Feb.

Other than the exciting events that I have already posted about that happened in February, the rest of the month was spent just doing the same ole routine. :) (which is for sure NOT a bad thing!) :) Of course, nothing is routine with kids, as we all know. So, it still allows for ups and downs and joys and excitements! :) Actually, that's not true. We did have two very fun visitors come this month. It was so good to see Cherie, Karly & Drew who moved away a few years ago. Luckily they still have family in town so we get to see them whenever they come into town. Tucker & Karly have been buddies since birth! Also, one of my very best friends from high-school came into town with her cute kids and it was so much fun seeing her and hanging out with her. Somehow I managed to NOT get pictures of either of them or their kids even though we saw them multiple times while they were here. I don't know what's wrong with me sometimes. I take 500 pictures of one thing and then completely forget my camera the next day. I'm losing my mind, I swear! :)
Anyway...

We did have a little super bowl party at my dad's house. Of course, the food was divine with my dad making crab and turkey and sliders and a total all out feast! It was delish. Kathryn made a 'Kings cake' that is tradition in New Orleans (since the game was played there, we payed homage to the city, and Kathryn lived there, and knows the customs and culture there, and they were in the middle of Mardi Gras) So...she made a 'Kings cake' that is tradition during Mardi Gras. I have actually heard of Kings day before where you make a cake on this certain day that is in the shape of an O and you hide a baby in it (a toy, obviously) and whoever gets the toy in their piece of cake is in charge of hosting the next party and has to make the next cake and then the tradition continues with whoever gets the baby in their piece of cake at that party and so on. My Mexican friend from our branch told me that Kings day is to celebrate the actual day that the Three Magi actually arrived in Israel to see the Baby Jesus. So I think it has ties to Christmas and I know that Mardi Gras has ties to Easter, so it's all connected somehow! :)

Anyway...Tucker got the baby in his piece of Kings cake. I guess that means I had better start planning a party, huh!?? :)

Tucker with his baby & his Mardi Gras beads on:

We also went to a Family BINGO & Pizza night at Tuckers school. Once again, they asked me to take some pictures, so I was busy snapping away, but the kids had fun playing. Tucker even won a $10 gift card to FROYOearth which he was SUPER excited about! :) I love that he loves to go to functions like this and get involved and gets so excited to see his friends from his class at school.

It was also a Mardi Gras theme, so they had beads and masks all over the tables. Kinda creepy if you ask me! :)

Taylor's birthday present from her grandma finally got here and she was so excited! :) A little Kitchen just for her! She has been cooking on it every day since and absolutely loves it! Thanks grandma!!!

Of course, the two big boxes it came in were just as big of a hit with the kids. Here, they WANTED me to actually tape them inside of the white box. They both had their leapsters plugged in (you can see the cords going in) and were playing on their leapsters, which provided the light for them and they were seriously in that box for a good hour! Crazy kids!

Here is a close up through the crack in the box:

That's it! I'm not spending money on expensive toys anymore. Just get 'em a few boxes and they are happy for weeks!!

Pyper Cafe

 Me and the kids wanted to surprise Ben one night after work so we turned our kitchen into a restaurant, Pyper Cafe. We made a sign for the table, Menu's and everything. When Ben walked in the door that night from work, Tucker welcomed him at the door and took his coat. It was so cute, the kids were so excited. We got out the 'fancy' plates. And by fancy, I mean anything that is not plastic! :) We had my mom's famous Lesbian Lasagna. (It was actually my first time attempting to make it and it turned out great! I was very pleased!) :) Cesar Salad, Bread sticks, Blueberries and Jello for dessert. It was perfect! Ben was so surprised and it was a fun night together as a family.

Totally candle-lit with roses and all!!!

Here we are toward the end of the meal:

I love these guys! Can't believe it's already March! Sheesh!!! Where does the time go?

Carrie Underwood...

So my dad is totally hip with the times. Me...not so much all the time. But he seems to always know when concerts are coming to Spokane and big events like that. So one day at the beginning of December we were at his house, and he suddenly says, 'Oh, Carrie Underwood tickets go on sale today!' and my first thought was how did you even know Carrie Underwood was coming to Spokane and second, how did he know that the tickets were going on sale that day??? One thing that he isn't so hip on is technology, so he had me get on-line and order all of these tickets. One for him, one for Kathryn, one for my aunt and one for my uncle, a few for my cousins. I was getting a bit jealous that he was buying all of these tickets for everyone else and I wasn't getting one! j/k :) But I forgot about it shortly there after, and didn't think about the concert again, I didn't even know when it was. BUT... on Valentines day a few weeks ago, he shows up at my house with 2 tickets to the Carrie Underwood concert for Ben & I!!! I was so excited!!!! Ben was there when he gave me the tickets, and actually knew that my dad would be giving them to me. So when I looked at him with excitement, and said 'OMG we are going to the Carrie Underwood concert!!!' his response was, 'Well, I would love to go to the concert with you and I totally will, but really, I could care less about Carrie Underwood, so why don't you invite one of your lady friends!' 

Sounded like a good idea to me! :) ha ha!

Katrina is one of my most favorite people in the world and one of my best friends, so of course, she was first on my list!

My Aunt, Uncle and two cousins, Trinidy & Kristin came up for it and spent a few days with us. It was fun getting to hang out with them! 

Here are Trin & Kristin before the concert:

The four of us girls were on the floor, while the old fogies sat up in the seats, although their seats were pretty good, too! (Kathryn even fell asleep during the concert!!! We won't let her live that one down!!) :)

A young kid that I had never heard of opened for her, Hunter Hayes. I guess he is the Justin Bieber of the Country world. He was OK.

I really just wanted Carrie. And she did not disappoint!! Everyone, and I mean Everyone had their phones out taking pictures and recording the whole thing. I'm not that good with my phone yet, so I didn't document anything during the concert, but I did have my little point and shoot camera, and here were the best shots I got:

She got in this little mini-stage thing and like floated around the arena, it was pretty cool. She came really close to us!

Katrina and I had a great time just people watching and believe you me, there were some good ones! :)

She did put on a good show and it was so much fun! I realized that the last 3 concerts I've been to, I've been pregnant. 7 years ago, when I was pregnant with Tucker we went and saw Tom Petty with our good friends, the Nelsons. When I was pregnant with Taylor, I went to Kieth Urban & Little Big Town with some friends, Heidi, Shar & Danna. And now this concert with this little guy! Maybe that's why my kids love music and to dance so much! :)

Thanks so much dad for the tickets and thanks Uncle Scott for taking us all out to dinner before; I am one lucky girl!!!