December

 The swim/dive banquet honored Collin as diver of the year, haha! More like ONLY diver of the year. ;) He deserves it anyway because he busted his hump at swim practice and juggled swimming and diving all season! While it's a bit of a pain to get to him to all the meets plus additional invites to qualify for state for dive, I'm so glad he's been able to have this experience and make these friends through the team. I drove a group out to Scottsdale for one meet and listened to them talk. I think I heard the phrase "low-key" 150x, conservatively. Mostly from one girl. I feel my age with every passing year!

We only had an hour at the Morrison Ranch Christmas party but Tanner and Bradley ran around and made the most of it!

Pres. Allen invited all the bishops and their wives to their house for a yummy Mexican dinner. After we ate we gathered around and each rolled a dice. Whatever number we landed on corresponded with a question we had to answer. I guess last year everyone told their "how we met" story, so, since we were new, Travis told ours. I did not enjoy the spotlight though and tried to get him to hurry it up! We each brought a platter of cookies so when it was done, we went around and made plates to take home. Everyone was so, so nice. The Allens gifted each of us a book and one of those gift wrapped mugs with chocolate and treats inside. 

Elfie is back! Now that Olive is on board, I've got one more kid to help hide him.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. WHAT?!!

How is this car driving around with HISTORIC VEHICLE plates?! This is ridiculous, I tell you! This is the same type of car Jessica drove us around in all through high school!

Travis did a change up with our Christmas lights and I LOVE them so much. Every time I drove home at night, I smiled and soaked them in. I love when tree trunks are wrapped like this. And he got lights on the top of our roof this year! I don't even want to know how much he risked his neck for that.

I substituted at Highland and couldn't help but notice the Doc Martin slip on sandals. JUST like the ones we all wore in high school. It's so weird how those trends are back.

I was invited to an ornament exchange party at Jen Breese's house so I resurrected an idea I used in Gallup. I bought a Bible, cut up the scriptures from Luke 2 and hodge podged them all over a clear ornament. Sprinkle of glitter and a little cross emblem and wa-la! 

It isn't Christmas until we've gone to the MCO concert!

And check out that Blizzard we got afterward?! The DQ on Country Clubs got it goin' on! Never do you get ice cream ABOVE the cup anymore!

It's the 20 year anniversary of Napoleon Dynamite. 

I think that calls for a Christmas card theme. Tanner absolutely killed me as Tina in this llama costume! Isn't he the cutest?!!

Olive as Deb.

Weston made such a good Kip! It was meant to be. And with his hair the perfect length for a comb over.

Collin as Uncle Rico. I can throw this pigskin a quarter mile! 

Travis as Napoleon. "Whatever I feel like I wanna do. GOSH!"

I love this one so much!! Weston's face!! And Collin giving chester vibes. It was all so perfect.

I came down the stairs as Pedro and the whole family lost it. I almost jumped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. 

I am so dang proud of myself for editing all of us on this card!! It took a few hours but I did it! I was hoping to put our pretty family picture on the back but there was just no way to fit us and Tanner on the same side. So full Napoleon it is! I think we got the most comments of any year. It was a winner! And I wasn't even sure if I could manage it this year, but somehow I got all the costume pieces ordered and we got it done. It is a part time job repackaging everything and sending it back to Amazon. I feel a little guilty turning it into a rental company each year but there is no way I'm paying $500 for Christmas card outfits!

Our stake got shaken up but we were the only ward untouched!

Our annual Goodman, Christmas dinner is our kids' favorite and most looked forward to Christmas tradition. We ordered Boca so no one had to make dinner and Shelley brought a yummy, gooey, toffee cake for dessert.

I made the "gingerbread houses" ahead of time again using the hot sugar glue method. I offered a reward to the best house and Lane won!

We tried out the gated community between Baseline and Guadalupe since we had the gate code from being at our stake president's house and I expected some great lights since the homes are so big, but nope! Total rip off! There was almost no Christmas spirit in the rich neighborhood! 

I had bought 3 treats to award "best lights" to houses and it was hard to find any! Finally found one!

I agreed to play in the piano recital. I played "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and loved the song, but I felt super dumb. Annie assured me there were three other moms playing. I was so nervous. I'd been practicing and practicing, but when I played at the Evans "talent night" I was shaking so bad I could hardly press the keys. I did better at the recital, but was still so nervous and hating myself for agreeing to do it. Plus there were multiple families from my ward and my Aunt Carla was there! I had to keep reminding myself that it's good to push yourself out of your comfort zone. The Paynes made such a big deal out of how good I did afterward. They were so nice about it. I had to laugh because a 12 year old boy was sitting next to me on the stand and after I finished my piece he pulled out the song I had played from his bag and set it on his lap and started to pretend to play it. When I didn't give him the attention he was hoping for, he nudged me and with raised eyebrows, nodded toward his music and said, "Recognize this" with a smug smile. I was dying! Inwardly laughing I gave him lots of praise and admiration for being able to play my song. I will always remember the day I was super brave and embarrassed, playing in a kids piano recital, and got trolled by a 12 year old! Haha!

Olive did such a good job and was so sweet encouraging me! I wish I had gotten our picture together.

I've been finding certain girls in Tanner's school class hanging around after school!

Ughhhh. We got papers in the mail that the boys had to go to court from the stupid doorbell ditching night they got caught doing. I was sick to my stomach about it, not knowing what it meant or what was going to happen. Stinkin' lady! They sincerely apologized and she still pressed charges. Over doorbell ditching! They didn't damage any property or do anything out of the ordinary of teenage boys. So so dumb.

Olive's orchestra concert.

The stake started a basketball tournament for the YM and Collin didn't want to go. I was in a bad mood from the court papers and he was just on his phone being lazy so I told him in no uncertain terms to get his butt off the couch and if he didn't want to play basketball then the least he could do was go cheer for his ward. Well, he went. And was home in an hour with a twisted ankle. He ended up playing after all and said it was fun, until he came down on someone's foot and rolled it. Ugh. 

Never thought I'd see the day my 8th grade son walked out the door wearing my BYU hoodie.

Opened my temple locker door to this. 

Gretchen still won't have anything to do with the extended family. We are on a strict, do not contact her or even speak her name, order. When Trevor text us that she was pregnant, he said that we could ask about the baby, but to not ask about Gretchen in any way. Now, apparently, she is on Instagram, posting long videos about us and how horrible we are. All lies. It's actually really scary to see how a crazy person can interpret a situation and spin it so that they look like a victim. Has me super skeptical of anyone online who has a sob story. And it feels particularly offensive because she's using it to get followers and likes. She's benefiting off her lies. At our expense. 

Well, I was reading my scriptures one morning and read the verse in Matthew about doing good to those who despitefully use you. And I had an idea. Not my own.. I definitely attribute it to the Spirit. I could anonymously mail Trevor and Gretchen the 12 days of Christmas and bring joy to their life and they couldn't get mad at me for it!! It was such a wonderful feeling to think I do something good for them and they couldn't say boo about it. I searched and searched and found the cutest nativity set online. It didn't have 12 pieces so I had to supplement a little. Then I bought a "12 gifts of Christ" template on Etsy and printed it so I could include it with each piece of the nativity. Holy cow it ended up being so much work! Try going to the post office day after day during December. It is horrible. Longest lines. Grumpy people. No parking. Well, then I found out they were leaving to California the week before Christmas and wouldn't be getting them day by day anyway, so that kind of saved my bacon. After doing 6 separate days, I grouped the final 6 packages in a box and mailed it. I didn't tell anyone except Travis and Camilla about it because I didn't want to risk anyone leaking it to Trevor. Since this blog is private and only Christopher, Shelley and Grandma read it, I think I'm safe, haha. I was so happy doing it. I have struggled with misgivings towards Gretchen, but I do pray for them and truly hope and wish good things for them. I'm not mad at her, I just feel sorry for her that her life is like this. 

Inspire didn't do the Nutcracker this year. Instead they did a Christmas showcase. Lindi and Olive got to perform in it, but not in the same dances. Cutest cousins!

Weston needed taco sized tortillas but we only had burrito sized so he cut them out and then while I was on my computer I suddenly had a tortilla ring fly onto my head! Silly kid!

Last second, the winter formal group didn't have a photographer, so I got recruited! I was thrilled! We met at Agritopia, but everyone was super late and the lighting wasn't great, so I did the best I could. His date's name was Ireland Ryan. She goes to Red Mountain High School but is cousins with Collin's friend, Collin Rucker. She seems like a really sweet girl and he said they had a great time and that the dance was really fun. 

From left to right is Jayce, Josh, Collin, forgot his name, and Collin!

I went straight from taking pictures to Olive's dance performance! Travis and the grandparents went to the earlier performance.

She was given a speaking part between some of the dances!

The Evans family Christmas party was the same night as the Lindblom party. It's unusual for us to have a Lindblom party anymore but Aunt Karen was in town so we made it happen. The Evans one started first so we went there and I showed up an hour late to the Lindblom one but I was so sad it was basically over by the time I got there. Doug had put together a slide show and then they tried to get my dad or one of the siblings to say something but none of them wanted the mic, so after lots of pestering, my dad and mom finally said a couple things and it ended. I stuck around trying to visit but got caught up in a conversation with Jimmy who was being a total turd and made me wish I had never come. Gotta love family! Especially rude, egotistical cousins. 

Scarlett and Madeline were in Mesa High's Christian Christmas concert so I took Olive and we went to support them. 

I had the boys pick a favorite teacher to give a Christmas gift to and this was Collin's card. He cracks me up.

Finally mailing the last package!

Rachel gave me the idea to do an eggnog tasting test! And now I can't remember which one won!!

The Gardners gave us Snoop on the Stoop and now I can leave this earth happy. OHMYGARSH it's so funny!!! So now Elfie has a homie in crime. 

Each quarter the teachers pick one student to get the Character award and Olive was chosen for 2nd quarter. Doesn't surprise me. She is wonderful!

My gym did a fun, "bring your kid to a workout" night so I brought these two to exercise with me. I think they had fun trying out the equipment and doing the workout. Then they had games to play. We had to leave a little early to get Olive to her Inspire Christmas party.

Tanner and Noble being goofballs!

The YW have a tradition of "kidnapping" the new girls entering YW for a breakfast over Christmas break. The idea is to wake them up and drag them from bed, but Olive was already awake and watching TV. They spotlighted each girl at Sis. Standage's home and played some games. I think Olive is pretty thrilled to be in YW!

Our annual tea party with Camilla and Posey was so fun, as usual!

We went to Tea Time Scottsdale this year.

Not as cute a place as some of the others we've been to, but it wasn't super far, which was a plus.

These girls are growing up and I can't get over how darling they are!! Been friends since they were 2!

Ideally, we would have done our "Evans Christmas Eve" on Christmas Adam, but the Lindblom family party had to be that night so we did it the night before. Cheesecake Factory, visiting Grandma and then sibling gift exchange afterward. I'm really sad I didn't get a picture of us with Grandma.

Collin guess the cost of the dinner exactly! Get him to Vegas!

The Sunday before Christmas is a special one. I loved the musical numbers. Penny Halling gave us a homemade strudel she made, which was perfect, so I didn't have to bake!

I was making mass amounts of green salsa to give out as neighbor gifts and I was moving so fast, that at one point I turned on the blender without the lid! It was cranked to full blast and dumped half the blender of salsa alllll over my kitchen. I just stood and blinked for a minute. I couldn't even process the enormous mess I had made. Not to mention the wasted salsa!! Alas, with Olive's help we got at least 30 containers made and spent a couple hours walking around the neighborhood with the wagon filled to the brim, handing out salsa. 

For dinner we had a "Shepherds Night". We turned out the lights, each picked a candle corresponding with our favorite name of Christ and lit them after we talked about why it was our favorite name. Then we used our own candles to light the whole wreath and ate our smorgasbord by candlelight. The challah bread was so yummy and everyone devoured the spread. I think this is a tradition I'd like to keep!

We hadn't been to the temple lights yet so that was our plan, but first, we stopped by my parent's house so Olive could have a quick violin lesson. My parents were watching the Goodmans so we all ended up going to the lights together, which was fun! The visitor's center had big display of nativities from around the world that we waiting in line to see. The kids were bored, so they played games.

Grandma tried to sit on them which caused a very irreverent scene for temple grounds! ;)

Allison snapped this picture of the boys after church to compare to one she took 5 years ago! Oh my word how they've changed!

Someone made these at the Allen's party instead of cookies and I thought they were so yummy! Phyllo dough cherry no-bake cheesecake bites!

The Lindblom Christmas party was wonderful and chaotic! Olive and I both played our piano pieces and I made my kids stand and recite the paragraph from The Family Proclamation we've memorized. Then Grandma and the 3 granddaughters played a violin piece. Yay for talent! 

Christopher drove down with his kids after Christmas to spend some time with us and ring in the New Year! Jael took a much needed break at home, I'm sure. We met at the park to let the ankle biters play. I don't do this enough now that most my kids are big! Christopher was so nice and took the older boys to Higley Hot Dog while he was here too. They love that tradition! It's always fun when Christopher visits!

I spy Weston and Reagan riding home from who knows what. Probably shopping at Wal-Mart.

Christopher made us homemade pasta and sauce for Sunday dinner. Gour-met! And this was the face he pulled when I asked to take his picture, haha.