1st week of a New Decade

The first week of the New Year is one of my favorite weeks!

The hustle and bustle of Christmas baking and gift-giving is done.

The feasting is done.

Hosting is done. 

The only thing that isn't done is our break from school.  

We always have one more glorious week to just be together.  

This first week of 2020 consisted of:

* Skating on our favorite part of Lee Creek

* Ice fishing 

* Dipping Chocolates with friends

* Long walks 

* Card games

* Late night movies

and of course...

our annual Hobbit Marathon

I feel content.

New Years Eve

Christmas crackers, our annual New year's Tree, reading and writing predictions, board games with Grandpa, and sparklers at midnight.  

That is how we like to usher in a New year. 

18 years

Boxing Day Ice Fishing

One of the gifts I gave John this year was an Ice fishing tent.   A few years back I gifted John and Sam with ice fishing rods and an auger.  Though they'd tried ice fishing a few times, the windy winter days have made it a challenge to really enjoy this activity as much as I thought they would.  

This year, I found a great deal on a 4 man tent and it has made ALL the difference.  

John could hardly wait to put it to the test and so on Boxing Day (which happened to be a cooooold day) we all joined him out on Payne Lake.  

Some of the kids skated, while others sought refuge inside the tent.  

It was a bit unnerving to be walking on top of that lake and it took me a bit of time to really relax and feel safe.   It was cool to look down the hole that John dug and be able to see into the lake in a way we'd never been able to before. 

I was impressed at how warm it actually was inside the tent and I'm confident that there is now no end to John's fishing season.  

I can't say that the whole family loves ice fishing, but John and Sam are definitely hooked!

Christmas Day

Highlights from this year's Christmas Day:

* Everyone was delighted with the gifts they got (phew!)

* Grandpa joined us

* Ammon and Kristin's gift of Japanese goodies

* Traditional breakfast pizza

* Our annual Christmas Day drive to Waterton

* Wrapping paper, apple cider, pillows and blankets

* Relaxing 

* Board games

* Seafood Chowder and Baked Brie

My heart is full!

Our traditional Christmas Eve

We are a family with deep-rooted preferences as to how certain days unfold. 

For example, every Christmas Eve we go on a family walk together down to the creek.  We do this often walk down to the creek, but we definitely make sure to do so on Christmas Eve.  Somewhere, at some point, we decided that this was something we had to do on Christmas Eve or else it wouldn't really feel like Christmas Eve.   

The kids and I spend the afternoon baking and prepping the house, while Dad and Grandpa make a trip into Lethbridge to pick up everything needed for our Christmas Eve feast.  

By the time they come home we have everything set up and ready.

Every Christmas eve we eat the same thing:

French onion soup

Steak and Mushroom sauce

Potatoe wedges

Salad

Scallops

Shrimp

Lobster

and 

Mussels!

This year we finished it all off with Strawberry shortcake because that is what Grandpa said he'd love to have.  It is an absolute feast!

I really love that my kids all eat seafood.  I'm not sure it could feel like Christmas Eve without it!;)

The kids always exchange names each year and get gifts for each other, which we always open up on Christmas Eve.   Some of my kids have their own jobs, which meant they spoiled their siblings a little more than in years past.   Sam got Jessica a doggy dish full of treats, Abby got Sam fancy socks from Atkins, Jessica took all of the stories that Nate has written lately and compiled them into a book with illustrations and all, and Abby painted pictures for both John and I. 

We opened up our Christmas shirts, which were M*A*S*H shirts this year.  It was a hit!!! (I don't do jammies, but rather gift them all with a shirt that depicts something we've experienced or shared in as a family that year.  Seeing as we all watched 11 seasons of MASH together in four months, it just made sense.) Once we'd all changed into our jammies, we read about Christ's birth, watched Polar Express, set out milk and snacks for Santa and settled into makeshift beds set up around the downstairs Christmas tree.

John and I stay up just long enough to set out the gifts and barricade the hallway with wrapping paper before falling into bed ourselves, happy and content and filled with gratitude for another special (albeit predictable) Christmas Eve.    We wouldn't have it any other way!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Waiting on Christmas - Part 2

This year we were invited to Brent and Rachel's house for a Christmas party. 

We usually make everyone come to us, so we figured it was time we do the traveling.

I like it when Grandpa travels with us (which he did this time) as it gives me a chance to cozy in the back seat with my kids.  

As soon as we arrived to Calgary we feasted on a festive Raqlette dinner and caught up on the happenings of our Calgary family.

The night was spent playing Christmas games and watching Mandalorian while sipping Caramel Apple Ciders.   Those sweet drinks alone are worth traveling for!

We spent the night at their house and we all went to the new Star Wars movie the next morning.  

Sam let me walk beside him in the mall (14-year-old boys don't always like to walk by their mommies) and even agreed to have this picture taken of him and me,  

I mean, I had to agree to pay him $20 first, but I still consider this photo to be my own little 

Christmas Miracle, my favorite part of the whole trip!

Waiting on Christmas - Part 1

As my kids grow older it is getting increasingly difficult to feel the magic of the Christmas season.  

I've felt a need to seize any opportunity given during December to do things as a family. 

This is how the first half of our month of Christmas went:

Jessica finished her ten-week art class and we all attended her celebratory art show. 

She really enjoyed this class and I can't wait to see how she continues to grow her talent.  

(Note:  The watercolor dog and the sketch of Linda Burwell were two of her projects this month)

Speaking of projects - Jessica also finished her PERSONAL PROGRESS this month!!!

This young women method of goal setting is coming to an end in our church, and I won't lie, I'm kinda excited for the change.   There was a great push through to finish by Christmas and with persistence and nagging, she completed it just in time.   

I'm so glad she did.  

There is something to be said for seeing a goal through to the end.  

Another thing I have loved about this month, and always, are our mealtimes with Grandpa.  

For the most part, we have managed to eat our suppers in December by candlelight.

A tradition that stems from my childhood, this seems to slow us down just enough to connect a little more, even if just for a moment.  

We always have the Gladdings join us for dinner near Christmas and we were thrilled to get to visit with them each again.  Sweetest couple ever!

Sam looks slightly evil in the photo above, but I swear despite the fact that he looks as though he is plotting to take over the world -  he was just goofing off.   He likes the Gladdings just as much as the rest of us!

For the past few years, we have enjoyed visiting the Creche display in Lethbridge.  An LDS stake center is completely decorated and filled with creches and theme rooms all depicting aspects of the Savior's life.   In the chapel, they have musical performances by city members.  

It's actually quite reverent and breathtaking. 
Definitely one of my favorite things to do when we are needing to remind our kids of the true meaning of Christmas.  

And in case a visit to see the Creche displays isn't Christmassy enough - we make sure to always catch our local 10-minute production of the Nativity.  It runs for just a few days but is really well done!   I think I LOVE a good Nativity - in any form!

Nate wanted a Christmassy hairstyle for crazy hair day during the last week of school. 

John buzzed out the shape of a tree and then I went in behind and painted on a Christmas tree.  

The ope was that when Nate was working hard at his desk (because that happens, right?) this would be what everyone saw.  

Apparently, you are never too old to enjoy a gingerbread house making competition.  The boys struggled less to keep theirs together and they didn't hesitate to point that out while us girls were working hard to hold our walls in place, but in the end we added a backyard basketball court to our house, which shut those boys right up!  Boo yah!

During the month of December, Grandpa lingers after dinner a bit more than he usually does.  (Perhaps it is the soothing affect of those candles?)   We like the extra time with him. 

On one Sunday evening he stayed and watched the LDS Christmas Devotional with us.  

The older I get, the more I love this annual evening.

John and I were hosts at our local theatre during their production of the Forgotten Carols.

John took this role to heart and dusted off his theatre vest and bow tie. 

He stole the show and got so many comments about his festive outfit.  haha

We had four Christmas trees in our house this year.  FOUR!

My favorite one is this one.  It is full of black and white photos of my family's adventures.  It also features popcorn garland which we strung ourselves!

I think that will be a new tradition for us.  So fun!

I'm a sucker for Christmas decor.  No matter how much I chuck and throw away, I hold true to the notion that you can never NEVER have too many Christmas decorations.

Winter Solstace Babb Run

Oh, how I loved this day!

A wintry drive to check the mail is always so much more exciting when Jessica comes too.

We take backroads, explore ditches and fields, watch moose, search for wolves, find creeks to walk along and, with cameras in hand we try to capture the light in the most beautiful way possible.  

With Jessica in tow, it somehow ends up never really being about the mail after all.  

November Noteworthys

I am convinced that November brings some of the best sunrises and sunsets of the year.

The colorful sky at the start and end of our days has more than made up for the early onset of winter and the several snowstorms that we have already experienced.  

Other November things of note include:

Jess had a sleepover at her friend Lola's house where they stayed up all night long to read the Book of Mormon.   Like, who does that?   Jessica and Lola do, that's who!  

(Especially when they have a short month to go to finish their personal progress.)   

They met at Lola's house early on a Friday evening and read through the night, only stopping for short naps or sugar breaks.   I was super excited and relieved that they had accomplished this and that they were able to finish this goal together.  

Nate participated in his 4th Champs Basketball Camp and once again earned his end of season Glazed Donut.   For some reason, nothing motivates Nate like a champs issued sugar glazed donut. 

It was really fun to see him grow in the sport this winter and he got to play with several of his friends which was super fun to watch. 

November was also the month that Nate turned 10 years old.  

DOUBLE DIGITS BABY!!!  

To celebrate, his Aunt Jewel gave him a packet of Orbeez which are pretty much the worst things ever created.   Nate filled our tub with them, and that is where they sat for days until I finally decided that I'd waited the appropriate amount of time before chucking a gift. 

Nate's birthday celebration was done.  

Even though Nate's creative antics drive me crazy at times, they sometimes melt my heart as well.  

This is a note that Nathan wrote for a former teacher of his who recently lost his mother, Linda Burwell.  Written with love and respect to a teacher who really meant a lot to Nate.

I tell ya, this kid sometimes...

November marked the end of volleyball season.  Woot Woot!!!  

Ur...uh...I mean, we will miss it so much.

(Really, we do miss it, but with 4 out of 6 of us heavily involved in that sport, it has been nice to have our evenings back;)

I walked into the kitchen one morning to find Nate doing something silly (shocker) in the pantry.   What stood out to me in this moment was that Nate was standing on a chair, something he hasn't had to do in a long time!   He is growing so tall, so fast.

We've taken a few family walks down to the creek this month to scope out the location for our future skating rink, walk our favorite dog Nala, or just get the kids off of the Internet and breathing fresh air for a bit;)    

On one particular day, we were delighted to find that the thick fog that had descended, had blanketed our town with a layer of ice.  Every blade of grass, every leaf, every branch was encased in it.  It made for a slick, but beautiful walk.

It's hard to believe this year is almost over. 

Moments like this remind me to find the beauty of our day, our month, or our year and enjoy it!