WE'RE DEBT FREEEEEEEEEEEE!

Everything except the house! We just got our tax returns and we've officially paidoff the last of Scott's student loans (it's hit the checking account and everything) and we've fully funded our emergency fund. Next on the list....the rest of our food storage and then the basement! It feels amazing! We've never been ones to have credit card debt, but we have had car loans and student loans in the past. When we moved out here four and a half years ago I started listening to Dave Ramsey and I was totally on board with wanting to pay off cars and then pay for everything cash from there on out, it did take a while to get Scott totally on board, though. It takes a while to change that mindset that you need a car loan, but once he figured it out, there's been no turning back! As most of you know we bought our first car for cash a year and a half ago before Indie was born. And now that we are done paying off all debts but the house we have so much more money to work with every month. It's crazy how blessed you can be when you follow the counsels of the living prophets. It will take several months of saving, but we will be able to finish our basement for cash and when that's finished we'll have plenty to put away for retirement and college for the kids. It's a crazy and uncommon lifestyle, but I highly recommend it!

Hockey

We got some free tickets to a Grizzlies hockey game and so we went Saturday night. We didn't stay the whole time, but it was sure worth it! Isn't anything free worth it?

The tickets were on the first row, right on the ice!

The kids loved being so close to the action.

Even Indie had a good time.

Scott and I got a good laugh out of the messages that were posted on the big screen between periods. Mostly there were things like "Happy Birthday, Jonathon!" There was one though that I just couldn't get over. It said, "To my lovely pregnant wife, Happy Belated Valentine's Day!" I'm sorry, but if you goofed Valentine's Day you absolutely should NOT try to make up for it by posting that on the big screen at a HOCKEY game! Especially when your wife is pregnant.

Annie-no-teeth

Look who lost her first tooth!

Valentine's Weekend

Scott and I had our Valentine's date on Friday when we went to our annual adult stake dance. So on Saturday we decided to do things with the kids. Scott has been dying to take Park to a Monster Truck rally.

Park seemed to be very interested, but a little apprehensive because of the noise.

He couldn't stop talking about it afterwards, though. Annicka was disappointed not to be able to go with Daddy and Park so I took her and Indie to the BYU Museum of Art and out for icecream afterward. No pictures from there since Scott had the camera.

One of those mornings...

It all started at about 5:30 this morning. Park woke up and wanted to watch "The Incredibles". I told him to go back to bed, but he ignored that advice. About 10 minutes later he was yelling at the top of his lungs from the living room, "MOM! Come in here!" I go into the living room to shush him so that he won't wake up Annicka or Indie. I tell him, "Park, it's still sleeping time. I'm not putting on a movie." I cover him with a blanket on the couch and turn off the light. Scott got up for work at 6 and right after he said prayers with me Park made his way to our room and I turn on "The Incredibles" reluctantly. Not two minutes later I hear Indie crying from his room. I get up and go in, he is poopy. So, I change his diaper and get him a bottle. After he's done drinking I lay him back down. About this time Scott is leaving for work. I go lay back down in bed and just as I think Indie has fallen asleep he starts crying again. I let it go for a couple of minutes hoping he'll go back to sleep. No such luck. I get up and go into his room and then I smell it. Another poopy diaper?!?! You've got to be kidding me! Oh, and not just any poopy diaper, a diarrhea blowout. Blowouts are not uncommon in our house, but after I already changed a poopy diaper? That's unheard of. It went up the front and the back of his diaper and is up to his neck. So I put him directly in the tub and start undressing him. He is screaming the whole time, of course. At this time Annicka and Park are both awake and since mommy is up it must be time to eat breakfast. So while Indie is crying and I'm trying to bathe him and clean up the messy clothes and sheets, Park and Annicka are both under me wanting me to get breakfast. "STOP! PLEASE LET ME FINISH CLEANING INDIE UP AND THEN I'LL GET BREAKFAST!" I finally get everything cleaned up, Indie dressed and the dirty sheets and clothes are in the washer and the kids have eaten breakfast. I'm finally getting Indie into the high chair so that he can eat when Annicka comes in, "Mommy, Park is playing with your phone!" I go into my room to lock the phone so he doesn't accidentally call someone...too late. Right then my sister is calling me back and it's obvious that she was still asleep. It was only 7:30. "Did you call me?" Sorry, Julie, it's been one of those mornings.

Cabin Fever

It's the end of January and it feels like there's no end to winter in sight. I feel like the kids are always on top of me. Their favorite game right now is "Booger Monster". Indie is the monster and they run from room to room screaming "AHHHHHH! The Booger Monster is coming!" I need to be able to send them somewhere! They go to the neighbors a lot, but I still feel like they are always so loud! I send them outside to play in the snow, but that never lasts long and Park won't even go. And he was the one I couldn't get to come inside during the summer. This morning I decided to cruise the internet and find ideas to help with our cabin fever. I came across the perfect one. They say to use tape on the carpet to outline hopscotch and a freethrow line, and I got to thinking...why not do it in the basement? So I made it a project.

Here is the before. Not very playable.

And the after. I know you can't see it all so here's everything we've got going on down here: A free throw line with the hoop, hopscotch, plactic balls to throw around, soccer goals and bikes with a gas pump they can fill up at that I found at DI for $3! Hopefully this helps!

Last night Annicka was especially tired. Normally after prayers and scripture stories I'll read a chapter book out loud. Right now we are reading "A Series of Unfortunate Events". Anyway, Annicka was crying because she didn't want me to read out loud, "because I'm too tired and it keeps waking me up." Park still wanted me to read and I tried telling her that she has been able to fall asleep while I was reading before. But she was adamant with the whiny crying voice. So I got out "Where the Wild Things Are" and I read it to Park very quietly. Guess what Annicka did half way through the book. She got out of bed feigning a desire for a stuffed animal to sleep with and came over to Park's bed wanting to see the pictures. "I thought you were too tired for me to read, Annicka." "I just want to see the pictures, mom!" Typical five-year-old!