Highlight of the day today was a visit to the Jordan River Temple for a session with Derek.  There is a SECOND new temple video out, and that's the one we got to see.  I love the new videos, and Derek was also impressed.  We had a great time, with a wonderful spirit.  I am very much enjoying my time with Derek, and am glad he could make it up here this weekend.

Night Out

Tonight was fabulous!  Derek is on his way up, and I got to go to dinner with some old friends.  Kim and Saundra date back to high school days in the old West Valley neighborhood.  We had a great time catching up and it was very much like old times.  Kim's youngest little guy hung out with us, and he is super cute.  Thanks for the fun evening, ladies!

Continuing work on my Valentine project.  It's coming along nicely.

I am modeling my new scarf, today, which warranted a picture.  Any reason to get me in a picture is taken advantage of. 

SWEET little Meemer...she will periodically go into her room and clean it, bed making included.  Then she will come running to me to tell me to come and see her work.  She can be the most precious little thing.  And to my discredit, I've certainly never taught her how to make her bed!  

This evening we hit a cupcake place nearby...there are a couple here that have won on cupcake wars, so they make some good stuff. 

The girls hammed it up while we took a picture.  Yay for cupcakes! 

Both Mimi and Mac had parts to participate in in Primary, today.  Of course, I spaced it with Mac...I thought she had a talk, but she was supposed to do the prayer.  So we had two talks and a volunteer for the prayer.  No sense in telling a kid they can't give a talk!  They both did super great.

This little guy has been missing for some time.  I had hidden it too well when I was trying to keep it out of the girls' hands.  :)  I found it up on a random shelf in the kitchen cupboards.  But, now Leiden can play her new game from Christmas!  Phew!  I was worried it was lost forever.

Dinner was at Pete and Susan's tonight, and we celebrated both a birthday and my parents' 42nd anniversary!  They had entirely too much fun.

But then, they have too much fun just being together.  I hope to emulate their relationship someday.  Congratulations, Mom and Dad!

After girls were in bed, I started on Valentine craft projects.  This one included painting a board with interior house paint.  I'm pretty excited about this one.  :)

Mac and Mimi went to town today with crafting.  They got all the cotton goods out and the glue.  Mimi enjoys crafting.  She often asks me if she can make a craft, and she does much more than just drawing pictures.  She glues things, and cuts things out, and colors them.

Mac was also into the crafting.  I think all my cotton balls are gone, now. 

Later this evening we had a family movie night, where we watched Despicable Me 2.  At the end, when the music is playing and the story has its happy ending, the girls opted to have a dance party.  They are pretty darn funny. 

Pans

Got a new set of pans this last weekend...they are AWESOME.  Cooked up some eggs this morning and they worked like a charm! I have some pretty old pans, so these were long overdue.

Joe's Show

The annual, (or whenever!)  Joe's Show was tonight!  He had some really cool pieces.  He does amazing work.  Derek picked up a couple things he liked.

We finished the evening with dinner with my parents and Madison.

This has been a great weekend, and today was no different.  Yesterday we met up at Temple Square and spent some time there wandering through the exhibits and the grounds, then went to family Sunday dinner, where Derek met some of my family and we enjoyed a Sunday evening with great food and company.  

Today we went shopping and ran around City Creek.  I liked this restaurant the first time I went to it, summer 2012, so we thought we'd try it again.  And it's still awesome!

Hill

Have a military friend here from out of town this weekend...we are having such a great time.  Last night was a date, at Sixth and Pine, found in the Nordstrom downtown at City Creek.  The girls are with Brad, so today we spent most of our time up at Hill Air Force Base.  I've never been on an Air Force Base, and it was fascinating.  We visited the BX and the commissary, and generally had a great time checking it all out.

I really like this guy.  :)

His name is Derek.

Seriously, these are the best...one was just installed recently at our neighborhood Five Guys.  I love it.  Current favorite is vanilla ginger ale.  So good.

Selfies!

I appear to have turned into a 17 year old, although at 17 I certainly didn't have a cell phone at all, let alone one with photographic capabilities...I take a lot of selfies these days...I'm never in pictures, otherwise, and I had a friend who needed to be convinced I was actually up, dressed, and ready for the day this morning.  :)  I figure that perhaps the more I take pictures of myself, the more I have a chance of liking some of them.  STILL don't like pictures of me, particularly not ones I take myself.

We Believe...

Mimi was so excited and proud this week because she got to do the Article of Faith.  She is so sweet to watch in Primary.  She is so earnest, and sits there so quietly and reverently.  She tries to sing the songs, and is doing a great job!  Way to go Meemer!

Night Out

Headed out with my parents and their friends tonight for dinner group.  My social life is AWESOME!  Actually, it really is.  I have always loved hanging out with the 'grown ups', and a night out is a night out!  My social life may be changing here in a bit, anyway, but more to follow on that.  :)

The night was made most notable by the first time trying escargot for my dad.  He wanted to many years ago in Paris, and never got to do it.  So we'll do it here in Salt Lake City, UT at a fish joint.  Sounds about right to me.  He said they were good, which really just means the butter garlic sauce they are in is good, as they don't really have much taste. 

Fun night out with the dinner group!

Mimi was thrilled at the checkout at Joann's today.  She found some great little St. Patrick's day stuff...really funny, actually.  I'm still trying to figure out how she knew the beard was even a beard...here we have a crown.

My personal favorite, that clearly made it to Instagram, was the leprechaun hat with the beard.  Bonus...the lighting and then the editing filter on this picture make her hair look like it has a little bit of an irish red tint.  Perfect. 

She came home and immediately set to mixing play dough colors, but making a great little ice cream cone.  Complete with cherry and stem on top.  SO CUTE. 

Mrs. Crowder had her farewell open house today, and we all went.  Leiden and her friend, Gabby, wanted a picture together with her.  Leiden has loved Mrs. Crowder, and was very privileged to have her as a teacher this year.  Leiden tends to excel regardless, but it's always nice to have a teacher who is aware and very consistent and diligent in her care of the students in her class.   We will miss her!

Snowy

I looked out the window and what did I see?  Snow!  Again!  Love it.  It's a fairly light dusting, but it's there!

It kind of kept coming down all day.  We had to brave the school for a few minutes today after we took Mac, and it was snowy!

I opted to spend the rest of the day warm in the house, relaxing and cozy.

Took Mac and Mimi to get their hair cut again, yesterday.  I didn't get pictures then, so I grabbed some today.  Little Mimi's hair is still super uneven, but with each passing day we get closer to back to normal!  We must either put it up every day or use clips, though.  I really just have to shake my head.

But she is darn cute, anyway.  Who needs evenly cut hair?

Mac got hers trimmed, too, and stacked up even more in the back.  She appears to be happy about it, although I think she's happiest about the cute little claw clip the hair lady gave her.

And she's awfully cute, too.

Leiden's teacher, Mrs. Crowder, is retiring early, and had her last day in the classroom this week.  Her new teacher, Mrs. Church, had an open house this afternoon, which we attended, and brought her a little treat to welcome her and introduce ourselves.  The beauty of new teachers and schools is that you can reuse cute ideas!

Play Dough

Made this awesome play dough today.  I really love the recipe, because it's easy and it smells good because it's made with kool-aid!  I store each color in a quart size bag, and as long as they get put away and sealed back up, it lasts for a long time!  The biggest problem we have is Mimi mixing up the colors.  They start out so clean and separate.  But I can understand the appeal!

Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam!

It was Mimi's first week in Primary!  I can't believe she is such a big girl, ready to be attentive and participate in the activities with the big kids.  She was even called on today to find something during singing time, and she gladly obliged.  She did a fabulous, and I mean remarkable job sitting still and quiet during the entire time she was in the room.  I guess all things considered she is almost 4, and has been attending preschool for months, which could account for her ability to stay quiet when she needs to.

Here she is, heading off to her first class with the Sunbeams.  Of course, she towers over the other children.

It was so fun to have her in Primary today...to see her trying to sing, and waving at me!

The Range

Another trip to the range this morning.  I am enjoying seeing my groupings getting smaller and becoming more comfortable with the weapon.  I suppose deadly force can be a little addicting.  :)  I am shooting the same gun every time, and I think it is the one I will eventually purchase.

I think I've gotten Mac away from thinking guns are terrible horrible things, and slow exposure to the idea that her mom shoots one is going well.  Although when she saw this picture, she thought I was fishing.  Hmm.  

Skating!

This afternoon we broke out the new skates!  Mac and Leiden got all geared up, with Rudolph's kind addition of knee, elbow, and wrist pads, their helmets, and the skates!

Leiden is doing a good job with the in-line skates.  She has been ice skating a lot with Brad, and the skills seem to cross over pretty well.

Mac was having a great time shuffling around on her traditional roller skates.  And yes, she is outside in snowy weather in just a shirt and pants.  They definitely come from Minnesota!

They are very pleased with Santa's offering, and I imagine we will have many fun afternoons with them zipping around the driveway and sidewalks.