December

 Justin got motivated and managed to find a bit of time to finish the back porch overhang...not sure the right word for it.  It looks great!  And now we can finally finish the siding.  Yay!

Stockton went through a ping pong stage for a few days.  Without an actual ping pong table, we had to make due with the kitchen table.  We had a lot of intense matches, haha.

Christmas Devotional!  Caramel popcorn.  Love this tradition so much.  We also cut out paper snowflakes while we watched this year. 

 Molly did another drawing, for another of my mom's friends.  This is her grandson who plays baseball at my alma mater, Fremont. 

Brynn and Ivy both wrote letters for Santa.  Brynn asked for a coat, water bottle, and surprise.  Ivy asked for a surprise.

 

Justin and Stockton are proud of their matching Demarini hats.  It's a baseball company that they are obsessed with. 

We opened our new Christmas book on December 7th.  The book this year was Red and Lulu.  Justin was pretty good at reading the books this year, mostly because Ivy wouldn't let him forget, up until the last week when the kids were out of school and our nightly routine had fallen off a bit.

 That first snow day is always the best because we are actually excited to see the snow.  What a fun picture Brynn's teacher shared with the parents.  Brynn's class is really so awesome.  Ivy went out that afternoon when she got home from school.

I spy Brynn, Briley, Ellie Graff, Austin Larsen...the two kids in the back on the right I don't know.

 

With the new snow came cold.  Definitely not my favorite.  This was also early on a Saturday morning when I really don't like having to set my alarm.

 

Brynn's cheer club was putting on a parent showcase to kick-off competition seasons (starting in January).  We finally got to go see what Brynn has been working on so hard for so many months.  Having been a dancer my entire childhood and being in countless recitals, I figured it would be something like that.  Wow, was I wrong.  I was amazed and a little awed at what the coaches had managed to put together and what the girls could do.  It was three minutes of tumbling, stunting, and dancing in various formations and positions.  At any given point, there would be girls tumbling, stunting, jumping, or dancing all at the same time.  And all at an extremely high energy level.  And then there was the audience participation.  The coaches cheering, the audience cheering and screaming.  It blew me away, honestly.  Such a fun, fun atmosphere.  Brynn was on cloud nine doing her awesome things that she can do and being with her cheer tribe.  I think I'm going to love being a cheer mom and that kind of surprises me.  I was super proud of her and have been each time I've seen her perform since.

 

Brynn and Ivy made up a dance that afternoon. And then we were off to another performance that afternoon, Ivy's Christmas recital for tap this time.  I know I am biased based on the fact that I am Ivy's mom-but, she was so good!  She was the youngest and the smallest but they put her right in the front and center and she knew every step!  It was so fun to watch her!

Ivy is the front point of the triangle

she also loved that she got to sit on a human chair for the ending pose

At the end of the program, Santa came out and invited all the dancers on the stage to dance around with him.  This is where it was funny.  Ivy knew all the steps to her choreographed dance and performed them perfectly, but with no choreography or script, she had no clue what to do and kind of just stood up there.  We had a good laugh about it.  She is so much like me, I would do the exact same thing (as would all my other kids).

kind of in the front on the left

So fun to have some supporters come up and watch.  Grandma Moyes brought Lucy instead of Grandpa and Grandma April and Grandpa Gene with Brett came as well.

Brett, April, Ivy, Gene

Lucy, Ivy, Brynn

Grandma Kay and Ivy

Molly had a late "friends-giving" with one of her groups of friends.  This is the friend group from Rocky Mountain Middle School that has adopted Molly into their group through Molly's soccer bestie, Regan Heywood.  They had a gift exchange and ate a modified Thanksgiving dinner.  Molly took mint brownies as her contribution.  Justin and I were gone and told her to find a ride home...then were embarrassed to find out that she had a parent drop her off at a different house for a party with a different friend group.  I cringe just thinking about it.  Luckily, it was a dad that we know really well and he was totally nice about it.

Molly is the third one in on the couch, Regan on her immediate left

Brownies, peppermint ice cream, and homemade hot fudge for Sunday night dessert.  We were probably watching Mr. Kreuger's Christmas that night, it is a family favorite.

 

For our anniversary (18 years!) we went to Stockton's art gala at the middle school.  I didn't take any pictures of the two of us but got one of Kelton Webb and Stockton after their percussion performance and one of Stockton being part of the drama club skit.  He had one line...but he's just stage crew so isn't actually expected to perform.  I think he liked being in the skit, although it's not something he's likely to readily admit.

far right, in the green coat

on the right

Kelton and Stockton

We did go out later that week to our favorite place, The Bombay House.  It had been a while since we'd been (pre-Covid) and was so nice to be back.  That's about all we get for our anniversary during the crazy month of December but something's better than nothing.

More snow.  Still excited about it.  Our yard is beautiful with the freshly fallen snow on the ground and all the trees.  Add the early morning sky and it's stunning.  But so hard to photograph.

Felt good to get these girls fully vaccinated.  This was their second dose and I felt like it deserved a photo as an historic event.  I also got my booster that day.  Fist bump.

 

Stockton wanted to go play in the snow but didn't know how to make it work with his boot.  This was our solution.  Garbage bags over the boot.  It seemed to work!  He played baseball in the yard, snow and all.

Saying good-bye to one of our favorites, Colby Grant, who was leaving for his mission to California the next day.

 

We were happy that the live nativity came back this year.  We went to it several years ago and then we missed a year and then it was cancelled.  They held it only one night and, conveniently, it was on a Wednesday night so we could use it for that week's youth activity.  Justin took his deacons and I took my girls and met my class there.  We were low in numbers but that's okay.  We bundled up in our warm clothes because it's held in essentially a huge barn-but it was warm and we slowly removed our layers.  We walked around to see the animals when it was over.  This was our last activity of the year and a lot of those deacons moved on to the teacher's quorum a few weeks later.

Deacon's Quorum: Justin, Easton Andersen, Corbin Cunningham, Stockton, Payton Western, Max Andersen (younger-came with dad), Timothy Evans, Rome Perotti, John Webb, Asher Quinn, Logan Cunningham, Kelton, Riley McPhie, Todd Andersen, Easton Anderson

The kids' last day before the break was Friday the 17th.  It was a busy day!  I had a preschool party in the morning then had a couple of hours before helping with Ivy's class party.  We played pin the ornament on the tree.  Ivy had made the tree the night before and I cut out a bunch of ornaments. Molly came with me and helped the kids write their names on the ornament, then I blind-folded them, spun them a few times, and let them go.  It was fun.   

Brynn celebrated in her class too.  It was pajama day for the entire elementary.  How funny that those 4 girls all coordinate in some way.  That was totally not planned.

Briley, Ellie, Mari Freeman, Brynn

Brynn is in the back, on the left

Brynn is squatting down, in the middle

When they both got home from school, they had to line up all the goodies they had gotten from classmates and friends.  They made a pretty good haul!

 

The fun did not end after school.  I think everyone was doing something that night.  Molly was at work.  She sent me this picture of the moon reflected off Deer Creek.  What a beautiful night for a train ride!

Stockton wanted to have some friends over.  They had pizza and played games.  They wanted to do a gift exchange but I made a rule that it had to be something from home so they didn't have to go out and buy something.

Cooper Clark, Joseph Ritchie, Sam Freeman, Stockton

Brynn was also at a party that night.  They did a cookie decorating contest and a gift exchange.  It was a crazy party by the looks of it when I went to pick her up.  Boys and girls and they were super excited for the break and upcoming holiday.  I definitely got the better group at my house with Stockton and his buddies.

Four parties in one day!  Whew!  But that is such a magical day for kids as Christmas creeps ever closer and knowing that they are done with school for a while.

I did end up making the Christmas play-dough this year, even with everyone in school.  It was pulled out on Saturday's and even Stockton got into the fun of making Christmas cookies. 

While they were making their play-dough cookies that afternoon, I was making cookies for our Christmas plates.  We almost didn't manage to find a time to go jingling but it's the kids' favorite tradition so we had to make it work that Saturday.  I made the cookies in the morning, Justin and I opted for an early dinner to Bombay, then we came home and took the kids elfing.  Not sure how we managed to squeeze it all in...but we did!  This year's cookie plate had peanut butter blossoms, chocolate cookies with peppermint buttercream icing, and soft gingerbread man cookies.  I have to say...this was the best cookie plate I think I've ever made.  All the cookies were so, so good.  Those gingerbread man cookies are going to have to come back again next year...and each year after that.  They were delicious.

 

We delivered nine cookie plates to people in the ward and one box of oranges for a ward service project.  We tried to get to new people since we have a subdivision of new houses and new families in our ward.  Our drop-offs were mostly successful, minus the family that pulled into their driveway as the kids were leaving their front porch and the house where the dogs came out and sniffed out the kids' hiding place.  Lots of fun and giggles this night...and some arguing if I'm being completely honest.  But hopefully we all remember the good.

me and the cookies barely fit in the front seat!

It was a true family night that evening...we watched Polar Express and the kids pulled their mattresses out to the living room and had a sleepover under the tree.  So magical.  Pretty sure they slept there Saturday and Sunday night and then mom couldn't handle the mess anymore and made them clean up.

We still had church at 11:30 so I took time that Sunday morning to make Christmas crepes for the kids.

Brynn made the syrup

 

That afternoon after church we went to Gene and April's for Christmas Eve dinner.  Stockton lit the candles for dinner.  And what a dinner it was!  Look at that spread.  I tried to be better at taking photos this year.  Regardless, times spent at this dinner table will forever be cherished memories.

Molly and Tiana

Jake, Stockton, Luke...boys being boys

 

A nativity lesson by Grandpa.

 

Then presents.  Everyone got a number 1-16 and we opened presents in that order.  You didn't necessarily open your own present and April made us all guess whose present we thought it was and write it on a piece of paper.  The person who matched the present the most with the right person was the winner.  Moms were exempt since we helped kids pick them out but we still guessed.  Justin ended up being the winner (he and Heidi guessed all of them right but the prize defaulted to him since he hadn't helped with the buying)!

In our family, we came home with the following gifts...Justin: coveralls and wireless ear buds; Megan: robot vaccuum; Molly: gel nail stuff; Stockton: off-brand Legos; Brynn: light box and LCD drawing pads; Ivy: princess necklace kit, storybook Lego, little locker.

 

We had a long Christmas break.  One full week before Christmas, one full week after Christmas, plus the Monday and Tuesday after New Year's.  For my sanity, I planned something every day.  Nothing big but enough to keep them somewhat occupied.  They still had plenty of downtime as well.  Monday was Ivy's party.  She was sad the Friday before when everyone else had a party but not her so I told her she could have some friends over and do a little party.  I used to do this with the kids but stopped over the years...why not bring it back for Ivy?  I made more ornaments and had the kids decorate two each.  Then we pulled out the cardboard tree that we made for Ivy's classroom party and re-used it.  They each got to go twice.

coloring their ornaments-Lydia Evans, Emery Pearson, Hannah Reynolds, Zeyta Mitchell, Raylie Anderson, Brynn, Blakelee Anderson, Verity Phelps, Ivy, London Mathis

Brynn

We decorated clear cups with googly eyes, a red pom-pom nose, and brown pipe cleaner antlers.  They filled baggies with Cheerios, Chex, pretzels, and M & M's then put the bags in the cups...voila! Rudolph treats. Super simple.

Hannah, London, Verity, Blakelee, Emery, Lydia, Raylie, Zeyta, Ivy

They took their Rudolph cups home but I had extra cups and extra snacks so they could munch on them while they watched a movie.  I can't even remember what movie they watched but it was something I got from the library that morning.  Then they all went home.

Hannah, Ivy, London, Zeyta on the couch, Verity, Blakelee, Emery, Lydia, Brynn, Raylie on the blanket

We did our Bethlehem dinner that night.  This has become a favorite of everyone and I get asked constantly throughout the month when we are doing our Bethlehem dinner.  Even Justin asks.  Such a sweet tradition.

 

Tuesday morning was my piano party.  We did it in the Primary room at our church.  I had 17 of my students perform (my two adults sat this one out) and was only missing one.  Brynn and Ivy also learned a song last minute and both performed.  One of my students does piano and violin so there was a bonus performance from her.  They all brought a dollar store prize or something from home and we played Bingo in between performances.  I missed doing this last year and was so glad to get to do it again this year.  I really love those kids and I'm not just saying that.  They enrich my days and weeks.

Maya Treu, Chloe Mitchell, me, Elayna Knowles, Haley Knowles, Lily Chappell, Easton Anderson, Dylen Graff, Ellie Graff, Blain Mitchell, Verity, Avenlea Mitchell, Nora Owens, Alina Quinn, Raylie Anderson, Ivy, Tessa Baird, Taylor Allen, Brynn, Taylee Baird (missing Tristan Treu)

I cleaned up and finished that with just enough time to run home and grab the other kids.  We had dentist appointments with Dr. Jeff in Ogden that afternoon and were planning on staying the night.  Ivy had a couple cavities this time.  She did great with those and had the cutest chipmunk cheeks for a while.

Of course it was a party that night with cousins, spread out between all the aunts and uncles houses.  Then we all went ice skating Wednesday morning.  This was fun but completely exhausting.  Ivy attacks ice skating like you wouldn't believe. There is no going slow with her and the consequence is that she is falling on the ice a lot.  Like a lot, a lot.  She always hops back up though.  I did finally get her to slow down a little and taught her how to use her arms to help with balance.  Seriously though, I was so tired trying to keep up with her for the two hours we were there.  Poor Stockton had to sit out and watch this time but Seth joined him in the stands after a bit and they hung out.  He was a good sport about it.

Brynn and Harper

this is a funny series of photos: Abby, Molly, Brynn, Josie, Ivy

and Grandpa!

and Tessa!

and Erin W. and Grace (between Tessa and Abby)

let's do it again: Ivy, Lucy, Josie

and Molly and Tessa...it was like as soon as the kids saw one of us with our phones out, they would swarm the group...then more and more would come

Grace, Brynn, Tessa, Gavin, Ben, Seth, Grant

Seth, Grant, Ali, Spencer, Erin M., Abby, Molly, Ben, Tessa, Chloe, Gavin, Erin W., Brynn, Lucy, Grace, me, Ivy, Josie, Harper

 

 We like to wrap the kids presents for each other as soon as they get delivered but it took forever this year.  We had two packages get lost or delayed.  One order we were able to cancel and re-order with enough time but the other we just had to do a second order and then have to deal with a return.  It was a pain.  Amazon was the only way to go this year.  Anyway, we finally wrapped on December 22nd.  Almost just in the nick of time!

 

We did our cookies for Santa on the 23rd.  They each pick their favorite to leave out for Santa and we eat the rest.  After this, it was just the long wait until Christmas Eve night and Christmas morning.  The kids watch all the Christmas movies we haven't watched during the month while I'm using kept busy making all the food for the next couple of days.