Christmas 2016

Christmas was a success this year!  On Christmas Eve Dave and I finished up some Christmas shopping.  While Kate was babysitting the boys she made 17 half-size loaves of bread for her bread customers.  When we got home from shopping Dave drove the kids around to deliver the bread, along with some almond pretzel bark for other friends, and pumpkin seed granola for our healthier or gluten free friends.  I cleaned and wrapped presents while they were out.

We took some granola next door to our neighbor, Mrs. Vassa.  We stayed and visited for a while with her.  She lives there alone, her husband died years ago and she has no children.  She is from India and is a kidney specialist.  She is fascinated with our kids and our way of cooking, etc. and am fascinated by her way of life too.  We had a nice visit and invited her to church today.  Her friend is staying with her for a week.

We had enchiladas and spanish rice from the Country Mercantile for dinner.  We were hoping to buy tamales, but they were out so we settled for enchiladas.  The kids were not impressed and said they like mine better.

Before bed the kids opened their Christmas Eve presents.  Then they changed into their new pajamas.

 Nick took this picture Ty.  Scary, but a real face...

  I love how Nick is covering his mouth in this one.

After pajamas, Dave read the Christmas story in the scriptures while the kids used the puppets to act the story out.

We talked about ways that we tried to Light the World (the church's challenge to do service in 25 days of December) and learn about different attributes of Christ that we should emulate.  We did lots of different things: donating old eye glasses, donating food, coats and toys, shoveling neighbors driveways, bought a family a Christmas tree while shopping at Lowes, doing kind things to each other at home, etc.  It made me recognize the ways that other people provided us service.  So grateful!

The kids went to sleep pretty quickly after going to bed.  They left a ghiradelli chocolate square and a mug of milk for Santa and come carrots for the reindeer.  Nick took that job pretty seriously.

This morning Nick crawled in bed with me at 5, but he does that often.  Kate woke up the other boys at 7:00 and we headed downstairs.

Santa brought a wiggle car and legos for Nick, snap circuits for Jack and Ty, and new bedding for Kate.

After presents, I tried out my new crepe pan (gift from Emmalee) and made breakfast.  Then we got ready for church (at 11:00).

Church was only one hour.  Mrs. Vassa and her friend came too!  I played my oboe with the ward choir.  My friend, Rachel Mohlman, arranged a version of Away in a Manger with an oboe and flute part (she said she wrote it for me!).  It is a very pretty song.  I did ok.  Got a little nervous and lightheaded but didn't pass out.  :)  It's been 13 years since I've played in public. I haven't played much besides the last week and a half.  The primary sang the Nativity Song and I played the piano.

After church we played with presents and I slowly made dinner (ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, molten lava cake).  The favorite presents are nightstands and lamps for the boys rooms, Kate's fitbit, the basketball arcade game that Jack played non-stop, and the remote control motorcycle that Mrs. Vassa gave the kids.  Mrs. Vassa also made some zeppoles (fried dough with powdered sugar on top) for us that she showed me how to make and then had me rush home so the kids could eat them hot.

It was nice to lay in bed this morning before the kids woke up and read the talks from the Christmas Devotional. I especially loved this quote from Elder Craig C. Christensen's talk:

   "Christmas is not only a celebration of how Jesus came into the world but also of knowing who He is—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—and of why He came.

President Thomas S. Monson has taught: “Because He came to earth, … we [can] have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year. … Because He came, there is meaning to our mortal existence.”1"

So grateful for my Savior, for his life, for the gospel and the chance to refocus and recenter each day, repent and recover, and try to be like Him.  

Kate is 12!!!

Kate has been counting down to her 12th birthday for months.  The day finally came!

She woke up to flowers (from the neighbor's beautiful garden) and mini blueberry muffins.

After breakfast, we got to head to the church for some birthday church cleaning.  :)

After church cleaning, Kate opened a few presents (some shoes that were way too small, a Young Women circle of values necklace and YW theme bookmark and a new binder for school.

Then Kate made her own cake (texas sheet cake) and enjoyed not helping with Saturday chores.  Then she headed to the mall (with Mom) and Audrey and Claire to do some birthday shopping.  The girls all bought bath & body works stuff.  Then Kate picked out makeup, a new skirt and some new shoes (size 8 in womens!!!!).  The girls enjoyed orange julius and a cinnabon cinnamon roll.  Kate said it was the best birthday ever.

After shopping, Kate went with me to Seth Mitchell's baptism (wearing her new skirt and shoes).  The Blaser family brought Kate a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts and sang to her on the driveway.

Afterward we picked up Dad and dropped the boys off at the Farris' house for dinner.  Kate chose to go to Red Robin, but was a little disappointed with her giant hamburger.  The root beer was good though.

After we picked up the boys, we headed home and then had texas sheet cake.  It was the best  Kate's ever made.

Kate talked to both sets of grandparents on the phone and had lots of facebook/instagram/text birthday wishes.

This morning Kate met with the bishop to advance from primary.  She came out of the interview with a temple recommend.  In sacrament meeting she was presented her faith in God award certificate and her advancement from primary certificate.  She was very excited to go to Young Women's and loved the lesson!

Here are some things about 12 year old Kate:

• She makes delicious whole wheat bread and has sold over 250 loaves to our neighbors (her customers) since July 2015.
• She is a good cook and has perfected making brownies and texas sheet cake.  She makes yummy muffins too.
• She loves to swim and is way faster than anyone else in our family.
• She is constantly reading and walks around almost always with either her kindle or a book.
• She is a great piano player and has improved a lot since she started lessons with Angela Jacobson last year.
• She gets very good grades.  
• She plays the flute in 6th grade band.
• She plays the piano in both the 6th grade and 7th grade jazz bands at Desert Hills.
• She is a good babysitter, especially to Nick and Ty.
• She has a very good memory and remembers things to no one else can.
• She is very responsible, especially at school and church.
• Kate loves to be with her friends, especially Audrey and Claire.
• Kate misses her best friends from New Mexico, Sophi, Annika and Nina.
• Kate memorized the 13 articles of faith quickly and still remembers them.
• Her hair is mostly brown now, but gets highlights in the summer time. 
• Kate has blue eyes.  

I interviewed Kate and this is what she said:

1.  Who is your favorite person in the whole world?  mom and dad

2.  What is your favorite color?  turquoise

3.  What's your favorite television show?  Girl meets world

4.  What's your favorite outfit? t-shirt and jeans, sandals

5.  What sport do you like best?  Swimming

6.  What song do you love?  Stand By You by Rachel Platten

7.  What's your favorite cereal?  cinnamon life

8.  Who is your best friend?  Claire, Audrey, Sophi, Anni, Nina, Olivia

9.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  Author

10.   What is your favorite book?  mother/daughter book club series

11.  What are you really good at?  swimming, babysitting

12.  Where do you wish you could go on vacation? Hawaii

13.  What is your best memory?  When I first got to meet Nick.

14.  What would you buy if you had $1000?  a phone

15.  What vegetable do you hate the most?  squash

16.  If you could have a wish, what would it be?  All my friends from Los Alamos could move here.

17.  What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?  salted caramel

18.  Who is your biggest hero?  mom

19.  What do you like to do best with your friends?  talk

20.  What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday?  see my friends from Los Alamos

Week ending Feburary 14, 2016

Weston Farris came over on Tuesday and Friday while his mom substituted at schools.  Tuesday, Nick was pretty whiney and said "I hate that" to everything that Weston said.  We went to lunch at Costa Vida with Laura Zettlemoyer and ate it at the park.  Friday, Nick had a lot more fun with Weston.  Nick went to time out everytime he said 'I hate", so he eventually stopped saying it.  The boys played in the basement riding bikes, we at lunch at Cottonwood with the boys and then went to Hansen Park to play.

Ty had basketball practice on Wednesday and Friday.  He made two baskets in his basketball game on Saturday.  He did a good job doing his chores on Saturday and even practiced the piano so he could get computer time.  He went to the Farris' house on Wednesday and played with Ty while Jack was at scouts.

Jack had his first soccer practice since fall season on Monday for 3 Rivers.  He went to basketball practice on Monday and then left early and went straight to soccer practice.  For scouts on Wednesday, he picked up trash with his den.  He had two basketball games on Saturday.  They lost both games, but the last game was really close.  Jack got fouled a lot and made 5 free throws in a row.  His free throws made his team be ahead by 2 points with a minute left.  They ended up losing by 4.  Dave and Jack went to the Kamiakin high basketball game on Saturday night.  Jack got to go for free and got to shoot a free throw at halftime.  He missed, so he didn't get a 2 liter bottle of soda.

Jack and Ty had valentine parties on Friday.  They came home with tons of candy.  Jack had 12 fun dips!  Thursday night we made some "smartypants" valentine's to pass out to their classmates.  They both went to chess club on Friday after school.

Kate had early morning jazz band, piano lessons and basketball practice.  She got to go home with Claire Zettlemoyer after school on Wednesday.  She made 10 loaves of bread this week and sold 5.  She had a basketball game on Saturday and guarded some really defensive, tall girls.  They won!  Claire spent Saturday evening with us too.  Kate took a bag of small snickers and handed them out to her friends on Friday.  Kate took her small copy of the Book of Mormon and read it during SSR in band and PE and is now in Mosiah.  

I babysat the Davenport kids on Monday.  It's so fun to watch baby Millie and Lincoln (7 months and 2 years).  I finally got a haircut (5 inches off).  Wednesday I invited some other primary presidents and counselors from our stake (that are my frirends) over for brunch (Tami Smith, Sharee Wolfey, LaRae Hopkins, Mariann Medina, Kristen Gourley and their kiddos).  I made granola and muffins.  I taught 5 piano lessons.  

Dave bought a new door for Ty's room and routed out the spaces for the hinges.  Looks nice!  Now the remodeling fun begins.  Dave is still trying to fix the garage door.  He and Jack and Logan Blaser walked home from the REgional Stake Conference Broadcast at the church today.

Jack ordered 4 rubik's cubes from amazon with his birthday money and they arrived this week.  Dave can successfully finish a 3x3 without watching a youtube video.  Jack and Ty are getting better at working on them.  There are rubik's cubes all over our house.

Ty made this at school:
February 5, 2016
I love my brother Jack for many reasons.  First, he wakes me up every moning because I like to sleep in thats why.  Another reason why he is special is he helps me fix mastaks.  I like it when he plays a game called monopoly.  Last I also love my baby brother because he plays football but I have to be soft.  We play for 1 minite because we play in my house.  Clarly I love my brother!

January 2015

January 2nd we loaded up our van and left Grandma Judi's house in Mapleton and headed to Washington.  It was a little squishy with our Christmas presents plus everything we packed for Disneyland and our last few weeks in New Mexico.  

The weather was pretty good,but we hit some patchy ice coming through the Blue Mountains.  We arrived in Kennewick in the evening.  We drove past our new house to show the kids, then headed to the Hampton Inn in Richland for the night.

The following day we ran errands (bought school supplies, drove past the kids' new school, bought a Costco membership and checked out Tri Cities).  Then we got to check into our apartment that was home for the next few weeks.  The apartment had three bedrooms, so the boys shared, and Kate shared with Nick.  We loved the elephant towel on the bed.


We went to church in our new ward, the Willowbrook ward, the next day.  The kids did a great job meeting new people and not being too shy.  Nick didn't like nursery, but he didn't like it in New Mexico.  We stayed with him off and on for the next few months.

Ty was pretty good at making this creepy eyed face.  Dave put it on his email screensaver for several months.

The kids went to the first day of school on January 5th.  The neighborhood school that is closest to our house didn't have room in 3rd grade, so they told us that the kids had to go to Ridgeview Elementary until the end of the school year and then they would make room for them.  After a few weeks of me driving them to school, they took the bus with the neighborhood kids to Cottonwood Elementary and then they were bused to Ridgeview.  They arrived a little late for school and they got to leave 15 minutes early.  I had to pick Ty up from kindergarten every day though since it was half day.

The kids had a good first day of school.  I had emailed their teachers before school closed for the break in December, so they knew that the kids were coming.  Ty's kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Puckett.  Jack had Mrs. Smith for 3rd grade.  Kate had Mrs. Griffith for 5th grade.

Nick and I went to Target right after dropping the kids off for their first day of school.  It was crazy to live close enough to a Target that it was only 5 minutes away from the school, instead of an hour away.

I think it snowed that first Sunday, but overnight the warm chinook winds came and the snow "blew" (melted) away.  Nick, Ty and I went to the apartment park after Ty got home from his first day of school.