New Year's Eve 2019

On New Year's Eve we spent dinner together enjoying some cooking entertainment at the local Japanese Steakhouse.  Ellie was still afraid of the fire and spent the first part of our time there trying to hide out in the bathroom.  Afterward she said it wasn't as bad as she thought, however I don't know if that means there won't be another dramatic scene if we go there again.

After dinner Ethan left us to go hang out with his friends so we played a game of Quirkle.  Ellie and I did our best to keep dad with us in the game until the end.

  

Before midnight we got a call from Ethan asking us to come get him.  He was in the bathroom feeling sick.  After he got home he ended up in the bathroom vomiting several times, poor guy.  Not the best way to ring in the New Year/ New Decade

Ellie loves her new cowgirl boots and celebrated a new year in them.

She also decided to work on her Ping Pong game.

  

Out with the old.

One of the things I accomplished over the break is going Marie Kondo on my closet.  I'm pretty sure I should have gotten rid of more than I did, but several garbage bags later felt good.

Christmas 2019

Sunday before Christmas is my favorite.  Only an hour of church (kidding, kind of).

Oh, and it's completely centered around Christ's birth.  I have loved this year of learning more about the Savior and becoming closer to Him.  I know I could have studied a lot more, but what I was able to learn and grow from has been wonderful and I strive every day to be more Christ-like in all I do.  I'm so grateful for the Gospel in my life and my families life.  It truly brings us more joy and happiness than without it.  I am grateful for the peace that Jesus brings to our lives, to my life and for his example to follow.

I am grateful for this family of mine (and for timers on phone cameras)

Every year we make and decorate sugar cookies.  Even our multi-tasking teenager still helps out, while socializing on his phone.

Our recipe makes a ton of cookies that are so soft and delicious.  Many sat on the counter for days and luckily did not get eaten by Cooper.

A few years ago I got the idea from a friend of having a candle light dinner on Christmas Eve.  Ellie helped me set a fancy table for dinner.

We all got new onesie pajamas, except for Kelly.  He got a new Santa outfit so show off his abs in.

It wasn't looking like much snow for Christmas, but when we woke up there was a thin layer of snow and most of the morning had lovely falling snow to add to the beautiful magical Christmas morning.  (hard to see in the pic)

Starting with the stockings and moving through presents.  Still fun to watch the kids as they are mostly surprised by a few of their presents.  Ellie saw her big gift of a large desk/art table for an art studio first thing coming upstairs.

New Snow Shoes, Cooper is super excited for the family snow shoe outings.  Ellie, not so sure.  She figured out last year that "snowshoeing is just hiking in the snow".

Some of our family from afar let us know they got their gifts.  Wish we could be with you all during the holidays (Nathaniel, baby Asher, Nick, Lola & Lolo)

Other family wished us a Happy Christmas Eve

Love this!

We (or maybe just me) looking at Christmas lights around the valley.  We already did one tour of lights a few days before Christmas, but I had heard about a house that was Griswold worthy so we had to go check it out as well as another that was lit up to dance with music (several around the valley with this feature).  It was a great ending to an wonderful, lazy, relaxing, Christmas day.

Christmas Dance Recital

It seems like we just attended one of Ellie's recitals but the time came for the Christmas recital.  

This one had a few more "rules" about the dress.  She had to wear two different costumes and stage make-up, which included eyelashes (I've never in my life done anything with fake eyelashes).  We went to her friend Jessi's house and had her sister help apply the make-up and lashes.

Jessi's mom offered to take Ellie with them because they were going to go early to the show.  They were leaving at 5:30 and the show (I thought) started at 7:00.  I was happy to let them go early.

So, Kelly, Ethan and I took our time, stopped and got flowers for our cute dancer and made it to the high school a little before 7.  The parking lot was filled and the halls were awfully quiet.

Turns out the show started at 6:30 (mom fail # 5,245,364).  In my mind it was 7.  (no wonder they left at 5:30).  I grabbed a program hoping that Ellie's group hadn't performed yet and sadly found that their first dance was the 2nd group.  We missed her first and favorite dance.  Luckily we were able to at least see her second performance, but I felt just horrible (like crying).  I guess it was good that I was at the rehearsal earlier that day, but still was not the same.  

We did see the 2nd half of the show and her other performance and she did fabulous.  Just love watching this girl do what she loves.  Way to go Ell-Bell!

 
Ellie loves dancing with her bestie Jessi.

Ellie hates this picture, but I just love this face and smirk.

We missed seeing her in this costume so I made her put it back on at home for a picture.

 

N.O.V.A graduation

Nurturing, Opportunities, Values & Accountability

These were the foci for the 5th graders over the past few months before winter break.  Once a week the resource officer comes and teaches lessons covering these topics in each 5th grade class.  Ellie enjoyed these lessons from Officer Shepherd.  After the lessons have been taught there is a N.O.V.A graduation.  There is one student chosen from each class to read their essay about things they learned from N.O.V.A and Ellie was chosen from her class.  When she told me a few days before I was surprised because she was nonchalant about it like it was no big deal.  (This is our child who freaks out about any kind of public talking)  As the day came she did get nervous and voiced it a little.  I asked why she didn't say no, she said she couldn't tell a police officer no.

The day for graduation came and Ellie got up and read her essay.  Due to her tiny voice as well as the microphone and speakers not working very well no one could hear a word she said.  (so we were happy to have a copy of the essay to read)