Cotiviti

My seasonal job with Cotiviti started up again. It is my sixth year working for them. My office is in the front sitting room. I went back-and-forth when deciding where I wanted my office to be. At first I thought I would work in the art room but then decided I wanted more space and to not take away from craft space. I also thought it would be better to be on the main floor so I would be closer to kids coming and going.

Chewie likes to nap next to me.

He got a hair cut so he seemed cold this week. I put his Christmas sweater on, the only thing we have for him and he seemed happier. I guess I need to get him another sweater. 

Temple Tuesday

We got to take James and Lynnlee to the Mount Timpanogos temple to do baptisms for the dead. It was really special and was a great start to our day.

Sienna’s Haircut

Sienna said she wanted to cut her hair short again. She bounces back and forth wanting long Elsa hair and short off of her neck hair. I wasn’t sure if she really meant it but she did. Change is good and it’s so much easier to do her hair before school now.

Valentine’s

We helped the kids make their valentine boxes the weekend before Valentine’s Day. They took a lot of time but turned out perfectly. 

Lynnlee:

Kade:

Taggart:

Sienna:

 

Valentine’s morning we woke up and the Valentine Man brought everyone Under Armour hoodies. 

Then we had heart shaped pink pancakes for breakfast.

I helped in Tag’s and Sienna‘s class that day at their party. They colored wooden hearts and made them into necklaces. After school the kids had fun showing me their valentines. They each had a lot of valentines. I was amazed at how many unique, fun and different valentines they all got.
That night we had spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and strawberries for dinner. I made a chocolate caramel Bundt cake for dessert. It was such a great day! 

Master Bath Cabinets

The last bathroom I painted was the master bath. I painted them snowbound which is one of the many shades of white.

I was so excited to get them done that I forgot a before picture. I took these pictures from the appraiser.

Loft Project

The loft is a place where we want our kids to be able to hang out, read, play games, etc.

We went to IKEA for inspiration and we found it with the EKET collection. This was their display. Marshall customized it to our loft.

Loft before:

It took awhile to get all the pieces because so many were out of stock. Good thing we don’t live far from IKEA. I’ve been there a lot and I’ve gotten good at navigating the maze.

Living Cinema

There is a really great group called Living Cinema. Anyone can be a member and you get to see special screenings once a month and meet famous/well known people. Last month we saw Other Side of Heaven 2 and met Elder Groberg and two of his daughters. This month we watched Once I Was Engaged. It's a fun movie and we all laughed a lot! The director Maclain Nelson and actress Clare Niederpruem were the special guests. She played the main character. In real life they are married to each other. So it's funny to think he directed the movie and in the movie she was in love with another guy. I think that would be super weird and I don't' know how actors separate roles from their real life.

After the movie we got to ask them questions and then get a picture. Sienna was star struck by Clare.

Cupid’s Crazy Cafe

We hosted Cupid's Crazy Cafe for my family. My kids were so excited and helped to make it a success. Lynnlee created the sign.

We hung decorations, set the table, prepared the utensils. 

We had chips and salsa while we waited for everyone to gather. Then the fun began. Everyone drew three numbers out of a bowl. The utensils were lined down the middle of the table with corresponding numbers. I got two ice cream soups and a miso soup spoon. Betsy had the most tricky utensils as she drew two straws and salad tongs. 

We filled out our menus and then Marshall decoded them and told us what each thing was. My meal wasn't too crazy. Roll and roast appetizer, then salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, strawberries and mixed veggies, and ice cream cake during the entree portion. Dessert was jello and white Christmas punch. Some had their cake first. 

 

It was a lot of fun and there were lots of laughs watching everyone eat with their utensils.

My parents were good to play along.

Park City Mountain Resort

We took advantage of no school on Friday and went to Park City. We skied the Park City side this time. It was a good variety. My little skiers are getting faster and more confident. It’s fun watching them improve!

James was with friends at Brighton. He skied from 9AM to 9PM!!! AND he went skiing Saturday from 9-4!! I’m glad he enjoys it so much.

Boys Bathroom Cabinets

Each time I paint cabinets I learn something new. When I painted the girls I put the primer on pretty thin and it worked out ok but you could see through it to the wood. So for the boys cabinets I decided to put it on thick enough that you wouldn’t be able to see the wood. It dried with big ridges and was a huge pain to sand smooth. It took forever to sand each door and drawer. It was so discouraging and frustrating. The paint went on fine and I’m happy with the end product but I was still so frustrated with the primer. It is so thick like pudding. I think I liked the Sherwin Williams primer better or maybe I just need to put the Lowes primer on thinner?! 

Music Room

The music room got an upgrade this week! I am super happy and excited about it! 

We inherited a piano that was Marshall‘s grandparents. 

After his grandparents passed away the piano went to his aunt and uncle. They recently decided to downsize so they offered it to us.

We had a piano awhile back. It was one that we found for free. It wasn’t exactly tuned and it had a few broken keys but it was great considering it was free. Then a few years after that we bought an electric piano. We still have it and love it. We have a lot of fun playing preprogrammed songs, different tones and sound effects. We will definitely keep it but it got kicked out of the music room.

There is nothing like a real piano, the weight of the keys, the sounds, and volume. Now I can rock out playing Newborn by Muse just like Matt Bellamy, sort of.