We may as well start out this February wrap with a volleyball picture, because boy howdy, this was a condensed volleyball season (18s club season is packed full so all the committed players can get moving with their college teams before summer rolls around).
And I don’t think there could be a better team to spend time with than these gals for Claire.
Dave got to go with her to Austin (Lu and I were going to go as well, but dang ice storm cancelled our flight).
They played so well and not only got an open bid for Nationals, but made it to the “Power Pool” for the next tournament (which I swear we blinked and it was right there).
(More about that Austin tournament and the one before back HERE.)
February was also a month of hiking galore.
We went on so many hikes (and I had so many requests), I made up a little “desert hiking guide” for those who asked:
You can check it out HERE.
Lucy took a giant step and was finally willing to go to a day of classes at the Foundation for Blind Children:
This was a huge deal for all of us, and it was such a happy day (back HERE).
It was “bring your pet to school day,” or at least that’s what the seniors called it. They had fun in the parking lot since they weren’t actually allowed in school with their pets. Ha!
It was Valentine’s Day.
I sent this painting out to each of our Relief Society sisters with a little note and loved that way of connecting individually.
Have I mentioned how much I love those women? I feel so lucky to get to associate with them as much as I do.
(More about why I get to work with them back HERE.)
We did our traditional kitchen Valentine’s “heart attack,”
I had to take pictures of a few of Lucy’s…that girl sure knows how to write up sweet things!
Sent a little love to our missionary:
Made a little love for Valentine’s night with our heart-shaped pizzas:
That turned out pretty funny, but still pretty yummy (back HERE).
Speaking of Valentines, here are two sets I adore:
And here’s my number one Valentine who I got to go explore a new land with in conjunction with Valentine’s Day…
Also to celebrate Dave’s 50th a year and a half ago (our trip got covid-cancelled), and my birthday too. It was a process to get there:
But man alive, was it ever worth it!
I’ll come back and link all the details here when I get around to posting about it, but for now I will say it was pretty happy:)
Lucy got some cousins to come over for a movie night…and we also got to go to lunch from school (tough to find days for those dates as kids get older! And also tough to get pictures as you can see below on the right), but hey, I’ll take any time I can get with that girl!
(More about lunch dates and “motherhood ideas I love” back HERE.)
Some more dates with this girl:
And more Lucy news, for as much as she yearns to have friends over, every now and again she succeeds to have a whole slew of darling girls over. This was a game night she planned while we were out of town:
Dave and I got home just in time for the Super Bowl…sure love doing our Super Bowl cooking together with these girls.
Remember how I mentioned at the top of this post that Claire and her team made it to the “Power Pool”?
Pretty big honor.
I can’t remember which tournament that pic is from, but there you go.
Meanwhile Grace was serving in Killeen, Texas getting ready to wrap up her mission:
…and we were trying to get Claire time at home:
That girl was as busy as could be in February with all that volleyball travel as well as her final college application and talking to college coaches, etc.
Can you tell how excited she was about it all late at night this night?
Ha! She really did work her tail off.
Dave and I took advantage of all the opportunities we could to hang with our friends who are leaving to serve as mission presidents for the church this summer:
More mission:
Orange season:
SPRING!
Cello lessons still going strong:
Still as scratchy as can be but I’m not giving up!
Lucy is still making beautiful music:
She fills the whole house with it and I LOVE it.
I thought this was funny.
Because it is so true sometimes!
More mission:
On to Kansas City for Claire (with her best chaperone):
Fun that these two were able to visit some church history things there:
I wish they would do a guest post about that but let’s not get our hopes up.
Wish I could have been there, but love that they got to be together amidst all that volleyball hoopla:
Meanwhile back home Lu and I soaked up spring, and a movie night:
(Did you know peanut butter m&ms are pretty great mixed up in popcorn? Just wanted to let you know:)
One of Elle’s best growing-up friends happened to show up at her church on Sunday (they were in town and didn’t even know it was Elle’s ward, love reunions like that!) And also, we got to “hang” with Grace over FaceTime:
Friends I love:
And loved meeting up with other friends I love from high school for our year-of-turning-50-celebration:
LOTS more about that HERE.
I came home a day and a half earlier than everyone else so I could be with the girls while Dave headed out on his own friend gathering (annual ski trip)
I was sad to hear myself away, but it was one of those time where you just know exactly where you need to be and I was so happy to hug up Lucy (Claire was gone to MORP), and Bo just about had a heart attack from her sheer excitement. How does a dog love a lady so much??
Claire had the BEST time at MORP:
(Theme was “famous couples”…or was it “Disney”? I can’t remember but they sure had fun.)
And the day after, got asked to prom:
Lucy had her final basketball banquet:
Oh boy, couldn’t be more grateful for these people and this experience.
(more about Lucy’s basketball manager stint HERE.)
My friend and her family invited Lucy to go bowling with them:
The sweetest gesture. I am so overwhelmed with such simple and wonderful kindnesses.\
LOVED seeing these couples together in Miami before Max and Abby left on their cruise (with Max’s work):
Claire had a tournament all of us had forgotten about but luckily we made it to, even with Lucy in tow:
Meanwhile Dave was finishing up his ski trip with all these good guys:
And we were all happy to be reunited when he arrived home from his trip with Denny in tow.
We made a make-shift late dinner and Lucy finished baking her half-done cookies and life is just in continual motion.
Sweetness from a friend:
Sweetness coming from the piano:
In the midst of all this motion swirling around at the end of February, Claire GOT HER OFFER FROM POINT LOMA and had so much swirling around in her head and heart about that.
And that story is actually still unfolding which I’ll have to talk about soon.
For now, there’s a February wrap!!
