Hello!
This blog is to chronicle our family stories and memories. I told the kids about it and said I would print it out and let them read it sometime. Now they are super-curious about it and I practically have to sneak off to write it without one of them (usually Olivia) hawking over me! 🤣
This installment is a random accumulation of things that happened in early 2020 before the world got super-serious and shut down for COVID-19. This blog is about our shenanigans before all that hit.
1. The kids continued hockey and we had a great season. They are improving with skating and it is by far the favorite sport that Jason and I (don't actually) play 😊. My uncle Kelly came up to watch a game and we hung out. He raised 4 girls in hockey and enjoys watching the kids play.
2. We had some birthday action! Quinn had a bowling party for Lucky #7 followed by a dinner with Grandma Kim and Grandpa Craig at Capital Grille. Fun was had by all. Jason also rang in the Big 45 with his crew at Capital. Give him a martini, a steak dinner, his loves and cap it off with dessert. All I can say is "Life is Good" and WE LOVE YOU DADDY!
3. The skiing continued. The kids passed me up, skills-wise, last year sometime and therefore it is old news (meaning I don't want to talk about it, ok?) 🤣 Seriously, we really enjoy the family aspect of it. Taking in amazing views, crisp mountain air, meeting up with friends, etc. I was telling someone the other day about how the kids learned to ski. At about 3 and 4 respectively, they both revolted against ski school and refused to go. So from then on, Jason and I skied with them and learning that way together was such a bonding experience.
The kids enjoy the 'reward' offered at Beaver Creek after a great day on the slopes. We love the ice rink they have in the village. The kids took their hockey skates and tore it up. Quinn reached out to a father of 4 from WI to give him some skating pointers 🤣, the guy really appreciated it!
It was so fun seeing my friend Elizabeth a few times in Breck and also BC for dinner. At the Canyons, Olivia and Elle became "fast" friends on the slopes and it was so great seeing my long-time friend Lauren there. This pic was taken the day before everything shut down. Connecting with friends like that before all of the isolation helped to soften the blow a bit.
4. We had an amazing time in Cabo with Jason's mom in Feb! Getting away from the cold, dreary weather in Kansas City at that time was just what we needed. We stayed with Patti at her condo right on the marina. Jason and I have been to Cabo many times but it was really fun introducing it to the kids. They made fast friends with a talented spray paint artist right on the marina steps from Patti's place. The guy was so nice and would let them sit and watch him do various works of art. We came home with several custom pieces!
Pictured below is a 'balloon hat' pic with me and my sweet girl and I'm told this is the thing to do when you go to Squid Rowe 😊
We had the most incredible day on the water fishing for marlin and other fish. Don't quote me, but I think we technically caught 14 marlin and a few other fish as well. All catch and release, except for a tuna that Quinn caught that we ate for dinner.
Olivia got the best picture with her marlin, shown below (I love the belly hug!). Dad helped her reel it in but she did a lot of the work herself. I think towards the end she was begging the fish to just stop fighting!
We also did this really fun buggy adventure tour on the beach on the Pacific side north of Cabo. I don't have pictures of that, but on the way back we stopped for tacos at this little dive place near Todos Santos which is a cool artist town in Baja. Quinn loves Squirt after having it once at his aunt and uncle's house in KC and so he always asks for it but no one ever has it (!). At this place, he nearly fell out of his chair when they said they had it!
5. Quinn turned in a stellar performance as Harry S. Truman for his class program Hooray for the USA. It was really neat as he got to dress as Harry and give a little speech. Now we all know where the buck stops! Note: We love St. Paul's and this is the kind of kids school program that you never forget. It is so fun to see each kid learn about and work to represent a famous American.
Back in KC and back to the real world (kind of), the kids set their minds to catching a leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day. I have not seen them this absolutely determined since they made me figure out the way to upgrade their Minecraft accounts to add 'worlds' or something.
Anyhow, I told them I thought it was a bad idea and the leprechaun might not go quietly, would certainly not appreciate their shenanigans. Anyhow, Kirk and Patty helped them build this elaborate trap. I was asked to prepare a meal similar to 'bangers and mash' that would lure them and tempt them to forget their surroundings.
Alas, they did not catch a leprechaun. Lord knows I'm glad for that because I would have no idea what to even do with it!
Signing off for now. Next up, Going Viral.
