Christmas Bells are Ringing

 December.  That crazy, expensive, wonderful, stressful, thought-filled, relaxing month.

Emma came home about a week before Christmas.  Her break was 4 weeks long!  She was hoping to have some employment while she was here, but that fell through.  She got super bored after just a few days. To be honest, she was a bit nervous about being home that long and I was too.  In the end, it turned out okay.  We did have a few arguments and frustrations but I also could see how Emma's relationships with her siblings was different.  She was kinder and there was not a sense of rivalry anymore.  I think it will take time for the other kids to accept that and respond in kind.  But, I think everyone enjoyed having her around.

We went to Winterhaven with the Clarks.  It was fun to carry Abigail around and her her point to every house and say, "lights on house!"  

The Clarks took Brent and I on a date to see Jim Gaffigan in person.  It was fun to have an adults only evening.

We also got to attend Sydne's voice recital  Michael Chaffin, her teacher, has some really talented students so the whole concert is awesome.  Sydney has had several obstacle in her vocal journey this year and it's been frustrating for her.  It's hard for us to know what's really going on since we don't know a lot about vocal physiology.  My advice is always to keep working, keep trying things and don't give up.  She's not happy with her progress this year, but she has kept working at it.  Brent and I know that if we can't hear her singing, she's not home.  I don't think I love anything more that listening to her sing and perform!

Christmas morning was on a Sunday this year, so logistics were a bit tricky (our church is 9am). The small pile of presents near the couch was "before church presents" and then we came home and finished opening.  It was a little annoying, but I love the Christmas sacrament meeting every year and this year was no different.  It was wonderful to truly worship and celebrate Christ on Christmas Day!

We still had our Christmas Day gas station nachos.

The day after Christmas, we headed up to Utah for a week.  We were hoping for some good snow, but got mostly rain.  However, we did manage to find a decent sledding hill up Hobble Creek Canyon.  Aiden loved the jump!

We also went skiing in Brighton.  Well, everyone but me went skiing.  It was a big fiasco!  Because it was the busiest week of the year, and the mountains had gotten some amazing snow, everyone in all of Utah decided to go skiing.  And I think half of them went to Brighton.  It took us 2 hours to drive up the canyon (a 20 minute drive) and then the parking lot was full.  So, I had to quickly drop everyone off and go all the way back down the mountain.  Brent and Shara were there will all our kids so they started skiing around 11 am. However, after scrambling for an hour, I learned that parking and shuttles back up the mountain were just as packed and I knew that I would only get an hour or two of skiing, so I decided to just skip it.  I sat in the parking lot and cried for a bit and then called Shanlee (who lived close by) and we went to lunch.  I went back up at the end of the day and picked everyone up.

Fortunately, the snow was amazing!

Everyone had a really good time!

Drama in the Drama Boosters

I spent most of November stressed about Walden's big drama dinner theater that the booster club was in charge of.  It was two nights, of a few hundred people, with a fancy catered dinner, a mocktail bar, and decorations.  The kids performed a holiday show and we pushed hard for donations from the audience.  It turned out great, and we ended up raising abut $2400.  But, it was a ton of work.  I was really glad it was at the beginning of December so I could get it over with and still enjoy/plan for Christmas.

The booster club has been good and hard.  On one hand, I feel like it is good for my self-esteem to be doing something outside of the family that I am good at.  It's funny to me that people are amazed I can run a meeting, plan an agenda, etc.  I think church experience has definitely played a part in developing those skills.

On the other hand, it often feels like a one man show.  And there's WAY to much for one man to do.  My officers pretty much make up the whole booster club.  They are awesome, but they're all dads who do only exactly what I ask and nothing more. lol  Also, Mr. Diamond, the drama teacher is thrilled to have a booster club and is quick to ask us to feed kids, plan events, and pay for things.  It feels like I am always asking parents for help and I worry they are so sick of my pleas.

I'm not sure I will continue to do this next year, especially if Sydney doesn't sign up for drama (she's hated it so much and we both feel like there's not much for them to offer her).  But, if I don't continue, the booster club may very well fall apart, so I feel a sense responsibility to keep it going.

Soccer, Music, and Theater......the majority of our life in three words.

 Aiden made the WGHS Soccer team!!!  

Tryouts were a roller coaster.  They lasted nearly 10 days, and students were cut periodically, so every day felt intense.  Aiden got sick right at the end and we didn't know if missing a day would cost him a spot on the team.  He struggled to push through at school but felt awful so he came home to rest hoping he'd feel better that afternoon for tryouts.  He just got worse, and in the end, he missed one day of tryouts and then went one day even though he still felt awful.  It was such a relief when we found out he had made the JV team! 

We are so excited for him to have this experience.  I think there is something really special about being on a school sports team.  He is enjoying his coaches, is becoming friends with his teammates and we have spent a small fortune getting him all the needed warm gear in the school colors.  After watching just one game, Brent and I invested in some cushioned stadium chairs so we are ready for the season!

Taylor has been busy learning a new instrument in band.  Back in September, Mr. Mark asked if she could learn the Bari Saxophone since they needed one.  She said yes, and has enjoyed figuring it out.  The saxophone is huge, so she has one that stays home and one that stays at school.  Taylor has picked it up quickly and is excited for the band festivals this fall.

She is also busy with soccer. Her team won Socctoberfest tournament this year, which was really fun.  Her coach has her playing all over the field so she's constantly trying to figure out her positioning.  But, she is aggressive and fast which makes her really fun to watch.

Of Course, Sydney has been busy with shows.  She had a small part in Charlie Brown in October.  She  also decided to participate in Walden's winter play, but has regretted that decision already.  She has really not enjoyed high school drama this year and it has been hard.  In general, Junior year has been rough for her.  She has a heavy workload at school and is taking piano, dance (2 classes), and weekly voice lessons.  She hasn't been cast in any shows she's super excited about and her time with friends is brief.  She stays up late most days trying to get it all done, but has still managed to get straight A's.  We will both be happy when this year is over!