january doings: from my phone

 this year january flew by! thankfully- it seems to always be the worst month of the year- dare I say that? Eek. I just mean it's super cold and dreary here, real life hits again after Christmas, etc... I started working two days a week coaching which has been awesome and hard all at the same time. I think we're finally in a good groove after 4 weeks, but it just takes some effort being away from home 2 nights a week! I really don't know how working moms do it- seriously. I was not made for it! So props to all you super moms! Coaching is going awesome though, and both girls absolutely LOVE gymnastics. Lucy usually goes to a 5-6 year old class while I coach on Mondays, then Tuesdays her and Clara started doing a 3-4 year old class together. Clara was SO excited to go with her sister! I love those chubby legs in a leo! They're actually both doing different classes now, but I'll get there.

Tyler got an Olive Garden gift card for Christmas, so naturally we had a date night there. Thanks for going 2 nights in a row Mark and Jaymie!

We have the Frozen soundtrack memorized, as I'm sure do all little girls in the universe. We have a daily dance party.

 I had Tyler take down Clara's crib before we came home from Utah, and she was SO mad! Haha. She was excited about her 'big bed' but just missed her crib as well. With a combination of that and some sickness the first week was rough! I thought she would do great after sleeping in a bed at Tyler's parents house all week, but nope. She was climbing in bed with us every night, so eventually we decided to move Lucy in with Clara. So far so good! Yay! Lucy's bed is sitting empty with Clara's crib mattress under the bed, so it's now the 'sleepover' room for when the Grandmas come to visit- hint, hint Grandmas! ;-) Oh I love these two.

I absolutely despise this bedding, in fact I just took it off and am getting rid of it with no plans to buy new bedding. Haha. Whatever- that's the first step right? I want something clean and girly- eventually! And that dresser was mine as a child- it could also use some updating. Oh well!

 It wouldn't be January unless everyone got sick. I had the worst cold for like 3 weeks straight.... ah! The girls each had a good solid week too.

 Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend we had a fun going away dinner for our friend Aimee- I swear they're dropping like flies around here! Stop it!

 and had a great late night at Jaymie's showing Jenny all of the Haribo 5 lb bag sugarless gummi bear reviews.... best everrr. So of course Jaymie ordered some.

 Lucy and I were both pretty sick Saturday, Clara had it the week before so Tyler took her out on a hot date! She was pretty excited to be going to Barnes and Noble, the mall playground, and got an ice cream at BK! 

 It turned out to be a long weekend- I came home late Friday night, and didn't leave the house again until Tuesday morning.... It was also kind of awesome. And I had some cute assistant bakers.

 Clara rocking out in her 'Elsa' dress!

 So... don't come to Minot in January. -40. It's really hard to go outside when it's the cold. So you just end up staying out really late, or never leaving your house.

 Church was already cancelled the first Sunday in January, then last week they only had sacrament and half of our ward who is on base couldn't come due to the highway being closed, and Minot had a no travel advisory. It was a pretty sweet meeting with about 10 other families! We had a fun dinner over at the Davies that night- Ethan and Emma have the best dress ups.

 Lucy's Art Show was also cancelled on Sunday, so we were able to stop by after school on Monday. They did an under the ocean show, and it was pretty awesome!

 

 and other random happenings- visiting the book store, playing at ruby's

 and in HUGE news I can now say I can french braid. It's a very mediocre job, but alas- the two braids I have down. Lucy loves Elsa hair, and when it's down in just two braids it's Anna hair. She told me today she wants braids every day of her life now!

 Speaking of Frozen- Jenny, Jaymie and I took our girls to the sing-a-long version Friday and it was stellar. I've never seen girls so obsessed with a show! i love it.

 and so long January. It's been real.

 We welcomed February by going down to the Temple and our cute friend Lexi went through for her first time. It's always good to be there! Tyler took the girls home while Jaymie and I ran to Sam's club and grabbed dinner before we headed home! We seriously had the best pizza of our lives- and of course Jaymie talked her way out of a ticket. I always always get tickets- what the heck?

 We had a fun swimming day with Jaymie, Celeste, Melissa, and Tera and best news yet...

PANERA OPENED! Hooray for February!

Love love these cuties!

  

one more thing- Lucy started a little 'pre-team' gymnastics class this week. Julia is in her class too. So far so good! She seriously LOVES going to gymnastics, so I'm glad she will have an awesome coach working with her in a small group. It's so worth coaching just so these cute girls can go! Clara started a 3-4 year old class all on her own too that is at the same time! Wahoo! She also loves it, and they ask everyday if it's gymnastics today!

Crosland Family updates:

Like I said earlier January has been a weird month. I am now working Monday and Tuesday nights- I love love coaching. They just changed all the USAG levels this year, but I coach the Rec Advanced girls- which is pre-Level 3, then I stay and help coach all the team kids. Which I usually work with the Level 3/4/5 kids. My girls love being there- it's a win-win! Tyler has been Mr. Mom two nights a week and does dinner/dishes/tub/story/bedtime with the girls. He's pretty great. He's then usually gone Wednesday nights in Dickinson. And our church is now from 3-6pm. Ahhh! I love having lazy mornings, but I'm now teaching Lucy's primary class and 4 year olds don't last very long at dinner time! Haha. We ran laps in the gym last week, and I'm bringing lots of snacks! Lucy and a few other girls in her class are doing an extra dance for the Ballet recital in May so they're doing an extra practice Fridays before class. She's been busy, but we usually stay home Monday/Wednesday/Fridays after school before we go to Ballet or the Gym, and Tuesdays and Thursdays are our down days. Thursdays are by far my favorite day of the week. We have nothing on our schedules. Kindergarten is really going to cramp my style. Also trying to decide if I should sign Clara up for pre-school- So weird my kids are getting that old!

We have now officially been in Minot 2 years! I cannot believe we've been here this long. Who knows how much longer we will be here, but I'm so glad we came. We left super bowl Sunday just before Lucy turned 3, and now she's almost 5! Gah! So weird. We left Utah when Lucy and Clara were really just babies, and now they are both so big! 2013 was such a great year for us. For some reason I feel like change is a coming. We're pretty grounded for now, but things have been too steady for a couple years. Ya know? I've had a lot on my mind lately, but in a nutshell- I've never been a huge comparer of my self to others, but I definitely have/do. And this past year I've really let it go. I sound like a complete idiot probably quite often, take crazy yoga pictures for no reason, shop a little too much, like sleeping in, and eating a LOT of sugar, as well as running long distances. Not a lot of me makes sense, but it's been good. It's liberating to let a lot of things go, and just enjoy your self. My testimony has grown this last year more than any year of my life, and I feel like I really get what is truly important. Anywho. Things are going great. I still love my cute husband. I still love those cute daughters of mine. We have fabulous families and friends. A great apartment on the 3rd floor that makes it O.K. for eating Crepes with nutella once a week for dinner, and makes sure that all of our neighbors know we're home when they hear Clara crying up the stairs as I'm holding 25 bags of groceries on each arm. Hahaha. But seriously- these are the things that I love. It's so so so so so cold outside that it makes it hard to breath, but who needs to play outside for 3 months anyway? Right? I love the national weather service warnings that come across the T.V. anytime I have it on. Makes me feel at home. Haha. Ok.

The OLYMPICS have begun! Wahoo! and Garth Brooks is on Jay Leno. Love that man!

And.... we're going to San Diego next week with the Crosland clan, and surprising the girls to go to DISNEYLAND one day! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

Yee haw!