For New Year's we threw a last minute party with a few friends and their kids. It was really fun. We had the Hiatts and Titus Family over. We didn't know Adam Titus and got to know him a lot better that night. And it's always fun hanging with the Hiatts. We had frozen pizza, hummus and bread, fruit and veggies and this new amazing fudge we discovered on the NY Times. We sat around the table and talked while the kids played and when the night time came . . . FIREWORKS!!!!!

Alma brought these great trumpet things for the kids and fireworks. It was great. The fireworks in the neighborhood went on forever! It was like a huge grand finale for a half hour straight. It was crazy to hear.

I have taken great advantage of the temple being here. Until we got sick- I was going every week by myself! It was GREAT. Really restores my being. It clears my mind and I return home feeling complete. I haven't been in a month or so and am really feeling the need!

 We have all been very sick for 3 weeks! The worst throwing up experience we've ever had. Greg would even laugh while I threw up because it was almost comical- like watching a movie. He said it sounded so disgusting it was like it wasn't real. Ah but it was! One by one we all got it and we are finally back to real life and I'm soooooo glad.

For Valentines Day I made cookies and frosted them with the kids. They were delicious as always. I made a huge mistake later that night of eating a TON OF RAW COOKIE DOUGH and went to bed with THE WORST stomach ache. I was worried I gave myself food poisoning because I'd never eaten raw dough here, but discovered all my friends do, so I thought I would give in. Now I cannot even think about that cookie dough without gagging in my mind. I don't even want to think about it now. 

I was dipping bread in oil and vinegar and I see out of the corner of my eye that Marius had rubbed his hands all in it and rubbed it all over his face. It was so naughty, but he looked absolutely adorable smiling at me while his hands rubbed up and down on his cheeks. He's so naughty. He gets away with SO MUCH because I'm always too tired to discipline him and he's so stinking cute while he does all of it! He just smiles at you while he does it! This boy scares me all the time because he is really smart, really persistent, and really charming. I really feel when he grows up there is nothing he can't do! It scares me if he chooses to not do good things! But if he chooses the Lord's path I think he can accomplish great things.

Things have been SO GOOD with Brighton these days. He has been showing such signs of anxiety the last month we were really worrying about him. But out of NOWHERE things are massively improving. It is SO RELIEVING. We have been stressed and worried about him, not knowing what to do. And each day he shows more and more that his anxiety has decreased and he's more secure and SO MUCH more HAPPY!!!!

Greg's been cooking up a storm these days. Every day he's not working he seems to make crepes for the kids in the morning and then in the afternoon he ends up making something new- a bread of some kind. And he always wants to make dinner too. I like all the hard work, but sometimes I miss him.

The adorable Marius.