So much snow

 It snowed so much this week. We probably got 15-20 inches when all was said and done. I've not seen anything like it in years in Utah. And it's supposed to snow again all week. There's still so much snow piled everywhere. Utah seems to be trying to get out of the 20-year drought in one season. I'm a fan of snow. Turns out I'm not a huge fan of so much coming at a time that it keeps me from getting outside to run. I missed my Wednesday morning run and we canceled our Thursday night run club run due to the snow. We ended up running through the streets in Daybreak on Saturday morning, which worked out pretty well. It's supposed to snow again all this week. It's a pretty crazy snow year!

I finished the two bookshelf headboards this weekend, mostly. There are going to be doors on each end for the kids to have a secret shelf they can put their stuff in, but those doors still need to be painted and the hardware attached. I'm working on the footboard and the side rails now, but they're really close to done. I like how they turned out! Aaron's is the purple one, Chloe's is the yellow. They asked me to paint their side rails green for Aaron and blue for Chloe, so I'll paint those doors those colors too to match a little. This is paint leftover from painting the rainbow stripe around their room, so it'll "match" sort of once we set them up in their room. I dunno about a green and purple bed, but maybe Aaron just really loves Joker and he doesn't know it yet, hahahaha. I think having those shelves is going to be so awesome for them though. I'm really pleased how they've come together. It was a little sketchy along the way at times, creating the design. But it all ended up working out and hopefully I can finish them this week. 

Then we'll maybe be able to tackle the next things in our basement that need building. We're still contemplating what work we'll do and what work we'll hire out for. At this point I think I'll hire someone to do the HVAC, electric, plumbing, and the taping/mudding/texturing once the drywall is hung, but we can hang drywall and paint and do trim and depending on if we do carpet or flooring, probably do that. I used to want to do it all, but now I'd rather just have a finished basement. Haha!

Happy Valentine’s!

Happy Valentine’s! We had a great day. Bill came home with beautiful flowers and chocolate covered strawberries and this super cushy pillow for a gift. 

My mom had one of these years ago and I always loved it. My kids have already decided it’s the comfiest place in the house now. 

I’m not that into Valentines boxes but I did facilitate my kids making their boxes. They all painted one, and I love how unique each one is. This ocean-themed one is Genevieve’s. 

Spencer made a castle. 

Aaron’s is on the left and Chloe’s on the right. 

I decided to build a couple new beds for Aaron and Chloe back at New Year’s time. I have been designing it as I go and I took a significant break from them while we finished framing the basement, but we finished that and haven’t planned out our next basement finishing plans, so I worked on one of these yesterday instead. It’s kind of slow to build when you haven’t quite decided how to do each part, but I finally got my head around how I wanted to connect everything. I used my new table saw for the first time in it too and I’m excited about that! It works great. The headboard just needs the back attached and then of course side rails and footboard. Then painting. The kids are so excited about them. 

 

Framing

Bill and I went to our respective morning workouts yesterday and spent the rest of the day working on our basement, finally dedicating some real time to finishing the framing. It is done! There is a couple ducts in the hallway and in one room that we need to do a little framing around, but all the walls are in and the windows are framed out and the door to the bathroom is rough framed and the hall is done. As long as this has taken us to find the time to do, we may tap into the collective knowledge base of so many people in my community finishing their basements and hire out some of the different parts going forward. HVAC, electrical. We for sure will get someone to do the mudding/taping/texturing for us. I'd really like to just have a finished basement already instead of dragging it out for months and months. We'll see. I'm very pleased this piece is done though. 

Our cat is such a goof. Okay, all cats are goofs. Bill left his work bag out on the floor of the office, and she made herself at home right on top of it, straps and all, and took a little nap. 

I bought a pill organizer for all my vitamins. Does this make me old? Hahahaha! 

100 fruit loops for the 100th day of school! What a cutie!

We survived January

 This wasn’t a taking pictures week. I looked at my picture roll and I had a picture or two from my run club runs and FiA workout and I had this one picture. I switched to working two days a week in my office this week. I was feeling like I needed more connection to my coworkers and the rhythm of my office and I do like the change. It surprises me that with the option I have to work almost fully remote I would choose to change that to work more in my office, but this new world of hybrid work is ever changing and for me this is seems like it will work better. So Bill and I are figuring out our new schedule making sure all our parenting needs are covered too. It’s such a huge blessing that we both have jobs with the flexibility to allow us to work full time and not need to have childcare for our kids. It’s a good phase of life to be in. 

So Tuesday morning I was headed out the door and Chloe handed me this paper she had just drawn. It says “I love you, mommy.”  I put it up in the wall or my office and it makes me smile every time I see it. I love that she created it for me just because she wanted to. She’s the sweetest little girl. 

My kids are growing up so fast. They’re so close together in age. Spencer is 12 and I feel the years flying by. We don’t have that many years left with him at home. But Chloe isn’t that young either. She’s turning seven this year! I can’t believe that my youngest is that big already. She’s a petite little thing, so I can pretend she’s still little, but the years are flying by.