Sipapu: The Tradition Continues...

I didn't think it would be possible but-  timing plus online school made it so that Brayden could join us one last time for our families favorite Spring Break vacay tradition- Sipapu!  Snow and family fun in our cozy little cabin.  We flew Brayden home for his mission call and then he stayed with us the following week when we went to New Mexico.  He just had to slip off the slopes from time to time to attend an online class.  It worked out okay I think ;)

Because of Covid they didn't open up  some of the Mountain so that was a bummer and some of the lift operators made you wear a mask on the lift (so silly).  But we still had a good time- the boys got some lego at Walmart so that kept them busy in the down times and we ate at our favorite Guadalajara Grill.  Priceless family moments.

Brayden's Mission Call

We heard Braydens mission call was coming March 2nd, which was just a couple days before our Spring Break trip to New Mexico.  So instead of having him fly to see us in New Mexico we flew him home so we could all be together for his mission call- along with many close and wonderful friends.  We had a little get-together and excitedly watched as Brayden opened his mission call.  It was a pretty shocking call- that he was speaking French in Louisville Kentucky.  That was a mystery to us until the next morning on Facebook we learned that there is a significant population of African refugees there that speak French.  So we think that is who he will be teaching.  It sounds it will be a great mission and we know that Brayden will be a wonderful missionary!  What a exciting (and yes nerve racking) time!

Snowmagedon

 So this February we had a huge snow storm and cold snap.  The kind of which only happens in Texas about once every hundred years.  It was a crazy amount of snow and freezing temperatures which lasted five days.  On top of that, our power grid was overrun or not prepared or whatever and most of the state experienced rolling power outages.  We were very fortunate that our home never lost power but many friends in our ward did and as a result experienced broken pipes and other disasters.  It was a hectic week. School was cancelled so the kids were home and they were living their best life- playing in the snow with friends (as long as they could walk to them).  But for Kevin it was non stop bishoping and worrying about our pool and we had a frozen pipe in our kitchen that I spent one morning blowdrying from the outside (luckily that worked).  Each morning we had to go out and break up the ice on our pool and Kevin was so worried about the pool that he slept on the couch (mostly didn't sleep) so that he could keep an eye on it.  The worry was that it would freeze and stop running and the motor would bust and various pipes.  Thanks to his diligence our pool only suffered very minor damage.  Others were not so lucky.  It is a week we will never forget.

This is me using the dog hair dryer to blow into a hole in the exterior brick of our house.  I spent a long time trying to blow dry it under the sink but once I tried outside it worked fairly quickly.

This is Emmitt on the first day at the Schaack's backyard finding icicles.

This is me early in the morning breaking up the ice

This is Brielle and her friends at the sledding hill.  

Emmitt got a bit creative in the kitchen.

Emmitt and his friends eating "yellow snow"

We got to babysit our baby neighbor Judson when his parents' dental office flooded. 

Superbowl Sunday

 For the second year in a row we spent the Super Bowl with the Scotts.  They made us delicious tacos and had a new puppy for us to play with so it was a pretty good time!  I couldn't tell you who was playing or who won but the food was good and the puppy was cute (sadly I dont have a puppy pic).

Girls Trip

 I got to go on a fun little weekend getaway with my friends Lindsey Scott and Summer Christensen.  We went to Fort Lauderdale and stayed right on the beach.  It wasn't idea weather but it was still nice and fun to get away.  We loved talking and shopping and eating and talking.  It was a great little break from regular life- especially smack dab in the middle of Covid craziness.  The case numbers at the school were really spiking about this time so we were a bit worried one of us would end up having to stay home with a sick or quarantined kid.  But it never happened.  No one got sick including us or are kids.  

Sometimes you're just having a day

 And Kenna frequently finds herself on the floor when that happens.

A One Direction Lego Creation

 One day Emmitt and I were upstairs building with lego when along comes Brielle to join us. And what does she decide to create.... well I will give you a hint- lately her and her friends are obsessed with the band One Direction... and yes even the Lego could not escape its influence...