Ready, set, JANUARY!!!!

Rmember us: the Hynes family? Well, we've had a crazy couple of weeks (in April....I'll get to that in a few posts), and in order to fill you in on that fun, I have to first catch you up on the last 4 months!!! WHAT!?!?!? Four months?!?! So, again, so sorry it has to be this way, you are going to get the short version of January. Lots of pictures, not so many words. Even looking at these pictures makes me cold...I DO NOT LOVE THE COLD WEATHER!!! But, if I have to endure looking at them, then so do you! Let's get it over with then, shall we?

Something you may not know about Archie is that, although he is quite picky about the things he eats, the boy LOVES BACON BITS!! However, this love of processed swine does not carry over into actual bacon, as seen here. I can't tell if Mike was more disappointed Archie doesn't share his love, or more happy that there is now more bacon for him :)

We LOVE having Lily over for slumber parties!!! There is just something about her that makes life around here MUCH more fun. Maybe that's why she has dubbed them "awesome-overs. Because I'm awesome, and I'm over." Right on Lily, right on. There was Monopoly marathons, and fun at Jump Time, an indoor trampoline zone.

There are no words that describe how much I love this picture of Archie. This is how he entertains himself while mom tries on one million pairs of running shoes. I love the proportions of his body in his giant coat, and his casual gait as he strolls in super-sized shoes. This kid :)

Hmmm, what else happened this month.....OH YEAH, LUCY GOT GLASSES!!!! I almost forgot that this happened, because she looks like she was made to wear them!! Maybe it's all the reading, but they look like part of her. My gorgeous girl.

We were able to go to a high school basketball game, which was extra fun since Elliott just finished his season, and Lucy was about to start hers! I love how Elliott can't even stop watching the game long enough to take the picture!

See! Here she is!! First time basketball girlie

At her first game, they asked for volunteers to run the scoreboard, and before I could object, Elliott's hand was in the air. This boy :) He is always ready to help, and he is always so curious about how things work, this job was perfect for him. It started out with just him and his friend, Jake, but by the end of the game, there were about 5 boys gathered around watching his super-cool score boarding action.

This #9 blur is Lucy. She was a master-rebounder (it helped that she was head-and-shoulders taller than all the other girls), and she would throw her hands in the air in celebration each time she made a shot. We loved watching her run down the court because she always had a giant smile on her face. So did we.

One of Lucy's best friends, Alayna, moved away last year, but she was able to come up and visit!! She caught one of Lucy's basketball games, then they were able to get together with some other great friends for a playdate. Now they are cute, little email pals.

While eating out at Red Robin, we spotted our own little celebrity on the counter there: Elliott's baseball picture!!! He wasn't there to see it, so we took a little picture for him.

FINALLY, we get to the real reason we have January....MY BIRTHDAY!! Mike arranged for a babysitter, and he took me on a great lunch-date to a new restaurant, shopping, and ice-cream!!! Time spent with my man is the best gift ever.

Finally a little break form the winter-blahs...quick, get outside and enjoy it while it lasts!!!

It was so nice of the National Football League to plan a party on my birthday, it helped us all get together and enjoy ourselves watching the SuperBowl and eating my birthday cake. Thanks again NFL!