Been feeling very grateful for family this week as my brother and his family are here visiting from Arizona.  We spent the beginning of the week getting our house cleaned up, laundry done and errands driven so we could just relax and have a great time.
We went to the Lehi pool to enjoy the sauna atmosphere and watch our kids show off their swimming abilities.  My niece Samantha was convinced she could walk on water and tried to show us as she headed off the deep end.  Taylor became a limp noodle in the hot tub with a smile on his face. 
We cheered on Allison's basketball game and then headed up the canyon to find snow and sledding.  Snow is pretty hard to find this time of year but Solider Hollow had broken out their snow making machines and it was an afternoon of perfection.  Sitting on a tube watching Robyn blow me kisses, enjoying the amazing views and the cold air with family happy all around me - can't get much better than that.  I love sledding because Spencer has a great time just as much as Robyn - not many activities you can say that about.
Little girls have taken over the hot tub every night until they are bright pink and tired out.  But the best part has just been all the visiting and hanging out.  We have the minor hiccups that we always have with family.  Claire deciding Friday to start throwing up out of the blue.  Samantha thinking that sleep is for the weak.  Spencer putting his new boots on right before we left only to discover that he had bought 2 left foot shoes (so ironic that he literally had 2 left feet), or getting up to the snow to find that Spencer had left his coat at home.  All the little things that variety to our days, make us grind our teeth at the moment and laugh about a few minutes later.
 And of course sugar is back in out household with a vengeance.  Our life has been full of treats these last few days.  Our kids didn't mind giving up red meat for January but treats they definitely missed.  But since they had their fill of sugar through school, friends and activities I felt no remorse.
Friday night Jeremy and I went on a date we had arranged several months ago to see Brian Regean, a comic that we like up in Salt Lake City.  He was as hilarious as usual especially as he talked about all the joy that comes along with being in your 40s.  Jeremy could really relate.
So all in all it has been a great week of just being grateful for the life we have.
love, Heather

After getting cold with puppies and our brief inch of snow - kiddos needed to warm up by the fire