Random December

It was our lucky day when I took the kids Christmas shopping at White Elephant...

Hailee's Christmas party at school was a bunch of minute-to-win-it type games...

  Jace and Eli watched movies for their parties, and I wasn't invited... 😖

On Christmas Eve, all the *ahem* mature adults convinced Jace he needed a snow bath... so he put on his swim trunks and went for it!

I get an email from shutterfly every few weeks with my 'memories' (uploaded pictures) from the past.... I love it-  This one was especially sweet:

Nat was feeding Dallin mac & cheese.  Because she's all of 5 months older than him 😂

We found the charger for the Mustang while cleaning out the garage (we found all sorts of things actually) and Jace was super excited to drive it all around the basement...

My parents house sold(!!) and they haven't found a new house yet, so their plan is to move into their RV outside our basement until they buy a house... Nathan decided to decorate it "Kentucky Style" to help them feel at home:

Mimi wasn't amused 😉

 Sometimes, you just need to play video games in peace:

Eli was pretty proud of this creation:

The kids all wanted to sleep in the basement one night over Christmas break...

 It's kind of a tradition 😊

None of us can believe this year is already over!  The kids even have commented on it several times, where does the time go?!?  What a fun and memorable year its been 💕

Merry Christmas to All!

We were going to have Christmas Eve at my parents, and then, with my parents getting ready to move, my mom asked if we could do it at our home instead, YAY!!  We had snacks and a white elephant exchange- I think Jace and Hailee were a little confused over why everyone was opening kinda lame presents 😂

The best was when Sydney opened a framed picture of Dan and was MAJORLY disgusted 😆

The kids decorated some Santa and 'ugly sweater' cookies before bed for Santa to eat...

They each got to open 1 present before bed... Dallin and Eli got Hailee this armor costume, complete with a shield, sword and scabbard- she was sooo excited!

Bryson stayed up until too late putting together his model airplane he got from his brothers...

Jace opened a cool race car from Mimi and Papa:

We told them they weren't allowed to be up before 7am the next morning... the anticipation at bedtime made it sooooo difficult for them to get to sleep!  Even Bryson seemed especially excited this year 😊

Christmas morning came at last, I woke up a little before 7 and was surprised that I didn't hear anything from upstairs... but then, at 7am on the nose, they all came bounding down the stairs and into our room...

 Eli was super excited about his pizza 'onesie' as he calls it.  He saw it in the store and knew immediately it was going on his Christmas list...

I love the way my kids love each other:

 Legos!

Then it was time to enjoy the day!

Cousin Matthew had gotten the same rc car for his birthday last month, so Jace wanted me to send a picture for him to see.

Lego building:

Despite new toys, Hailee spent most of her time reading her new books!

She got a book on science and another on Greek Mythology that she's been pouring over in all her free time...  The girl loves books!

After breakfast and cleaning up and putting stuff away, I got the best gift... a nap!!  It was pretty glorious 💕

I'm so thankful for the most important gift, the gift of Jesus Christ.  For His humble birth and wonderful life and selfless sacrifice.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to have agency, and that I can make mistakes and learn and grow from them and repent because of the Atonement.  I'm so thankful for the growth I've experienced personally this year, and for the growth I've seen in my kids as they learn to use their agency.  So thankful for the abundance in my life.  And for my life.

Christmas Concerts

'Tis the season for Christmas concerts!  Hailee wanted me to do her hair 'fancy' and wear some of my jewelry for her concert:

I was asked to sing at our Relief Society dinner before Hailee's concert was scheduled, so I had to miss it.  Unfortunately, I had to depend on Nathan for pictures:

That's it from her concert.  In daddy's defense, there was next to no seating, mostly standing room only, so he gets a pass.  Good thing we love him so much!!

Bryson, Dallin and Eli all had a band concert the same night- SO FUN that all three perform in one concert!  And Mr. J knows how to keep things moving, the concert was DONE in 1 hour 😊

Eli's 5th grade band was first:

You can't even see him because his trombone was completely covering his face pretty much the whole time!  He's the 4th trombone from the right, directly in front of the big bass drum...

Dallin playing his alto sax:

And Bryson playing bassoon:

For the last song, he was supposed to play the baritone sax, which he has to share with someone in middle school- she left it where she was supposed to, along with the cleaned mouthpiece, but took the part that clamps the reed onto the mouthpiece!  Mr. J had to move the concert along, so Bryson had to skip that song... he was bummed, but sometimes, that's just how it goes 😕

Jace had a concert during school- it was all the kindergartners and 1st graders combined.  I thought I had a decent place to take pictures from...

and then they stood up...

He was visible for about 2 seconds and then decided he didn't want me to take pictures- he kept ducking and then stepped down off the riser and that was that.  Which is why there is no video from this concert... and now you know 😉

1/2 Way There

Bryson started his Eagle Scout project... I can't even remember how long ago.  But it was a long time.  I'm leaving it up to him, because I firmly believe that if he is going to earn his Eagle, HE is going to earn it, not me!

Seeing as how he loves music so much, I encouraged him to find something that would benefit the band program at his school- Mr. J was more than eager for some shelving to be built to store the drums which are currently stored all.over.the.floor.  No lie.  The entire room next to the band room is just covered in drums.  So it's doubly fulfilling that Bryson's project is meeting such an obvious need.

 Back in September, he had some friends go with him to Lowe's to pick up the wood needed (💓shout out to Lowe's for providing ALL the supplies for FREE!!💓).  A few weeks later they came over and sanded and cut the wood...

And after some threats encouragement from mom and dad, (we needed the space freed up in the garage!!) he organized another work party to assemble the cabinets: 

(note the winter attire... several months had passed 😒  I try to be patient!!)

The plan is to build TWO shelves... but in interest of garage space, we delivered the first when it was completed:

It's so big we had to bring it in on its side, through the overhead door in the shop...

Mr. J was super excited and very impressed 😊

Now to get the other one done...

Christmas Caroling

Hailee got to go Christmas caroling at a retirement home with the girls from church this week-

Hailee Mrs. Claus:

At the last minute, they needed more drivers, so Jace and I went along- Jace was pretty weirded out by being the only boy in a car full of girls!  I'm sure it was partly influenced by the fact that the girls sang carols the whole way in the car- he wasn't impressed 😂

All the girls... and Jace 😉

Hailee had so much fun and really loved singing along- I love that she's participating more- instead of just being mesmerized by everyone else and watching them!

After they were done, the girls were encouraged to give hugs and visit with the residents of the home... Hailee and Jace were NOT very willing... until I added the incentive of a candy bar when we got home if they would hug 10 'grandmas' - they were more than eager then! 😄