December

We started December with Brynn's cheer showcase.  They always do this before competitions start so the families can see their routines.  Brynn did great.  They were a little shaky in some spots but she hit all her stunts and tumbling skills.  She is amazing and we love watching her.

middle flyer

middle flyer

She is the left flyer in these photos:

And center flyer here:

with Coach Connor

And a still shot I stole from a promo video: 

She loves this sport!

Christmas Devotional and caramel popcorn night, one of our favorite traditions.  Stockton and the little girls cut out tons of snowflakes.  Stockton got very intricate with some of his designs.  Later that week, Stockton and Ivy got the ladder out and hung the snowflakes all across the loft railing.

Grandma had the kids' Christmas jammies shipped to Ali and she gave them to us at the airport when we got home from Fiji.  I had to take a picture to send to my parents.

We opened our new Christmas book on the 5th.  This year's book was called "Last Stop on the Reindeer Express" and I read it to the kids because Justin was at church meetings.  He read on other nights, but we didn't get to as many as we usually do.

Justin and the three older kids had been to the Orem Temple open house in November but Ivy and I wanted to go as well.  I was able to get appointments and Gene and April got some as well so we met them there and walked through it together.  It was beautiful with the cherry blossom theme throughout the entire temple.  I'm excited to go back and do a session or take the kids to do baptisms there.  (Stockton wasn't feeling well so he stayed home.)

the girls with Brett, April, Gene

two girls in Grandma's coat

Brynn's first competition was just a week after showcase.  They had put in hours and hours of work and were ready.  Brynn was spot on-no bobbles or anything.  There were a couple other mishaps with other groups so definitely room to improve but a good showing for the first comp of the season.  April came to cheer Brynn on as well that day.  She is center flyer in both of these pictures.

Brynn and April

Stockton and Ivy had spent the bulk of that day on their own together and when we got home, we found them playing a homemade football game they had made that afternoon.  We had creamed eggs for dinner, got tubs and showers done, and then the kids were able to wrap their sibling gifts with Justin while I cleaned up.

Another Sunday evening found us gathered around the TV again...this time to watch Mr. Kreuger's Christmas.  This is a tradition for us but not a lot of people know about this movie!  We have big chunks of it memorized.  We also had our brownies, peppermint ice cream, and hot fudge.

Right before we started the movie, Brynn got a comb stuck in her hair.  Who knows what she was doing??  I took one look at it and told her to enlist Justin to help her.  It took some work and he didn't get his treat until later, but he did get it out and she didn't lose too much hair in the process!  The comb was toast though.

Brynn had to plan a food truck for one of her classes and this is their finished project.  Their food truck is called "Stacked" and it is a pancake truck.

?, Layla Baird, ?, Brynn

Ivy had her piano "recital."  We went to her teacher's house and rotated through stations to see what the kids have learned so far and then she played her song for us-Frosty the Snowman.  She did a great job and is loving piano!

Ivy and Miss Kim

I put my name in to get tickets to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert back in October...and was able to get 4 tickets!  When it actually got to the day of the show, Ivy was the only one who was available/wanted to go.  So it was just the two of us.  I felt bad letting the other two tickets go to waste but found lots of people at the Conference Center standing outside hoping for tickets.  So I shared and was happy they didn't go to waste!  The concert was amazing, as all their concerts are, and it was so fun to be there with Ivy.  There were many times when she looked over at me with her eyes open big in surprise or delight.  I loved their guests and especially loved the choir's rendition of "Ode to Joy." 

Our annual Goodrich/White/Henrie dinner at The Mandarin in Bountiful.  We have known these couples since we all lived in Logan together and this is our 15th year getting together for dinner.  So glad we have stayed in touch...the boys were all tellers at AFCU together (although I worked with Rich and Jason before Justin, haha) and have remained best friends through all the moves, kids, and career changes.

Annie and Jason Henrie, me and Justin, Serra and Rich White

Ivy's friend, Hannah, was performing in The Nutcracker and Ivy reminded me several times when and where and what her role was.  I knew we had to go.  We were able to have Gracen go with us and it was a fun night...a classic Christmas activity!

Ivy and Gracen Nalette

Hannah Reynolds, Ivy, Gracen

The third Sunday in December found us gathering once more, for Bethlehem dinner this time.  I loved all our Sunday gatherings.  This one is a clear favorite of everybody and we are always amazed at how full we can get on finger foods.  No one dressed up this year but Brynn and Ivy took time to make a manger scene with a doll for baby Jesus and an eclectic assortment of stuffed animals.

After Bethlehem dinner, we went over to the Webb's for an ELF movie night.  John had prepared a game for us-if you rolled doubles, you got to try to unwrap the big ball of saran wrap and earn prizes.  We had muddy buddies from me and cookies from Jenny and had a great time watching the movie.

Molly and Brynn came home with face masks and insisted on trying them out that night.  Molly put some serum on Ivy so she didn't feel left out-it made her skin glow and I have now started using the same serum.  

My annual Christmas piano party.  We played Bingo and everyone played their Christmas song for the group.  Always nice to have this one done and get a break from lessons everyday.

back row: Mallory Pearson, Haley Knowles, Kessley Coleman, Lily Chappell, Ellie Graff, Layla Treu; front row: Bradley Baird, Emery Pearson, Reese Allen, Raylie Anderson, Alina Quinn, Vincent True (was missing a few)

Ivy started a clogging class this fall.  I have been wanting her to do this forever but she had her heart set on cheer for a while there.  I'm not sure what made her finally change her mind but I was very happy she did.  I'm sure she would have been great at cheer but Brynn is so good and I was a little worried that if she went that route, she would be compared to her big sister forever.  I like that my kids have their own sports and we avoid comparisons all together.  Anyway.  She has been really enjoying clogging.  She had a Christmas recital and she loved everything about it.  We did too.  She's done dance before and it was fine but clogging just felt so different.  It was fun and exciting and energetic...and just felt really wholesome.  Justin and I are hoping this is something she decides to stick with, I think it could be a positive experience for her and something that is all her own.

Carli Steiner and Ivy

in the front in the splits

We did the Goodrich Christmas Eve party the Wednesday night before Christmas, since it was an off year for Christmas Eve with them.  We were so excited to have Rachelle and her kids there, the first time in a looooooong time that the Brown's have been with us.  We love this night and time spent together.  Appetizer dinner (leaving us so stuffed we are almost sick but it's so good), short spiritual program by our wonderful patriarch, Gene, and gift exchange.  Everyone picked out their gifts and sent them to Grandma.  Then we tried to guess whose gift was whose.  This year we came home with the following: Justin: throwing axes, hatchets, and knives (with the intent to make a target for fun at home); me: wireless earbuds; Molly: cotopaxi fanny pack; Stockton: 49er's hoodie and black puffy vest (which came late so he just got a picture of them); Brynn: two types of press-on nails, lip oil, cropped pink hoodie; Ivy: window art, beads for bracelet making, slime kit, small "I" jewelry box, rainbow scratch paper.  It's always fun to see what everyone picks out for themselves!

Eric, Justin, Gene, Molly, Rachelle

Lizzy and Molly

Tiana, Lizzy, Molly, Grayson, Rachelle, Brynn

We ended the night with singing around the piano and that is the best part, although the whole night is wonderful.  All the kids are old enough to participate and enjoy it...and we sounded pretty good on some of those songs!  Ivy also sang a song that she had learned with April when she stayed there over Thanksgiving. Such a simple, sweet song that brought the spirit to that little room.  I loved it.

Brynn, Rachelle, Ivy, April

Wednesday was the last day of school for the kids.  It could not come soon enough, we were all ready for a break.  On the first day of break (Thursday), I made a bunch of cookies so we could go jingling that night.  We had gingerbread men cookies, white chocolate dipped oreos, and hot cocoa cookies.  Stockton wore his grinch mask and went up to a couple of houses to deliver cookies, like he did last year.

3/4ths of the children set up their mattresses and had a sleepover under the tree that night and the next (Thursday and Friday).  I bet you can guess which three were the participants.

 

We did nothing on Friday.  I made Christmas crepes for breakfast and we watched Christmas movies all afternoon.  I took these three to the thrift store and they loved that.

I did have a baptism appointment that night.  It ended up being just the girls that night-Molly and Brynn and me.  Some other dad performed the baptisms and confirmations for us.  Time well-spent!

Saturday morning sleepy-heads...I was up because Justin was up getting ready for work that day.  I made them put their mattresses away that morning...two nights is the max I can handle with that kind of chaos!

The 23rd is always our cookies-for-Santa day and the tradition works well.  Sugar cookies, frosting, lots and lots of sprinkles.  Everyone chooses their favorite cookie to set aside for Santa.

Justin was at work, Molly went to work, and the rest of us cleaned the house, went to the store one last time, and tried to get in the last of the Christmas movies that we hadn't watched yet.