Cousins

We spent Spring break in Ohio with Owen's cousins this past week. It was so fun for Owen to have time with Ellie and Matt, however this picture displays Matt's feelings for Owen perfectly. Owen has recently learned how to tease and has enjoyed it more than we would like. By Thursday Matt had enough of the teasing and was done with being anywhere near Owen! Hopefully Matt will only remember the kind times with Owen or maybe (as in the picture) he will just need some space from Owen for awhile.



We loved being with the cute little kids and hopefully the next time we see them will be in Utah! We can't believe in just a couple of months we will be moving out of our little apartment and onto the next step of life!

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a fun Valentines this year. When I was little my mom would always put a bag of treats on our dresser that would be waiting for us when we got home from school on Valentine's Day. The treats always included the things we begged for at the grocery store and never got (ie soda, creamed filled pastries, full size candy bars, etc.) This year I had grand ideas for Owen and a Valentine's gift but as the day got closer and I still didn't have much, I began to see the genius behind the favorite treats; I could just pick it up at the grocery store and Owen could not have been more thrilled with his bag of goodies. Maybe next year I will fulfill my bigger plans for a memorable Valentine's gift... but probably not.

We had a little party with some of Owen's friends. Last year all the Law school families had boys, but with graduation and a new set of friends, Owen seems to be out numbered- but I don't think he minds!

The Blizzard of Oz

That's what they've been calling it on the local news here. Parts of nine states in the midwest have been under a blizzard warning today, including Kansas. School was canceled today and they just announced that classes will be canceled tomorrow as well.

Having grown up in Utah, I've certainly experienced deeper snow (without any school cancelations), but it's different here in the midwest. On Monday, freezing rain left a 1/4 inch glaze of ice on everything before the rain turned to snow and dropped 8 to 10 inches. Add to that a steady 30mph wind and the wind chill dips well below zero. And since the city only has about four snowplows, it doesn't take much for the roads to be come dangerously slick.

The only terrible thing about having two snow days is that Jenni and Owen are out of town. So I'm at home by myself listening to music, playing guitar, watching Hulu, working on the bar exam application, and (only because shear boredom), reading ahead for class.

Tomorrow will be more of the same.

(photo credit)

Sagrada Familia

We went to La Sagrada Familia a few days ago, Barcelona's most famous landmark. The Hinckleys have been talking about it since we got here, so our anticipation was pretty high and it did not disappoint. The cathedral has been under construction since 1882 and they have a completion date set for 2032. It is hard to imagine it taking this long to build, but the genius behind the project (Antoni Gaudi) died tragically in 1926 leaving no blueprints or plans. Since his death, architects have been studying his models and drawings in an attempt to complete his vision for the structure. The interior was recently completed and dedicated by the Pope.

View from inside the Cathedral





We took an elevator up to the top to see the architecture up close; it was so ornate and intricate, I had no idea that it looked like that from below.





We went over to a park afterward to let Owen run around; he loved swinging and climbing and being with Grammie.

Tossa

The day after Christmas we headed to Tossa, a little beach town outside of Barcelona. It was so picturesque, I loved walking on the beach (even if it was a little cold!) and touching the Mediterranean Sea. While we were there we saw an amazing live nativity. It was a perfect way to close out the month of December.

"Cheese"

Christmas

We had a fun and relaxing Christmas in Spain. Owen loved having grandparents to share the day with and has not stopped calling Santa on the pretend phone to see when he is coming again.





It was such a pretty day on Christmas that we took Owen to a nearby park, which he loved!

Montjuic

One of the first things we did in Barcelona was go to Montjuic; It was so beautiful and we could look out at all of Bacelona and the Mediterranean Sea. Owen loved having so much space to run and follow Pops around.