Valentine's Day

I know Valentine's Day gets a bad wrap for being a Hallmark holiday and that we should tell the people we love that we love them everyday, but I don't care!  I like Valentine's Day and I was excited for it this year!  After all, this was my first time actually having a valentine.  I must be a romantic at heart!  I even bought myself a new outfit for the occasion.  James and I had a great time!  He picked me up and we went up to his sister's in Woods Cross.  We had dinner with her and her husband and then went back to their house and I taught them how to play PR (progressive rummy...Cosby family game).  It was so fun!  One of the things I love about this boy is how wonderful his family is!  Here are a couple of pictures we took of ourselves before we left for Woods Cross.  

When James showed up at my house, I opened the door to him holding a HUGE present for me.  He wanted me to open it up immediately.  This is what is was...

I am in love with it!  I love maps!  He did such a great job!  I can't wait to get it up on the wall in my new "family room".  I have converted Olivia's old bedroom into a second family room.  Yes, my couch, chair, entertainment center, TV, coffee table, floor lamp, and two ottomans are somehow crammed into this room.  I'll take pictures of the new setup soon (once the pictures are all hung!). 
After our time in Woods Cross, I had James open my present to him.  Have you ever found the most perfect gift for someone and you COULD NOT wait until they opened it?  Well, that was this present.  James and I have been watching all the seasons of Downton Abbey because I had never seen them.  I found a 2-day Downton Abbey cooking class that we are both going to take in March.  This was accompanied with a Downton Abbey cookbook.  James loves to cook.  I hope to be eating like the Crowley's for many years to come!  He was pretty excited about it all!  My first Valentine's Day with my very own valentine was a success!!

Cousin Time

Kara and Isaac came up to visit for a few days last week.  We mostly just hung out at Amy's and talked and ate.  The big event of the weekend was the BYU basketball game.

Sophie used to say that James was scary.  Now they are "buddies" as she told Amy the day after the game.  See the snow falling...barf!

Don't ever look like a full blown kid!  My little Sophie Bug isn't so little anymore.

Matching Cougar cousins!

Me and the boy!

BYU basketball games make Jack overjoyed!  I love when he gets to come with me!

All ready for church...not sure what this pose and face was all about!

Buggy told me that she was talking to James on the phone.  I think she has a little crush!

Isaac always has a ball of some sort.  Can't wait to see what sport he ends up sticking with!

We jammed all the car seats in Kara's back seat and Amy sat in the trunk for our ride to church.  Haha!

It is always so fun to be together.  Unfortunately, every time we are all together, everyone ends up getting sick.  Sunday night Jack threw up, then Monday Kara and Isaac were sick.  I threw up on Tuesday in the middle of my business trip to Denver in front of my boss, her boss, and her boss's boss.  Awesome!  I hope that all these kiddos can always be good friends.  I love all my cousins and think its so great when cousins are close.  Hurray for cousin time!

BYU Basketball Game with my Wright Cousins

 Last weekend, Jake and Olivia were out of town so I invited two of my cousins to join James and I at the BYU basketball game.  Imagine my delight when I went up to their door to pick them up and Jacob was dressed like this...

 Yep, that's my kind of fan there!  From head to toe Cougs!  Absolutely love it!

I'm so happy Alyssa and Jacob could come with us.

 James and I can be quite dorky...

 He is really the sweetest and best ever!

 

 Jacob got on the jumbotron and got to ring the victory bell afterward and meet Cosmo.  I think it was the best night of his life.

Kinda hard to see but you can see his blue arms and legs.  He moved down closer to the court with a friend to get on the big screen.

 

Too bad the Cougs are proving to be not so awesome this season.  More to come on this topic, but this game was sure fun with the cousins!

Antarctic January

Let's all thank the heavens above that January 2013 is over.  Worst Utah January of my life.  Ok, so the weather was the worst of my life, but everything else about life was just great!  I got to spend lots of time with this boy...

BYU basketball game

 And lots of time with these two...

 

Jack even joined me for a basketball game one night...

Jack and Jimmer!

Enjoying a Cougar tail

He told me this was his serious face and you can see the half bag of popcorn he spilled on the floor.

Love this kid!  He was asking so many good questions about basketball.  He really started getting a grasp of what it's all about.  So fun!

 Here is proof of the awful January...

I was a little premature in taking this picture but the total snow fall for January this year was 29.5".  Vomit!

Few things make my grumpier than being cold and having to scrape my windows every single morning while being cold.  I cursed this land every single morning during January I think.  My heart longs to be outside and to go for runs in the great outdoors.  Temperatures like these forbid such action.  I used to laugh at talk of seasonal depression, but I really think these weather patterns started to take a toll on my very soul.  We went like 10 days without seeing the sun.  It makes me want to cry.  The good news is that I've lived here almost 15 years now and there has never been a winter like this.  Lets hope it is at least another 15 years before another one rolls around.  Onto to February!