A Valentine's Day Dinner

My husband really exceeded my expectations for Valentine's Day this year. Usually we exchange cards and eat dinner together somewhere, but this year he went all out. We went to our good friend's house and the guys made dinner. They set the table with red placemats, candles, roses and menus for the evening. They served bruschetta with goat cheese and roasted peppers for an appetizer. Next came a spinach, grapefruit and orange salad followed by dijon potatoes, asparagus and cornish game hens. We even had chocolate cake for dessert. I couldn't believe the hours of work they put into this meal! It was delicious, especially for guys who don't cook much more than spaghetti and mac 'n cheese :) I felt very loved.

To top off the night, Mark gave me a beautiful necklace; I am so thankful for my husband. It was a great Valentine's Day.

Stuck in My Own Driveway

So you think we should shovel more often? :)

Crazy Weather

It's been blowing and snowing like crazy all day here in West Michigan. Days like this make me thankful for my warm house and my down comforter. I had to be at church early this morning for a rehearsal; it was so bad out that my husband offered to drive me to church so I didn't have to go out alone. What a nice guy :)

We were supposed to go up north with some friends this weekend, but because of the bad weather that was predicted we decided not to go. I think it was a wise decision and it was nice to be at home for a while. Friday night I babysat my niece for a few hours; it is always good for me to get my baby fix for a little while. Then we hung out with some friends. Saturday we slept in until after 9! It felt so good. We exercised for a little bit in the gym at Mark's work and then we went out for lunch with my brother who is home from college for the weekend and his girlfriend. It was fun to catch up with them. Last night we played games and ate soup with some friends. Soup is so good when it is crazy cold out. Sunday my whole family was together for lunch at my parents. It is always fun to eat together when everyone is home.

Snow Day

Another snow day! This makes three weeks in a row that I have only taught 4 days out of the week. I could get used to this kind of schedule :)

Snow days are great for getting stuff done. So far today I was able to grade for a few hours this morning, do laundry, finish organizing the basement, vacuum, get groceries and run errands. Also, I am planning on cooking dinner (which doesn't happen that often). It feels good to be able to get this kind of stuff taken care of. I think I might even have some time to sit down and read; I just started reading, "Black Baby, White Hands" by Jaiya John. It is about a black boy that was adopted by a white family in the 60s. I will let you all know how it is when I am done.

The Big Wait...

I have to admit that this week the waiting for a referral has been hard for me. I know I am not supposed to even think about a referral for at least a couple of months yet, but it has been so tough! I am trying to stay busy with stuff, but my mind keeps wondering to the future; I can't help but think about what it holds for our family. This feeling of impatience definitely comes in spurts; hopefully it will pass soon and I will once again have a more patient outlook :)

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans. " John Lennon

A Night at the Amway Grand

Mark and I enjoyed a wonderful night at the Amway Grand hotel in downtown Grand Rapids. Mark's company met a goal so they paid for his whole division and their spouses to have a great night out! We dressed up (I wore a dress and Mark wore a tie!) and then ate a delicious catered dinner of pork loin, chicken, potatoes, green beans, salad and rolls. After dinner and good conversation, a bunch of us went to TGI Fridays to get dessert. The next day we ate a great breakfast buffet and enjoyed the Broadway version of Camelot. It was so nice of Mark's company to treat us to a weekend like this!

Tomorrow I will try to post a few pictures.

A Blanket Party

A blogging friend of mine is having a blanket party on her blog today to raise money for baby blankets to bring to Ethiopia. There is a hospital there that would love to have a blanket to give to their new moms and babies who have nothing. Please click here and check it out! It would be awesome if we could help her reach her goal.