Weekend Recap!

Friday morning Arnold and I dropped the kids off at school together, and then went to the gym for their Awards Ceremony. It was supposed to be last week, but it got postponed due to snow. Brooke and Caleb both got AR Reader awards, and Caleb got recognized for being the December Citizen of the Month for his class. It is always so fun as a parent to go to those things and watch your kids get so excited about standing up in front of their friends. You can tell they are proud. I even like watching their friends get awards too, and feel proud for them. Whenever they come into the gym we wave like crazy at them and when they stand up to get their award, Arnold was clapping extra loudly and giving the kids thumbs up. I think the kids are finally starting to get embarrassed by us being over-excited for them on things, but Brooke is definitely a better sport about it than Caleb is ;) Friday evening after dinner we took the kids to Sweet Frog to get some icecream. We say we were going to celebrate the kids getting 100's on their spelling tests, but the honest truth is that we really just like going there, I think ;) 

Saturday morning we woke up to a nice surprise-- our tax money in our bank account! We were expecting it on Monday, so it was so awesome that it showed up two days earlier! We got started right away on our mile-long to-do list that we had planned out for the money. We went on Amazon and ordered us a new vacuum (exciting, right?! but we really DO need a new one!) And paid a few bills. Then we went out to get some more things we had been planning to get. Our first trip was to Target to get some home items. We found some drapes for our bedroom, and we just so lucked out that they had "Avengers/Superhero" drapes on clearance in the kids' section, so we got them for Caleb's room! (Arnold recently re-painted his room and we are re-doing it to be a Superhero theme!) We also picked out the kids' Valentine's Day candies for their friends at school-- Nerds for Brooke, Fun Dip for Caleb, and heart fruit snacks for Rachel (I'm sure you all remember what a big deal picking out that stuff is! :) We also picked up several little boxes of candy.. and when we went to the checkout line the man asked us if we were going to the movies.. he said people always come in there to get snacks right before the movies! Well, if they weren't so dang expensive!!! ;) 

We were headed to the movies later but we still had time to kill, so Arnold decided he wanted to get a haircut. While he was in there getting that done, I took the kids into AC Moore, and we picked out some Valentine's Day crafts to do later that night. They picked out masks to color and design with markers. When Arnold got done we all went into TJ Maxx. They had some of those "gourmet" Oreos out with their Valentine's Day stuff, and I begged Arnold to get me some.. he thought it was ridiculous to pay $5.99 for them (and I do too!) but what is wrong with a splurge treat every once in awhile?! We also went to Old Navy and looked around.. there were several things I probably could have bought, but I was good and stuck to one new sweater for Caleb (he didn't really NEED any more clothes anyway!)

Finally it was time for the movies. We went to see The Lego Movie-- the kids had been dying to see it ever since the first previews came out! We had dropped by earlier that day to buy our tickets, and also got their 30 minutes early to get our snacks, and I am SO glad we did, because it was packed! We took our popcorn bucket to get some popcorn, and we did end up buying some drinks so I could get the special Divergent movie cups ;) We went to the movie in the new BIG D theater that recently opened, and it was awesome! The place was huge.. the screen was huge.. and the chairs were so nice and comfy. Everyone else had the same idea though, and we shared the theater with tons of other movie-goers.. I think the movie was probably sold out by the looks of the filled seats! The movie was very good.. it had a lot of action so Caleb loved it, but it also had a lot of funny and sweet parts, so the girls and I loved it, too. And the end part is pretty awesome (I won't ruin it for anyone.. but I love how it tied in with the rest of the movie!) But be warned.. the "awesome" song will be stuck in your head for hours after that movie!!!! :)

Sunday morning we went to early service at church because I had baby class. We ended up having 5 little guys and girls in there this week, and we had a great time. We did the lesson with the kids, read stories, and played on the floor. Then later in the service a sweet little baby boy joined our class, so I got to spend the rest of the time holding him! I got drooled all over! My favorite kind of morning! ;) After church we went to lunch at El Paso.. one of our fave places in town. Then we went to Walmart to get even more stuff we have been planning to get. Some dress shoes for Caleb, some dumbbell weights for Arnold, some tealight candles for my tart burner.. a Duck Dynasty shirt for me.. you know.. all the important stuff ;) But for real, they have a lot of good clearance going on right now.. so I'd advise checking it out! 

That afternoon we went to Logan and Ben's birthday party. (my best friend's sons) They are turning 3 and 9. I can't believe our kids are getting so old! (that means we are old, too! eek!) Ben had a Thomas Train theme, and Logan had a Minecraft theme. I think the kids had a good time because we let them loose in the gym at their church, and they ran around with all their friends. I got to talk to some of my friends, and tried to take a lot of pictures for Joanne, too. We had some snacks and then we did cake. Joanne and her hubby make and decorate bday cakes, and they always do a great job. They are cute AND taste good. So I was just as excited as the kids to get a piece to eat ;) Then the boys opened their presents (I think the legos we got Logan were a hit!) and then things started winding down. The kids were all hyped up on sugar though, and were crazy on the way home (I think Joanne planned it that way, lol!)

Sunday evening we worked on some things around the house. Arnold hung our new curtains and we totally re-arranged our room. We moved the bed to a new place.. added a lamp in there.. and even moved around decorative things-- it is a whole new room! I love it! A few touches can really make the difference in updating a space. The kids played outside in their new power wheels jeep because the weather was actually pretty nice for once! And we ended the evening with Arnold helping Caleb do his "100 days of school" project. He chose to count out 100 mini marshmellows and glue them onto a poster board in the design of a snowflake. I think it turned out pretty good.. even if he did almost walk out of the house this morning without it!!!! Arnold passed out early (which never happens, so he must have had a hard day!) And I caught up on things on my ipad which I had FINALLY charged up.. it hadn't been turned on in 5 weeks because I lost my charger. But I found it! :)

Hope everyone else had a great weekend too! :)

Brooke at the awards ceremony.

Caleb getting his award from the principal

The books I ordered finally showed up on Saturday! I got them with the giftcard Arnold had gotten me back at our anniversary. Can't wait to read them all!

We donated $3 to a disabled children's charity at the movies, and they gave Caleb this Star Wars pin. He thought it was neat and wanted to wear it.

Waiting in line for the Lego Movie. No idea why Caleb's face looks like that. And Brooke's hair is a wreck and she looks like she is bumming it, but she is still cute ;)

I made Arnold take this picture of my Divergent cup. I took them home and washed them to use again! He said I was so ridiculous! Well you married me! ;)

Out to lunch after church. Wish Caleb hadn't opened his mouth while eating, and Brooke's hair looks like 80's crimped style because she had had a braid in it earlier :)

So these are our new drapes. They actually have purple in them so it matches the walls better in person. Along with the bedspread we have on now though.. the room is BRIGHT and LOUD.. but oh well. Arnold says "no one sees our room anyway." Did he forget about my blog?! ;)

Mamas at the bday party on Sunday. I am so blessed to call these ladies friends! :)

Rachel and her BFF Kenzie, having some snacks. They kept sneaking back to the table and eating some of the rock candy. I'll admit, I did too! It was yummy! ;)

Ben getting ready to blow out his candle!

Logan blowing out his candles! And I ate a piece of his cake.. it was good!