December 3 [Posted by Josh]: Late evening basketball trip to Driggs. Go Savages!
December 4: We got a new {to us} couch today in Idaho Falls! I've been looking on Craigslist for one for a while, because our current sectional couch has been bugging me with its rips & tears, sagging sofa, and broken reclining footstools. We got this used sectional 5 years ago, and it's been good for our family, but I'm glad to be saying goodbye to it:
December 5: We moved the new {to us} sectional into the living room today, and look who made himself right at home on it:
December 5: I've put it off long enough...today is the day for making pumpkin puree.
December 5: three orange pumpkins and one blue pumpkin later and I've got 18 quarts of pumpkin puree. I've never made it with blue pumpkin before. It's super thick, and very bright, and has a very unique flavor. I'm excited to use it!
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| The blue pumpkin puree is on the far right--it's darker than the others |
December 6: Took a trip up the mountain with my boys today to find a Christmas tree. We got a pine this year instead of a fir. Josh did a great job picking out the perfect one. I'm already in love with it!
December 8: Today was a gift: school got cancelled due to icy roads and road closures. So I spent ALL day (and night) making my mom's annual Christmas gift: the photo calendar with all my siblings and the grandchildren included.
December 9: One month ago today, I woke up super early to see the sunrise over the ocean on our last day of vacation to Mexico. Josh and I sat on the beach watching the glorious view as long as we possibly could. We had a long day of travel ahead of us (we didn't get home that night until almost 3am), and I was so tired all day because I am not a morning person and don't normally wake up at 5:30am (which was 3:30 Idaho time). But I never once regretted waking up so early to get that view. In fact, I have missed it EVERY day since.
December 11: This is our money jar. It sits on the kitchen counter top all year long, and when someone cusses or does something they're not supposed to do, they have to put money in the jar (usually a quarter). Josh puts a lot of pennies in the jar from his pile of change, too. At the end of each year, we empty the jar, and apply it to a Christmas charity. This year, the contents of the jar totalled $30. That's more than ever before--which is both bad and good. Apparently we're doing more naughty things, but the payoff is better!
December 11: I went out to get the Christmas skirt out of the shed this afternoon, and when I pulled it out of the storage box, it was covered in lint and mouse poop. I couldn't figure out how that was possible, because the box was plastic and the lid was on it tightly and it was the 4th box from the floor in a tall stack. But then I saw a hole in the plastic on the underside of the box. I unfolded the fabric and discovered a mouse had made its nest in it at some point this year. I only got to use this tree skirt once! I was so irritated!
December 15: I've had anxiety about going to the grocery store ever since the beginning of November, when I went inside and they were in the middle of a shelving remodel. That first week of November, all the items in the store were in a weird place as they were moving things around, and you could barely walk down many of the aisles. I had a panic attack the night I went in alone without prior knowledge of it taking place. I've avoided the store like the plague since then, and have refused to do a full round of grocery shopping for over 6 weeks. If we needed something, I just walked into the store, grabbed whatever would fit in my arms, and left. The shelves are super tall now, and I feel claustrophobic when I walk inside. We've been using up some of our food storage the last few weeks as a result of my anxiety about going in the store. Finally tonight, Josh took me to the store with him. He got a grocery cart and MADE me walk through the entire store with him as we did the first real grocery shopping since the end of October. It was a horrible experience for me, but I think I can tackle the store again alone now. Anxiety is so darn debilitating and makes me act like such a mental mess sometimes.
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| Nov. 2 with the super narrow aisles and shelves moved to weird locations in the store |
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| Dec. 15 with the new super tall shelves and everything is in a new spot |
December 17: This morning, I saw the most beautiful sunrise that I've seen since our last morning in Mexico. The sky was so vivid, and when I got to school, I tried taking pictures to capture the moment, but the quality of my cell phone camera combined with the city-scape surroundings doesn't make for the best photos of the gloriousness that I beheld with my eyes!
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| the gloomy view was such a contrast to the brightness in my rearview mirror! |
December 17: Micah was awarded the male 6th grade "Student of the Month" award today at the school assembly. We had no idea he was receiving it! It was a fun surprise to find out tonight, though. He's come a long way in his academic and social growth, and I'm so proud of him!
December 17: Josh and I went to a Christmas party tonight, and when I told the boys we would be going, Micah said "How come you get to go to all the Christmas parties? I want to go to Christmas parties!". He's watched me make food and leave for 4 different parties this month: the Stake adult party where Amanda and I were the entertainment, Gina's girl's night out Christmas party, my work party at the bowling alley, and Amanda's work party. No wonder he feels so left out! He said he'd like to have a Christmas party, and when I asked him what we'd do at it, he said "invite all my friends over to hang out", to which I replied: "That's a birthday party, and you'll have one in September".
December 18: Day 1 of our 17-day christmas break: woke up to fresh snow, Ammon went to the boosters orange sale, josh and the twins shoveled snow, I taught a piano lesson, Ammon had a home basketball game that we all went to, and I volunteered in the boosters food booth. What a full 1st day of vacation!
December 19: Day 2 of our 17-day Christmas break: Josh took the twins to a youth activity to Lost Trail Hot Springs, Ammon went snowboarding with friends, Kanyon and I listened to Christmas music as we did jobs around the house, I made a pillowcase for the first time EVER (and it was actually successful due in large part to a YouTube tutorial video), I folded and put away 3 loads of laundry, took Kanyon shopping for his brother's Christmas gift, and we had a nice family join us for dinner this evening. It's been a wonderful day for all of us!
December 20: Day 3 of our 17-day Christmas break: Kanyon and i both sang in our church Christmas program this morning, we ate dinner with Josh's parents after church, I made caramel popcorn balls for the first time in my life, took a Sunday siesta, we played the game cranium with some good friends, and started our star wars marathon by watching episode I. It has been a truly enjoyable day!
December 21: Day 4 of our 17-day Christmas break: slept in, the boys helped me move everything out of the family room, the twins got to go sledding with their friend, josh ripped out the carpet, Ammon and I pried staples from the floor, josh started installing laminate wood flooring and got over half the family room done, I sent out Christmas cards, took Jonah shopping for his brother's Christmas gift, and we watched episode II of the star wars movie marathon with some friends. It's been a productive day with a beautiful snowfall tonight. (Seeing snow fall under streetlamps is so magical for me. It takes me back to my childhood, living in Denver, looking out my bedroom window and watching snow fall under the street light across the street.)
December 22: Day 5 of our 17-day Christmas Break: Josh finished installing the laminate wood flooring in our family room, I stained the border piece, I fixed the edge of the carpet piece in the hallway adjacent to the new wood floor, the boys went to the neighbor's house to go sledding, Josh & I moved all the furniture back into the family room, I took Ammon shopping for his brother's Christmas gift, I went visit teaching, I made some goodies and the boys helped me to start delivering them to neighbors, and we watched Episode III in our Star Wars marathon tonight at a friend's house. We are loving Christmas Break!!
December 23: Day 6 of our 17-day Christmas Break: Josh and I drove to the Amish store to finish some Christmas shopping, I finished making neighbor goodies, Josh took the boys and their friends sledding, I worked on my college class, I taught a piano lesson, I took Micah shopping for his brother's Christmas gift while Josh and the other boys finished delivering neighbor goodies, Josh and I took Kanyon on his monthly date to Savage Grill (he's in a chicken phase, so he wanted a chicken burger, chicken nuggets, and a shake), the boys and I decorated gingerbread houses, and we all watched the original Star Wars movie tonight in our movie marathon!
December 23 [Posted by Josh]: Now this is what Christmas break is all about.
December 24: Day 7 of our 17-day Christmas break: mailed a package to England (they most likely will not get it in time for Christmas unless Santa is a miracle worker), tried to surprise Josh's parents with their gift (but totally failed at it), I made lunch for the family, we watched empire strikes back in our movie marathon, I made snacks to take to a party tonight, i wrapped the boys' Christmas eve gifts, we went to a Christmas eve party, the boys opened their pajamas, and now josh and i begin the task of wrapping all the other gifts (nothing like waiting til the last minute)...
December 25: Day 8 of our 17-day Christmas Break: we slept in this morning! We all got up about 8:30, then the kids opened their stockings & saw their Santa gifts, and they opened their gifts from each other. Josh and I made breakfast, we ate french toast & bacon, and then continued the gift unwrapping. I took photos of the boys with their new gifts as Josh went to town to shovel sidewalks at a few homes. We enjoyed being lazy at home in our pajamas all day. The boys played with their new toys, we watched Return of the Jedi this afternoon, I called and talked to my parents, Josh and I made the traditional ham & potato dinner for our family, his parents, and uncle & aunt. Tonight we went to the theater and watched the final installment in our Star Wars marathon: The Force Awakens. I loved spending Christmas at home with my little family!!
December 26: Day 9 of our 17-day Christmas Break (boo, it's half over): we slept in (again!), I balanced my checkbook, Josh and I took down the Christmas tree, we all packed our bags for an overnight trip, Josh drove us to Stanley (coldest place in Idaho--currently negative ten degrees) to visit Josh's aunt's family, the boys played video games with their big cousins, I wrote and submitted a college paper, and we ended the day by playing a rousing game of "Telestrations" and laughing hysterically with the Forsgren cousins.
December 27: Day 10 of our 17-day Christmas break: woke up in our hotel room in Stanley to see that it was -18 outside. We went to church, Ammon gave a talk, and the other 3 boys did a special musical number. Aunt Janet made us all lunch afterwards and some of us played the game "bang" while the others played video games, all with the Forsgrens. We drove back home this evening, and our animals were glad to see us since it was also cold in Salmon last night and they were anxious to come inside. We are happy to sleep in our own beds tonight!
December 28: Day 11 of our 17-day Christmas Break: we packed our bags this morning, drove to Utah to visit my parents, and the boys watched the first 2 "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies on the drive (so grateful to have a vehicle with a DVD player). Two of my sisters joined us for a yummy dinner at my parents home, and my mom and dad opened their Christmas gifts from the kids. We talked, played games, reminisced, and laughed until it was time for my sisters to go, and then the boys played wii and XBox until it was time for bed.
December 29: Day 12 of our 17-day Christmas break: we slept in, my dad took us skiing (and snowboarding) at the new cherry peak ski hill in Richmond, Kanyon got his 2nd lesson ever in snowboarding, we went to eat afterwards at Chick-fil-A (a first for my boys) with my dad, we watched the Tremonton city Christmas light show tonight with my mom, and the boys helped their grandma complete a puzzle.
December 30: Day 13 (I'm sad that number ends in a 'teen' already) of our 17-day Christmas break: Josh and I took Jonah and Micah to the Brigham city temple to do baptisms. It was their 1st time going to the temple and we enjoyed it. We all packed our bags and Josh drove us home to salmon. We stopped for lunch at jack in the box (another 1st for the boys) and they watched the last 2 Pirates of the Caribbean movies on the ride. Our animals were excited to greet us when we arrived. I worked on my college class for a few hours and submitted two papers, Josh shoveled sidewalks in town, and I gave the boys haircuts tonight.
December 31: Day 14 of our 17-Day Christmas Break: We discovered that our ticket in last night's lottery had 3 of 5 matching numbers plus the same power ball, and we were excited to cash it in for $100 this morning (we've been buying lottery tickets now that the prize is over 200 million because we really want to build a new school in Salmon)! Josh watched football most of the day and finished reading a book, the boys started arguing (a sign they're ready to go back to school), I made snacks for New Years parties, Jonah & Micah went to a friend's house for a NYE sleepover, Ammon went to a party, Josh and I played the game "Settlers of Catan" with friends and Josh won, we played the radio trivia game with Josh's parents and won the "non-themed" song montage, and Kanyon was still awake at midnight, but fell asleep shortly after.
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