February started off with a little post-birthday date to Sedona with this guy:

We did four awesome hikes and I think I was smiling the whole entire time.

Way more on that weekend date to Sedona back HERE.

Got ready for Valentine’s Day:

Lots more on that back HERE.

It was the tail-end of orange glory season. My favorite season in all the land:

(…and we made LOTS of freshly squeezed orange juice to celebrate.)

My sister Charity had TWINS a few months ago, (and I’m dying to meet and snuggle them up, see more about them on her blog HERE). Her husband had the opportunity to give those two sweetie babies of theirs some father’s blessings. And because of Zoom, we ALL got to be there:

Loved being a part of that so much!

The sky was pretty. Aren’t clouds just the coolest? Look at those paintbrush ones down at the bottom of this picture:

Somehow over the years of Dave loving the Super Bowl and trying to have us all join in, Lucy has fallen in love with that little family business and has become the perfect little hostess. I loved how she just snapped into action to get everything situated and set for everyone to enjoy the game:

Lucy also got to accompany me to the high school for her own HIGH SCHOOL ORIENTATION.

YOW!

I honestly canNOT believe this is happening. She is pretty jazzed about the whole deal, even though her mother isn’t quite ready.

Every night we possibly can, the three of us head out to bask in the sunset.

We did some polar plunges, this girl and I:

I think that is a little bit crazy (because it was COLD and took our breath away for sure), but I think it’s also good for the soul.

We also got these eyes checked on:

It may seem, so far in this post, like we may only have one kid still at home.

I mean, where in heaven’s name is Claire???

That’s a question we ask ourselves quite often. I tell you, that girl is in and out like nobody’s business. To a picnic, to volleyball, to the gym, to watch film for volleyball, to ACT training, blah blah blah, she’s not around much.

But she she is still here. And she’s still our girl. And she still does things with a certain amount of flair:

HA!

She had to dress up as an 90’s girl for something and she sure had fun with it:

She sure learned and practiced a lot of volleyball in February! And we parents got to even be IN ATTENDANCE at this scrimmage (all masked up and socially distanced, of course, but it felt so good to be there!).

She was also a Golden Scholar:

They didn’t have a ceremony to celebrate that this year, just a little paper she brought home, but I told her she sure should be proud of herself! (And that I was pretty proud of her too 🙂

Dinner is still kinda weird with only two kids. Sometimes we do fancy stuff, but most often we are pretty simple around here. Has anyone tried these square pizza/flatbread crusts from Trader Joe’s?

They are good.

And pretty much our favorite dinner around here lately is bruschetta. Everyone goes hog-wild over this:

We got some complimentary tickets to the local botanical gardens (back HERE) and were so blown away by all the beauty:

Dave got to go skiing with his Dad and siblings. I’m so so happy they did that, I know it was a pretty precious opportunity.

I wrote all about that and the rippling effects of parenthood back HERE (Dave’s Dad taught them all how to ski so beautifully and made it part of their family culture).

Of course, we had to make valentine’s sugar cookies:

And we ooooo’d and ahhhhh’d over sunsets and blossoms:

…and the gorgeous ever-changing sky:

Another Valentine’s Day came and went:

All about Valentine’s Day back HERE.

I listened to this and I’m still thinking about it:

Wrote lots of my thoughts about that and creation back HERE.

I also listened to this two times:

…and it is SO GOOD. You can click HERE to listen to it.

This sweet, sweet woman came to visit Lucy. She is an author and has written a book kind of based on her story and offered to teach her some creative writing, something I HOPE Lucy will take her up on some day.

People are so good.

I couldn’t get enough of all the blossoms all over the place.

And meanwhile my missionary was in Texas where the world was freezing over:

(All about that back HERE.)

After taking a little hiatus, I started up my bread-baking once again:

More world spring transformation:

Lucy got to start up her MCO choir again after a long hiatus and I got this picture of her at school that I loved:

I read this book:

…about a lady who is deaf and blind, and talked all about it back HERE.

Our chalkboard changed from some pretty good scripture advice to some pretty good Great Grandfather advice:

(I wrote about that quote I love so much from my Grandpa back HERE and also HERE).

Love these two Utahns:

Went hiking (and got a call from my Texas missionary who was in the middle of a deep freeze at the top of that hill).

I’m sure I’ve shared this painting before, but it reminds me of so many people I love right now:

Sometimes I can almost feel the angels trying to help carry burdens.

I so believe in angels.

Sisters Zoom calls:

Dave got to go on his annual ski trip with his college friends:

I love that he gets to do that.

Tried kale chips:

No takers.

Sister love:

And their mom really loves them too.

There’s a lot to this lemonade stand story:

But the short story was that Lucy was determined to do it, got it all situated, was amazed that we could really pick lemons from our tree and make fresh lemonade, got everything set up out there, proceeded to let me know how boring it was, but ended up earning some good cash.

Max and Abby came for a visit, and we all felt how Lucy looks in this picture about that:

I wrote about their visit back HERE.

We did “poetry night” where we memorized and recited a beautiful quote from my Grandpa:

(Back HERE.)

And then my sisters arrived!

(and we joined up with my brother for a little reunion)

Lots more about that in “March Little Things” coming up soon.

And there’s a wrap for February.

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