So much food

I am at the stage of motherhood where keeping enough food in the house for three teenagers is honestly a full-time job (I have to go to the store for a significant amount of food every 2-3 days). I feed my kids a lot of good, healthy food, but Logan is protein packing and eating 5-6 meals a day to gain muscle weight. Some of the food he wants is beyond my budget (and beyond what I feel is strictly needed and goes into the want category), so he actually buys his own protein powder and chicken drumsticks. He then cooks and freezes about 15 chicken/rice/veggie meal portions every couple of weeks for himself.

Seminary Treats

Our kids were asked to bring seminary treats, and these two made these super cute, super yummy heart sugar cookies (a nod to Valentine's Day).

New Library Route

We have been going to a different library branch because they are doing a huge remodel project on our branch. It is further away, but we do pass several cool murals in Downtown Aurora along our route. Jake wanted to stop and pose at this one- and can you blame him?!

More Bulls Games

Jason and Logan went to their second and third Bulls games this season. Once, a friend gave them some tickets they weren't going to use, and once Logan paid for 5th-row seats behind the basket for him and his dad because he wanted the experience of sitting so close.

Can you see them less than halfway up in the middle? Look at how close they are to that player!

Logan bemoans the fact that he wasn't alive during the Michael Jordan era, and Jason (who became a fan during that era) loves the fact that his son loves the Bulls so much.

Working Man

Eli decided that he wanted a job and that he wanted it to be somewhere he could walk or bike to, since he can't drive yet. That gave him about three options within walking distance, and about a dozen more within biking distance. He called a few of the places, and they were either not hiring or not hiring 15-year-olds. But one place, 3Chefs (a Persian restaurant right by our house) seemed very interested. Eli went in for an interview, and the owner/chef flat-out told him that he was thrilled he was a white guy who spoke English because he didn't have any other employees who fit that description! He spent the first few weeks helping him update his menu, app, and website (I think he wanted native English eyes on all of those things), and then they taught him to work the register. It has been a great challenge, and Eli has really enjoyed it!

Jason and I had never been because we thought it was just takeout (and we like to dine in), but of course, we wanted to go once they hired our boy! Turns out they do have a few tables, and when the chef came out to meet us, he gifted us with another couple of platters of food (enough to take home and feed our whole family for dinner the next night)! It was delicious!

Band Concerts

We've enjoyed a couple of band concerts this winter.  Ali has grown so much as a musician over the last seven years!