End of the year Randomness

What happens when Rod and Spencer get the phone while we are running errands. Peek into our day to day happenings. 

View walking home from church. I love where we live. Life would be a little sadder without these mountains. 

From what I've been told Rod is the class clown/life of the party when he's at the other kid's houses for preschool. Sometimes that's not a good thing. As they were getting ready to leave he put on his coat backwards and put the hood over his face to be funny. And then ran right into a wall. He was bleeding all over the place and got a huge swollen nose and lip. Oh Rod. 

Grandma Amy made capes for all the boys. While Spencer and Jeffrey reserve them for dress up games, Rod wears his any where and every where. We get a lot of compliments on it though. 

Last year we were drowning in snow. This year we only have had one small snow storm so far. Boys had fun playing in it before it melted. It was Jeffrey's first time. He was crying when I made him go out and then was crying when I was trying to get him to come back in. He loved it. 

Spencer saved up his money and used some birthday money to buy his own tablet. He was pretty excited about it. He also started cub scouts. Equally as exciting. 

Last year for Christmas Jamen and Krista gifted us a Year membership to Thanksgiving Point. We have loved it! It was expiring at the end of the year so we played hooky from school, I took the boys and we spent all day there. Really-like 6 hours. We had to stop for lunch and snacks twice because we were there so long. I was exhausted! But the boys had a blast. Jeffrey for the first time really got what was going on and played with the exhibits (we actually just parked his stroller and never even used it) and he had just as much fun as his big brothers. At one point we lost Rod (surprise, surprise) and we had to ask for help from the staff. But we had a family sit-down and talked about staying together and what to do if you get separated. No permanent damage done-just fun memories. 

Christmas Eve and Day 2017

Christmas Eve was on Sunday this year and I loved it. We went to church and had an amazing musical program. Robin and I sang in a women's ensemble and all the primary children sang a couple songs. It was such a peaceful and spiritual way to start the holiday. Before church I really wasn't in the mood to force my family to take a nice picture together. Cause lets face it- I have to force them to do it. So I just had Spencer take a nice picture of me Steve and me.

And We took a silly selfie

Rod was cuddling with Grandma's Christmas bears and asked her to take a picture.

We came home from church and a delicious turkey dinner and then got in jammies and did a Christmas eve program. We talked about the symbols of Christmas and sang a bunch of songs. Then we acted out the nativity while Steve read the story. It always turns out more silly than spiritual- but it creates some great memories.

After some bribery...

Santa Came!

 I told Rod and Spencer that if they were quiet they could go down stairs when they woke up and get their stockings and eat some of their Christmas cereal (They get sugary cereal for Christmas). I said this thinking they would wake up about 7am. At about 5am I hear them excitedly down stairs. So I had adjust what I said and told them at 7am they could go down, and sent them back to bed. 

The boys all loved their presents and their facial expression were so cute with everything they opened.

My dad gave us all t-shirts for our upcoming Woodstock family reunion and a note saying he was taking us all the Sea World in San Antonio.

We relaxed, played games, put together toys and ate leftovers the rest of the day.

 It was a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas Season

It really beings to feel like Christmas after we watch the LDS First Presidency Christmas Devotional on TV.  It's a wonderful way to remember the reason for the season as we begin it.

Sitting by my cutely decorated fireplace while it was storming outside.

Book Club Christmas Party: 

This. Right here- is what gets me through the month sometimes. I look forward to it all month- even Steve knows- don't mess with my book clubs nights.  I love the books we read and the ladies I read them with even more. Stayed up way past my bedtime having way to much food and fun with these ladies. 

Left to right kneeling: Sara Woodward, Rachael Fraser, Me, Georgie Johnson

Left to Right standing: Lavern Soelberg, Nicole Drysdale, Melissa Smith, Molly Miller, LaDawna Cherepovich, Becca Wilkins

Church Christmas Party. It was ugly sweater themed.

 They had these props you could take pictures with. The boys just grabbed some and we took pictures. I didn't really look at what they said until later and I busted up at how perfect they were and the facial expressions that went with them.

 Steve won the ugly sweater contest. Second time with this beaut. Everyone says it's the turtle neck that puts it over the top.

 Robin had her annual Christmas lunch at work. Santa and Mrs Claus come and the boys get to meet them and take pictures.

 I'm not very good about having the boys write letters to Santa. Rod came up to me with a piece of paper and marker and asked if I'd help him write one. So cute.

Spencer's teacher had them write one at school and this is the letter he got back from him )I found it stuffed in the bottom of his backpack.

Not my best work but the door I did for Spencer's classroom turned out pretty cute.

Noelani watched the boys while I worked. Jeffy and Rod love going to her house.

 Second grade gingerbread houses at Spencer's school. It was a lot of sugary fun.

For the preschool class I taught in December we did a Nutcracker theme. At the end of class we put on a play of the Nutcracker. It was pretty adorable.

 This is how we do Grinch day at school.

After we put up the Christmas tree the boys went to express measures to keep Jeffrey away from it. He was actually pretty good with it though and didn't mess it up too much.

 Attempting to take a selfie for our Christmas card at Walmart (haha). Ended up using a different one.

 Love my Christmas card door.

UCCU- North Orem branch Christmas party. It was crazy getting there but worth it. The weather was iffy but I decided to risk it (ended up not being a big deal at all). I was 2 exits from home on the freeway when traffic came to a complete stand still. I was about 10 feet from an exit. I decided to wait it out thinking it would faster than getting off and taking the back roads. I will sitting there for a few minutes before I decided to look on my phone to see what was up (we were literally sitting at dead stop- so I was not endangering myself or other drivers). I pull up traffic and see "North Bound I-15 closed". Me, "Oh heck no, I am NOT getting stuck here!". I looked for traffic in my blind spot and then made a hard right turn off the exit and take the back way. When I got to the party I found out there was a low-speed police chase with gun fire exchange going on on the freeway. If I hadn't of been able to get off I would have been stuck for a couple hours! But I got there and it was a blast. I work with my really good friend Brenna Olsen. We went to High school together and have a blast working together. She always makes parties more fun too. 

Spencer's class was having different guests come in and talk about other Countries and their every day and Christmas traditions. I knew Jamen and his family were coming so I asked if they'd be willing to come in and talk about Germany. They readily agreed, did an amazing job and even brought German candy for all the kids. My family rocks.