What a WONDERFUL time of year! I have worked really hard to truly enjoy every second of this sacred time of year. I worked so hard in fact to get all “nuisance” type things done very early....that I find myself a tiny bit bored. Bored that is only after our marathon type weekend of holiday festivities!
So since I am getting lazy at this blogging thing...I will journal first, and pictures will be posted second. I think you are pretty smart to figure out what is what!
Where do I start on journaling??-
The kids had their Christmas concerts last Thursday. They were so cute dressed in their jammies for the "night before christmas theme"
Last Friday we headed to Salt Lake. G.J.'s parent's had gotten us a room at Little America. I had forgotten how much I love staying there. We got dressed in our Sunday best and headed to the Roof Restaurant to join up with G.J.'s family. We got to ride the Trax train for the first time. I truly love G.J.'s large blended family. Not many people know that G.J. has 6 half-siblings. We have a wonderful relationship with all of them.
Kayler was in full beast mode. I said MANY silent prayers that he would be nice so I could enjoy the time...but I guess that wasn't in the cards this time. I spent my time chasing him so G.J. could enjoy his family. We did enjoy a wonderful meal and what was even more wonderful was that we overlooked the Salt Lake Temple as we ate (you can see it if you look closely in the pictures below) We had put together some things for charity, visited, and swam at the hotel. One other bonus was that I got to meet my brand new GRAND nephew...boy does that make me feel old! His name is Fallon and he is the son of G.J.'s nephew. He was only 5 days old, and beyond precious!
We were supposed to go to the Nutcracker on Saturday, but with the storm looming closer, we opted to take the kids to Toys'r'us and Costco and hit the road. Good thing we did because it was pretty much white knuckle intense driving all the way to about Duchesne.
We arrived just in time to attend my Stewart family Christmas party Saturday night. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins as usual. I was horrible and forgot the camera...so no pictures there.
We woke up to somewhat snowy weather on Sunday, which was fitting for our annual Christmas music sacrament meeting...my very favorite meeting of the whole year. It is when being a ward choir member pays off. I love singing about our Savior.
After Sacrament, we went to my Bowthorpe family Christmas party....yet again, LOTS of cousin fun, and NO pictures....I am horrible!
That night ended perfectly with our 25th annual Glines Stake Christmas sing a long. It was a great night of singing and listening to heartfelt song celebrating this time of year. It was starting to storm...actually it was a strange storm, it was raining on the 19th of December! Didn't I say something about a storm coming in my last post!?!?
Anyways, we woke up to a continuing storm Monday. I did my usual Monday chores. We finished the night off with Hallie's piano Christmas recital, and making a super cute gingerbread house for FHE.
This morning I woke up to a very early phone call from the school letting me know that it was a very stormy day, but there would be school, just late buses. So we woke up to a LOT...and I mean a LOT of snow! It was so majestic-that was until I had to shovel it. I had another phone call after I sent the older kids on the bus letting me know that Kayler would still have preschool, but I would have to take him myself. Then they called back in 30 minutes saying never mind. Then I had a phone call letting me know that my Primary Presidency meeting had been canceled as well. Just as soon as I hung up from that call, the school called again letting me know that my older kids would be coming home early and school was canceled tomorrow. They said it was only the 3rd time in 15 years we had school canceled like that....So that left a day full of plans down the drain. It was a hot chocolate, lounging, lazy day.
The kids have had a BLAST playing in the snow. They have found a new sledding spot with our neighbor kids, and had all sorts of fun in the back yard. Poor Mollee does not know what to think about the snow. It is so sad, she comes inside and has snow clumped all over her...it is quite humorous actually, it looks like cotton balls!
Anyways, here I sit gearing up for 12 days with my kids at home. I am excited for a break from the school routine. I am SUPER excited for my sweet kids to have a very Merry Christmas. We are always so blessed with thoughtful gifts, love, and a sweet spirit in our home...with a tad bit of extra naughtiness-of course- isn't that required of all kids around this time of year!?
So, until then, have a WONDERFUL Christmas, and for those of you living in Vernal...enjoy this crazy snow!
