Cabo.

I'm not sure why we came home???? It was 80 degrees and sunny at the beach and 13 when we got off the plane! We couldn't have asked for better weather or a better time. I know it's not reality but it's definitely my happy place.

 

Not a bad place to watch the Super Bowl!

 

Gracie was unimpressed :)

  

....but she was pretty sure that the Super Bowl cupcakes were early birthday cake for her (it originally said "50", but she thought the 0 was an accident)

 

Lots of UNO!

 

....and swimming!

 

You can't beat eating breakfast outside.....what I wouldn't give for that today!

 

The girls dear friend Elizabeth doesn't work at El Dorado anymore, but she came to spend an afternoon

with them. They're lucky girls to have so many special grownups in their lives.

 

They're getting along (for a bit) :) actually they did a really good job of getting along

most of the trip. I hope they can keep it up.

 

 

Of course there was our daily trip to the girls FAVORITE place on earth. It was a little quieter then usual around the barn,

but the girls were both so happy to be back. Watching them ride is a whole different experience then at home, they are both

so much more confident and willing when we're there. Valente really challenges them but they don't seem to notice, they just

go along willingly. I wish I could harness that confidence and bring it home, especially for Maggie.

 

 

We don't have trails with this kind of a view around here.

 

One morning we had a little time to kill so we stopped for a cinnamon roll and coffee (actually milk in Gracie's case). She looked

at me right after I took this picture and said, "Mom, this is so posh!" I asked where she learned that, she said, "from Fancy Nancy!" With that

'you are an idiot' tone that only Gracie has mastered!

 

Cheers!

 

 

Paint?? No, I haven't been painting, why?

 

The girls were super excited to see their names on the movie theater sign. They always love movie night but it's way less

cool when mom or dad's name is on the sign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to a tip from a friend at the barn, Maggie got to try her hand at glass blowing.

 

They got the glass all ready for Gracie to try, but she got a little scared at the last minute, so she turned it

over to Daddy.

 

 

 

One of our favorite stops in San Jose! It wouldn't be a trip without the worlds best popsicles!

 

 

 

Oh Gracie!!

 

 

Some kids can't wait to play in the sand and find seashells....Gracie can't wait to climb the rocks.

 

 

 

 

 

.....and who needs seashells when you can take home a hunk of rock!

 

Mama and baby made it to the top too!

Maggie getting her spurs! It was a BIG moment....she was super proud and really didn't want to take them off her boots

when she was done :)

 

Yippy!!!

 

Gracie loves the horses, but she was pretty happy to snuggle Petunia the puppy too. She thinks

we should name the baby Petunia :)

 

 

 

 

Gracie went the whole trip without asking for a life jacket or floaty. She confirmed that she is officially a swimmer!

 

The girls made me some beautiful new jewelry. Maggie made the beautiful bracelet and Gracie made me a watch

that says it's always bedtime :)

 

Valente usually invites Maggie to ride with his students while we're there. This time was no

different. It's a great experience for her.

 

The Mexican cowgirl gang :)

Grandpa picked us up at the airport late on Saturday night and poof, just like that we were back to reality. Sunday we spent a little time in Omaha and then headed back to Norfolk.....the girls were pumped that on Valentine's day you can get heart shaped pizza :)

NEVER put your face on a groundhog :)

We had a serious BLIZZARD yesterday. They are saying 14.5" of snow, but the wind was blowing like crazy, so it seemed like triple that. Yesterday morning Maggie checked to see if the Groundhog saw his shadow and she (very seriously) announced that it was definitely Spring because the Groundhog hadn't seen it. I said "Look outside, I don't think I'd put my faith in a groundhog." Gracie looked rather perplexed and said,"Why would you ever put your face on a groundhog!" :) Bahahahahahahahah......that makes about as much sense as a groundhogs shadow dictating whether or not it's Spring.

 

Yesterday was the first Norfolk Iron Snow Day in the 8 years we've lived here. Most of the roads in town were impassable and for most of the day the highway was closed. Today the snow has stopped and the sun is shining. The kids are enjoying the worlds largest snow pile that dad made with the tractor!

 

 

 

 

We used our snow day to get the girls Valentine boxes ready, watch movies and snuggle.

 

 

Not bad. They didn't require power tools and are aren't quiet as amazing as when we leave Grandma & Grandpa in charge, but they'll do :)

Arnie spent a few hours plowing snow last night and a few more hours cleaning up this morning. I was feeling kind of guilty about telling him we didn't need a tractor with a heated cab. Glad he has some warm coveralls!

Hopefully tomorrow school will be open and life can start to get back to normal. We're headed to Cabo for a week on Saturday, so it would be nice if Maggie got in a couple of days of school this week.

 

Last weekend we were in Omaha celebrating Dad's Birthday. The weather was beautiful, the girls even got to go to the park with Grandma (what a difference 72 hours can make!)

 

 

Crazy girl at the park in her basketball shorts :)

Grandma and all her grands :)

 

Gracie is such a little mommy. She takes her baby holding (hogging) very seriously!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

 

Poor Reid!

We came home Sunday afternoon in time for Gracie to go to her friend Gracie's Birthday Party. She was SUPER excited. It was her first big girl party, where mom had to leave :) She had a great time and was totally wound up when we picked her up. She can't stop talking about what kind of Birthday party she wants to have.

 

The infamous BFF Lily. Without Hudson around they seem to be getting along great!

 A couple other things....

They couldn't agree on a frosting color so we had to have both pink and purple cookies!

 

Gracie has taken to wearing her Halloween costume glasses around.  She needed them to read to Chelsea at Maggie's basketball game.

Monday when I picked Gracie up at school she had a bit of a black eye. Her teacher told me another little girl had hit her with a bowl (preschool is becoming a pretty violent place). Sherry told me she'd put some ice on Gracie's eye and asked her if she wanted a popsicle, Gracie told her no, she didn't want a popsicle but she sure would like some dark chocolate :)