Wow... did I not even ever write about THANKSGIVING?! I came on here to just write about Christmas and I realized I didn't even write about Thanksgiving!! That's sad. I'm a slacker. Ok, quick summary... Josh worked on Thanksgiving day and then we were going to go to his sister, Heather's, house but he ended up not getting home until about 4:00 and we decided to just stay and eat at our house instead of driving the hour and a half to Driggs on the bad roads. I had gotten a turkey for free from Winco when I spent over $100 anyways so I had that in the oven just to have extra, so we just ate that. I also made some yams, some jellos, some rolls, and a few other things. So that was fine, it was relaxing to just be at home. Here are Caleb and Avery waiting for the turkey to cook. haha And here is Avery decorating the tree - which we made us put up a few days BEFORE Thanksgiving! (I have never done that before.)
Then I had to of course do some online Black Friday shopping. I really think that I do like 70 percent of my Christmas shopping starting with Thanksgiving and the seven days following it. I think the retailers have figured that out too and that's probably why they offer all their sales around that time. But the time it gets to like December 15th, I'm like, "I'm basically done shopping." With so much shopping being done online now, you almost have to be that way to make sure you get it shipped in time.
So anyways, things I got the kids for Christmas.... my mom, my grandma Dahlke, my grandpa Bestor, and my dad all sent money as they do every year. I really could spend like $10 of me and Josh's own money and they would still have an amazing Christmas just off of everyone else's gifts. They're so spoiled. I'm trying to give them a well-rounded Christmas these days with experiences and not just things. I also tried to give them less toy junk and more useful stuff. So even though they did each open probably about 20 presents each on Christmas morning, some of them were things like underwear, socks, electric toothbrushes, body wash and deodorant sets, books, and so on.
Gabe's most exciting presents were a drone with a camera (from Santa), a Black Panther Lego set, some Lego Marvel minifigures, a teeth whitening kit (haha, I picked this out for him), oh and a waffle maker. He was really excited for that actually. He also got a grumpy cat calendar to take to school for his locker (haha) and a rapid ramen cooker, which he ruined the day after he got it by putting it into the microwave with the noodles but forgetting to add the water. (insert laughter here.) Ramen literally has two steps... noodles... and water.... and he forgot one.... ahahahahaha. I will be telling his future wife that story. Our house still smells like burnt popcorn from the horrible microwave ramen fire.
Avery got a Hatchimals light up playlet (from Santa), some extra Hatchimals, a Little Gleamers animal, a slime kit to make her own slime, some art supplies, and a shimmer and shine mermaid. This year, Avery is our only little one that still believes in the big man, so we are just holding on to the magic for a few more short years! It seems crazy that out kids are already getting so old! She was so cute though, leaving out "presents" for Santa (pictures she drew) and her cookies that she made earlier in the day.
They all got lots of clothes, some pajamas, some bath stuff, and so on. I also had this goal to give them each a "handmade" gift this year. For Gabe I slaved away putting together this memory book for him that documented his life year by year with photos and a summary. It took a long time, but the later years were easier because I was able to use the past shutterfly books to put it together. For Caleb (who is really into Star Wars at the moment), I made a big blanket with BB-8 on it. It took a while to cut all the pieces and sew them on, but I was actually really impressed with myself that it turned out decent. Avery's handmade gift was a Unikitty stuffed animal (from the Lego movie) which turned out WAAAY bigger than I had planned. Oh well. Still cute! I will attach an actual photo of Unikitty made of legos so you can see how close I got it!
Josh and I got each other a few things, but mostly we picked out things for ourselves and then wrapped them up. We both got some things for our cruise in February. Josh got a new swimsuit, some T Shirts, a new pair of Nikes, and some work boots. I got some new sandals, some new swimsuit cover ups, a hat, and some sunglasses. Our cruise is kind of also like part of our Christmas present. I booked some excursions, like a dolphin swim and a kayaking tour with some Christmas money as well. Oh! And Josh also surprised me with an Instant Pot! It's like a crock pot but it cooks faster. Like a pressure cooker! I think that's just his way of telling me to cook dinner more often.
Another fun thing that I got for the kids was a pass to Gravity Factory, the indoor trampoline park. I bought a punch pass so we can all go a few times together as a family.
So! Those were the fun things! As far as what we actually DID.... let's see....
After Thanksgiving, we had our church Christmas party the first weekend in December. Avery was a little lamb, Caleb was a shepherd, and Gabe was a wise man in the nativity they did. Then the next day was Shop with a Cop. Josh of course always goes, but this year I got to go help too. I handed out coloring books and pins with some of the other wives after they got their picture taken with Santa. Then we went to breakfast afterwards. Our kids even got to help get some things ready for it in the days before it happened. They stuffed stockings for each kids and helped wrap blankets.
We also took a little weekend trip down to Utah on December 14th-16th. We stayed with Chris and Holly in their new mansion house that they moved in to on Halloween. It's seriously one of the biggest houses I've ever been in. I don't know how many square feet... but I'm guessing like at least 6,000 including the basement which is fully finished with a movie theater room, full kitchen, full living room, office, and two bedrooms. We were planning to stay down there but then I guess Holly's brother and his wife moved in there and are paying them rent. I would totally do that too. It's bigger than most apartments! So but don't worry... there was still plenty of other room for us to make do with using two out of the other six bedrooms. lol So we squeezed in somehow. Holly and I made cookies the night we got there in her amazing kitchen. (See photo) Holly and Chris have their little cute twin boys, Easton and Indie, who are now like 9 months old and soooo cute. My kids had fun playing with them.
On Saturday night, Josh and I went with Chris and Holly to Temple Square in Salt Lake City and went to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert (featuring special guest Kristin Chenoweth - a broadway star and actress). We left the kids all at home with a sitter and had a grown up night out. We had taken the kids to see all the lights at temple Square on Friday night when we first got down there.
On Sunday morning we drove home and Avery wasn't feeling well as we left. She threw up a couple little times. But then by the afternoon when we got home, she was feeling better and then went to school the next day! I, on the other hand, went to bed feeling kind of weird and I said to Josh, "I really hope I don't throw up tonight." But at about 3am.... oh boy.... did I ever throw up. I threw up at 3am.... then at 3:30.... then at 4:00.... then at 4:30.... then at 5:00.... then at 5:30.... I basically just slept on the bathroom floor because it was too hard to go back and forth to my bed. I was SO SICK! Josh called in to work at 6am and told them he wouldn't be coming in. Then he got the kids off to school and went to the gym and to help his dad with stuff at this house. Is it funny that he called in sick and the went to the gym and to help his dad? Yes. I think so. But honestly, when I'm sick I send off a pretty clear, "Get away from me... I want to be alone..." vibe, so I think he just took that as his excuse to leave. So then the kids got home about 3:00 and he took care of them into the evening. I literally slept until about 2:00. Then I sort of kind of was able to get out of bed a tiny but in the evening. I called in sick to work on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I went back to work, but I honestly still haven't even felt 100 percent and it's been like 3 weeks. So! That was fun. No one else in our family got it, thank goodness! Gabe and Avery had a lingering cough. Caleb is the one that must have the healthiest immune system because he gets sick the least.
As it led up to Christmas, I found out how awesome it is to be a part-time secretary at an elementary school. People were just bringing me gifts left and right! Every day when I would come in at 11:00, it was like, "What surprises will be on my desk today??" A few of my treats included: and oven kit, a mug, an ornament, some bread, popcorn, bath bombs, lotion, hand soap, a head massager, honey, jam, and more! So many fun little goodies! I said to Denise, "Um... am I supposed to buy something for each teacher at the school?!" And she said, "No, that's why we do the week before break gifts, that's from the principal and us." So basically in the five days leading up to Christmas break, we did a little treat each day. One day was a mug with hot cocoa and candy, one day was a gift card to this smoothie place called Jamba Juice, one was a lanyard for their ID badge, and I can't remember the other two. Oh, it was a lunch provided for everyone in the teacher's lounge one day, and then the last day (Friday) they had all the kids in the whole school watch a movie in the gym from like 12:30-1:30 so the teachers could clean their classroom and pack up and then they dismissed early at 1:30 and then teachers got to go home early. So they liked that! Working at the school has been pretty good. I'm only there from 11:00-1:00 and there's not always a lot that needs to be done. Just answering the phones and helping kids get a band-aid or ice if they come in from recess with a minor injury. Mostly I just sit and chat with Denise (the other secretary) and the various moms that come in and out. It's pretty cushy. Although next week, Denise is going to Hawaii so I have to work ALL DAY! And by that I mean from like, 7:30 to 3:30, for about a week. I don't know if I will survive that. lol Okay, I know I can but I'm still not too excited about it.
On the 22nd, we spent time with the Rhodes family in Chester at the pavilion. We made gingerbread houses with cousins and did a white elephant gift exchange and had dinner.
I think it was on Christmas Eve afternoon that we went and saw the movie "The Grinch" at the cheap seat theater. No... actually maybe it was Friday. I can't remember. Then on Christmas morning we were home all day. It snowed! It always does that on Christmas here it seems. Then at 4:00 wen went to see a movie! That's something we have never done - go see a movie on Christmas - but apparently tons of people do it because we saw like five families we knew there. We saw "Wreck-It Ralph" (the second one.) Then we came home and relaxed. Josh worked on Christmas Eve until about 3, then was off on Christmas Day and the 26th, then he worked the 27th-29th. Then he was off on Saturday and Sunday and worked again yesterday and today (the 31st and the 1st).
Etsy was pretty decent for the months of November and December. I put my shop on vacation mode though on December 17th and haven't opened it back up again. I will get to that in the next couple days...I guess. I'm not super into doing it anymore, but it's easy money so I feel like I should just keep it open and take whatever sales I get, even if it's not as busy as it used to be a couple years ago. Here I am at my computer. Yes, I took this myself. Those are the only pictures anyone ever sees of me - the ones I take myself. Sad. lol
What else...? We have a lot of snow here. Josh built a little snow hill in the back yard for Avery to go out and play on. Its nice because I can just send her out and watch her from the kitchen window. (The first picture here is our backyard - the second is at Smith Park when I actually took her sledding.) It's been super cold the past couple days. I think it's like -5 outside right now. Josh brought Drax inside for little while yesterday and he has him in a kennel in the garage instead of out in the yard the rest of the time.
The kids and I start back up at school tomorrow! It seemed like a short break this year. They went to school right up through Friday, the 21st. Then they had off that Monday (the 24th) through today (the 1st) and it's back to school tomorrow! They aren't too excited to be going back - and neither am I because that means I have to start getting up early again to get them out the door!
Last night, for New Year's Eve, we went down the road to Josh's sister, Janell's house and had a little party there with her and Aaron and Carter. We played some games and had some snacks and we came home about 10:30 cause we are party animals and Josh had to work the next morning. We did actually stay up until about right at 11:50. The boys were in bed at 12:00 but they did just barely make it! Avery went to sleep about 11:00. I don't think she really cared.
A silver lining to life in 2019 is that church is now only a mere 2 HOURS every Sunday instead of 3!! Bless the prophet. He is wonderful! :) There are some cool home-centered lessons we can do with our family scripture study time too. Also, we start at 10:30 instead of 8:30 now, which I LOVE. Josh just got a new calling at church to be with the young men, which means he and Gabe get to spend lots of time together. I still teach a Sunday school class for the 10-11 year olds, so I will have Caleb this year!
Well, that's all for now! MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
