Just a few fun things from February...

February seems like forever ago. Time is just a whippin' past me lately. Nonetheless, I still feel a need to document some fun happenings...

At the start of February, adorable little niece Sara presented this work of art to myself. Sara wanted to showcase some recently learned Kindergarten skills.
This is the cover of Sara's book.
Rachel Frenzu = Rachel's Friends... Sara generously provided some translation.
I like yo Rachl = I like you Rachel.
Me and Rachel go to git ranoiscie = Me and Rachel got to get ice cream. I'm the one with the earrings.
I luvu Rachle = I love you Rachel.
Me ad Rachel like Capt incrunch = Me and Rachel like Captain Crunch.
How sweet is she? I love you so much Sara, this little book made my day.
I have the best nieces and Nephews.

Light Rail Adventure...
Danica, Brennon, Nathaniel, and I decided to have a light rail adventure. The light rail is very new and exciting for Arizonans.
We rode the Light Rail to a Suns Game! Danica and I sported purple to show our suns spirit. We were giddy with excitement to ride the light rail.
Here we are on the light rail (I'm showing my hair because I don't want to look bald). From this point on, everything said was referenced to being "on the light rail"...examples... "Life is fun on the light rail", "I'm Hungry on the light rail", "Time goes slow on the light rail"...
All of these pictures are awful but I don't even care, they make me laugh.

Danica and I could not keep a straight face on the light rail.
Our seats were in the nose bleeds, it was awesome.
Riding the light rail home was a little less exciting. There were so so so many people. We had no where to sit, so we stood up and couldn't move for five stops!!!

Valentines Day...
So fun at the Elementary level! The week of Valentines Day, I had a new couple getting married every Recess. By the end of the week, one little boy who just couldn't hack the lovey duvvy- ness anymore said... "Mrs. Allen! I just can't take this love stuff any more!!!".
Poor kid.

And then I flashed back to a time in highschool... (Side Story)

All of my friends had serious boyfriends. I was always single.

A group of us decided it would be fun to take a trip up north and have a Snow Day. I realized it would be me and twelve couples, so I invited Mariah to be my companion.
You can imagine high school couples in the snow. It was a day that felt like a million punches to the face. While Mariah and I had fun with each other and a few other girls whose boyfriends couldn't make it, we couldn't help but feel sorry for ourselves! Where were our lovers and why couldn't we just have boyfriends in the snow? Then, we had to cram our wounded selves into the back of a truck and watch young lovers "love" eachother all the way back home. As if watching wasn't enough... we had to listen to their C.D., a collection of love songs that detailed their relationship, the ENTIRE drive home. Also sitting in the front bench seat, was one of those girls whose boyfriend couldn't make it. We listened to her missing her boyfriend the ENTIRE drive home.
When Mariah and I got out of that cram packed truck, we'd never been happier. We ran around screaming and hugging eachother and laughing deleriously.

Moral of the story:
Yes, little boy. There are times in our life when we just can't take the "love stuff".

Here is my FIRST bulletin board. On display, we have sentences made with conversation hearts. This bulletin board was so cute until someone came by and picked off all of the conversation hearts... probably some loveless bitter sixth grader.


The night before our big Valentines Day party at school, Crystal helped me assemble valentines for all my kiddos. It was late at night. We were really tired. We got a little crazy.

The big Valentines party at school. We had an ice cream social.
Here is what I left with at the end of the day!
Partying with first graders is always good time :)

Mardi Gras...
The Tufts have fallen in love with New Orleans and it's rich culture. We can thank Helen (my sister in law) for that. So in memory of Heber, Helen, and that city we love, Shauna hosted the first annual Tuft Mardi Gras Party!
Pre-party Mingling.Beads hang all over the place year round in New Orleans.
This is the King cake. It had a little plastic "King Baby" inside of it. Traditionally, whomever gets the piece with the King Baby, is granted good luck.
Quinnelly and Brigham won the King babies this year. Crazy tradition, I love it!
Happy Mardi Gras!