week 49

During Church Christian moved to be by Dad.  He had sketched out a plan to build a sled.  He is always building or buying or planning something.

After church, we visited Grandma and Grandpa Peel.  Grandma is such a good sport and plays canasta with the kids all the time.

Around midnight, I heard a crashing sound.  So did our neighbors.  They called the police.  Some teenagers rode through our neighborhood throwing pieces of iron and brick through vinyl fences.  They were caught and came to apologize and are paying to have the fences repaired.

Following a yummy dinner at Blue Lemon, I went Christmas shopping with Camille and Brittany.  We were in the Christmas aisle when I looked down to discover that I was pushing a cart with another woman's purse inside.  My cart and purse were nowhere in sight.  I ran around looking for it and found that I had mistakenly left my cart in the aisle and took hers.  We called an employee to help. I told him what happened and asked him to take the purse to the front to find her.  He thanked me for finding the purse. I clarified, "no, I am the one that took the purse."  I don't think he really got what happened.

Christian goes through pants like crazy.  I don't exactly know what happens at recess, but there is a lot of sliding on his knees.  If there aren't holes, there are grass stains.

After having the boxes of Christmas stuff in the kitchen for a few days, I finally got after it and decorated the house.  After some bickering, the kid's tree was done.  This tree consists of ornaments we have been given, and the ornament each kid gets every year. This year their ornaments are from Manzanita, Oregon.

Christian likes to hang the star.  This star has issues and is constantly tipping over.

When my mom brought me stuff from her basement, she brought my old rain coat.  The minute there was rain Jessi put it on.

Christian found some wood in a dumpster and, with Mike's help, started working on his sled.

Santa came to our neighborhood party.  The kids were good sports and let me take their pics with him.

Every year, she asks Santa for something completely different than she put on her list.  Ugh.

The weather was beautiful, so we made plans to go to Temple Square…apparently so did everyone else.  We didn't realize the racial bias/police brutality protest was going on. It was pretty cool to witness.  We had some great discussions about what they are protesting and how lucky we are to live in America where people can make their voices heard.  The protesters shut down State Street, so driving was a nightmare.

Then we met up with my family to see the nativity and lights.

Following Santa, we headed to Home Depot. The three youngest made the project. Drew helped Jessi make her bug holder.

The bane of my existence is the highlight of her month…class store.  The kids earn class money and then get to bring stuff and buy stuff at the class store.  One kid's junk is my kid's treasure…four bags full of treasure.

This beast has discovered climbing the tree.  He got to the top and then yelped for help getting down. Everyday there are a few ornaments on the ground.  He is a rascal and darling and we simply adore him, falling ornaments and all.

week 50

Andrew was looking on Redbox for a rental and picked Madea.  It was our first exposure.  We did have a few good laughs, and I fear it means he will want to watch even more of her.

Mr. Busy and Dad finished the toboggan, or as I am calling it, the Death Trap or Sled-o-Death.  They did make a few changes per my request.  They will also be adding some padding as I saw a potential for decapitation.

Christian found the wood in a dumpster and Mike bought him some skis at DI.

He made some stencils and painted it.  It is called "The Storm" and it has his initials and some lightning on the sides.

Sunday night and we were sitting watching The Amazing Race when our doorbell rang.  It was our amazing neighbor, Cliff Harris, with the Heritage Singers.  They sang to us and it was magical.

Poor Freddy…when you are my pet, you will be spoiled, and you will occasionally be made to wear antlers.

This is a picture of Jessi, but it is also a picture of me, letting it go, cue Frozen music.  I made the cake, threw on a layer of frosting and then let her go for it.  A busy life has a tendency to cure my control issues/perfectionism.

Bev learned a new scary game at a party, and did it for all of the family members, including Grandma and Grandpa. Even the aunts and uncles were good sports and participated. It does give a good scare.

We celebrated Jessi's 10th birthday with the Huffs.  We had lasagne, her second favorite choice, next to paella.

Randy and Camille didn't disappoint.  This year she had to break open a bottle with a clue inside which led her to her gift.  They provided a hammer and safety goggles for the breaking.  We always look forward to what they will come up with next.

With the safety goggles on, reading the clue.

With her favorite little guys, Henry and Max.

The gang watching the fire.

Christian is off track, and is always wanting to do things…(he makes me tired.)  While at Harmons, he decided that we needed to try real coconut.  He drilled it open and drank the milk from it.  It was not quite as tasty as he was expected.

We had the ward party and Bev and the other young women did the cutest skit with chin singing. She is second from the right.  We had a front-row view of it.

With my new calling as the Primary Chorister, I decided I wanted to sing one of my favorite Christmas songs, The Friendly Beasts.  I picked four soloists for the animal parts…Easton was the donkey, Jessica was the cow, Evan was the sheep and Addelyn was the dove.  It was so cute and they did a great job.

After Andrew was born, I decided that I would cross-stitch stockings.  I made his and then Bev's.  Then I bought the pattern for Mike's.  Then Christian was born, and I made his.  When we were matched with Jessica, even before we actually adopted her, I started working on hers.  At that time, I purchased the stuff for mine.  I wanted a nativity, and the only one I could find was super simple.  I finished mine pretty quickly, but Mike's was a really complicated pattern…lots of different colors and detail work.  It was a much smaller count than mine.  Six years ago I started his. I took it on every road trip and occasionally stitched while watching tv.  Last summer, I started working on it more. I wanted it done for this year.  As Mike and I have been watching Blacklist and Scandal, I have also stitched during those as well.  I finally finished it and had it cleaned. Now I need to sew it into a stocking.  So. Much. Work.  I may never cross-stitch again.

Dragon at the Nativity.  There is always something being added to the nativities around the house.

My text to Camille.

The inaugural run of The Storm.  It worked well, but was a little heavy to pull back up the hill.

week 48

We went to the Jazz game.  They played the Bulls and for the first half, the Jazz were getting killed. But, in the last quarter, it actually became a great game.  Drew couldn't come, so we brought Luke along.  (Looks like we need a family lesson on gang signs.)

I went with Bev to her college prep meeting with her counselor.  It is crazy to think we have to start planning for this now.  She is an excellent student, gets straight A's and takes advanced classes.  She wants to either be a veterinarian or dentist or dental hygienist, although she doesn't want to work on "nasty teeth" so she is also considering orthodontist.  Here she is at the orthodontist following her college prep meeting.  She was reading over all the material, asking questions and making plans.  In other news, she is set to have her braces removed in January.

Drew met these girls at a birthday party a few months ago.  They communicate via text, Instagram and snap chat.  They met up at the Oval for skating.  He is a social creature and has as many female friends as he has male friends.

We had a weird Thanksgiving this year.  Bev had a soccer tournament in St. George, so we ate dinner at Chuck-a-rama.  I love the tradition of the holidays, so I missed dinner with the family.  The weather was amazing and it was fun taking a road trip with the gang.

We went to the live nativity at Tuacahn.

Christian rode a camel.

These kids argue and bicker, and then love like this.  Christian didn't participate in the group hug-walk as he was hiding the Christmas gifts he bought them in the gift shop.

Her team didn't win, but they had a great time playing in the beautiful weather.