What's up, February?

A glimpse at what went down in our town in February:

1: Um...I get bored waiting in line to pick up the kids from school. I amuse myself by taking super-cool selfies and posting them on Instagram and Facebook. Chad has taken to calling me a hipster.
2 and 3: We attended a student-led conference, where the kids got to show us their portfolio, latest projects, and the latest standardized test grades. Bree showed improvement in her scores, and is very enthusiastic about Science and History. Mason, while less enthusiastic, scored off the charts for his age group.
4: Adam had a really bad intestinal infection that landed him in the hospital for a couple days, so I watched Corbin while Heather was at work one day. These two are going to be great friends.
5, 6, 7, 8, and 9: Because Mason had done so well in school, academically and behaviorally, he earned special one-on-one time with a parent. I needed an outing as much as he did, so our fun day kept going and going! We started at his favorite restaurant, Panda Express, then saw The Lego Movie, which we both loved. We stopped at a store so he could spend his birthday money on a new Lego Set, which we built at Baskin Robbins before enjoying an ice cream cone. We had so much fun. I would totally do this day over again.
10 and 11: I love making holiday-themed food. This Valentine's Day I made conversation heart sugar cookies. Daddy made heart-shaped pancakes, which I decorated with homemade strawberry freezer jam and whipped cream. Holidays are delicious.
12: I have been wanting to get LASIK surgery ever since Chad got his eyes fixed 8 years ago. But it's expensive, and pretty scary, so I kept putting it off. Finally Chad brought up the Schwartz Eye Institute's web page for me ("Look Meg, all you have to do is enter your email address. Just do it already."). Before I knew it I was scheduling an appointment to determine if I was a candidate. I couldn't wear my contacts for at least a week before the initial exam. Then I had to continue wearing my glasses until my surgery date. I hate glasses. I mean, I hate contacts, which is why I wanted the surgery, but I hate glasses more.

13, 14, 15, and 16: We attended the Gilbert Temple Open House with Adam and Heather one hot Saturday. After waiting in line forever, the interior was a literal haven. So beautiful. The kids loved it. And I couldn't wait to go back after the dedication. We are so lucky to have a new temple only 20 minutes away! After the tour we headed to Freddy's, because Frozen Custard is awesome. And if we want to eat burgers at 3:00 in the afternoon, we will, by golly.
17: We scored a cheap fire pit at Walmart's Black Friday sale. We were finally all healthy enough to actually use it! Hot dogs and s'mores, relaxing around the fire, even after the kids go to bed. The best parts of camping without the worst parts.
18: Lincoln can be a picky eater. On this particular night, for instance, he refused to eat the creamy alfredo pasta I had made. But he wolfed down an entire head of steamed broccoli single-handedly. Literally.
19: My parents and we had joined up with and Adam and Heather one Saturday for their birthday (Adam and Heather have the same exact birthday). After our traditional All-American Feast at Famous Dave's, us ladies took the kids over to the brand-new Riverview Park. The Cubs just built a new spring training stadium, and along with it a new park, complete with lake, big toys, a huge climbing structure, and splash pad. I wish we had something like it closer to us.
20: Can you see it? The tiny "shrub"? It used to be huge--blocking the front window entirely. I guess you could say Chad pruned it a little. There was no green left at all. I was sure he had killed it. I worried we'd get a letter from the HOA reprimanding us for the eye-sore in our front yard. But no worries. It didn't die. Chad knows what he's doing.
21: The big day! The day I willingly and voluntarily placed my eye balls in the path of a laser. I knew I was in good hands. But that did not make it any easier. Nor did the Valium. I might as well have swallowed a button for all the good it did me. It was ridiculously scary. I was talking to myself the whole time, trying to convince myself to stay calm. Thank goodness the entire process was done in less than 3 minutes. And then, on the drive home, the numbing drops wore off... then came the burning. Oh, the burning! But when the doctor told me at my check up the next day that my vision was already 20/20...yeah. So worth it.