my credit card rewards check to buy them yesterday. The ugly forest green mesh curtains that came with the house are down and on their way to the DI. YAY!

Jr. Jazz

McKinley finished up her second year of Jr. Jazz basketball. She had a lot of fun, and finally got the hang of getting in there and being aggressive in the game. We'll see if she wants to do it again next year.

Gregor and the curse of the Warmbloods

Summary and thoughts: Book 3 in the series. I was going to be content for a while and take a break from the series, but then Gregor told Mrs. Cormaci something and I have to find out where that's going!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Summary: the unfolding story of a writer who investigates the lives of the people on a British Island that was occupied during WWII and formed a literary society to survive it.

My thoughts: This was a cute and charming little story. It reminded me of "These is my Words" but in the format of letter correspondence instead of a journal, and the setting is England post-war instead of the pioneer west.

I am the Messenger

Finished this in St. George last week.

I am the Messenger
by Markus Zusak

It won the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

Summary: A 19 year old cab driver in Australia who's going nowhere and doing nothing in his life stands up to a robber at a bank robbery. Then one day he receives a playing card (an ace of diamonds) anonymously with three addresses on it. He tries to figure it out and do what he is supposed to do and be.

My thoughts: I liked the book, but it had a lot of crass language in it. The characters are Australian lower class young adults and they talk like it. I liked that this book makes you think about the assumptions you make about people and their lives.

My favorite lines from the book:

"Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are"

Snow Canyon 2

Today was the last full day of our mini-vacation. I think having two parents on a vacation might be easier (I hope). I am worn out by 7:00 p.m.! Luckily the kids are too.

Today we went back to Snow Canyon for a little hiking adventure. Then we had to stop by the sand dunes again on the kid's insistence. This time I got pictures.

Then back home again for lunch, a break, and swimming for the last time. We lasted an hour and a half in the teeth chattering water this time!

Tomorrow we'll hang around St. George until Kent gets to stop working and then we'll drive home!

I'm not looking forward to the crusty ice snow on my lawn. I hope it melted while I was gone.

Snow Canyon and swimming

We spent Wednesday out at Snow Canyon, which is fast becoming one of my favorite spots. It's got a nice little diversity for such a small area. We spent 2 hours at the sand dunes just digging and playing around. Then we went home for lunch, a break, and then swimming. I think they keep the water a tad on the cold side for the elderly lap swimmers and water aerobics classes. The kids all had chatter teeth.

Those boys look an awful lot alike in this picture...hmm the trouble twins.

the bluff

Today's adventure was hiking up on the bluff, searching for lizards (they must hibernate), playing at a fun park, a little rest time, then some more swimming. McKinley has been asking to go to bed at 6:00 every night, but holds out until her brothers can join her. She can't stand being left out of any action. Poor kid. She always gets sick when she's off track. But she insisted she wasn't sick enough to not go swimming.

St. George '10

Through a happy turn of events, we got to go to St. George again this year while Kent does some work down here (so...happy for us, not for Kent).

It's been sunny and in the 50's. Which doesn't sound great, but it has been a taste of spring for us and I've been loving it!

The first day was spent grocery shopping, getting some swimsuit essentials, going for a swim, and playing outside at the playground in just a warm jacket. Ahhh, I think I may survive this winter after all.

(Oh, McKinley did get my illness from last week, and is battling that while insisting on having fun)