I posted our New Year's Eve photos below.  We started the party early Monday meeting cousins at the Riverwoods for a zoo-like kid only celebration of the last noon of the old year.  It was fun, it was crowded and we left after everyone got their faces painted and played a few games.  Then that afternoon after cousins got settled at our house for a New Year's Eve sleepover we went to the Lehi indoor pool.  Taylor and I hung out in the hot tub and while he slowly became a limp noodle, the other kids swam all over.  The experience of getting Taylor around the pool and hot tub helped me decide that I needed to wear an ankle brace still and go back on my anti-inflamatories.  Life has been much better since.   (If I ever wondered where my kids get their whiny, complaining traits from - now I know - it is most definitely from me as I have become the biggest wimp)

The idea was for all the swimming to tire kids out - didn't really work.  So it was back home for hot tub, showers, fondue night, destroying all our gingerbread houses, playing some games and measuring everyone and watching movies.  At midnight kids ran outside to bang on pots and pans in the snow and then I went off to bed hoping that everyone would crash.  And they did or at least I assume they did as I turn into a pumpkin around midnight and crash.

The next morning Allison made everyone waffles and then we headed for a nearby park for some sledding before cousins had to go.

Then to recover from all that fun kids got to stay home while Jeremy and I went on a double date to see Les Miserables.  Awesome and amazing.  More for the acting than the music I thought but I love the story and it hits me every time.  A great way to spend New Year's.

Wednesday as our last hurrah before school started we went to a trampoline place with friends.  Kids bounced all over the place and had a great time.  Then Allison had try outs for her Little Mermaid play.  She felt really good about how she did and was called back Saturday to try out again for several parts which made her week.

This week has been freezing - literally.  Every morning that I have gotten up the temperature has been negative something.  Getting up at -3 and pitch black is hard to do...really, really hard.  But we are persevering and getting back into the school schedule.

Friday night we went to the opening game for the men's BYU volleyball team.  Some days we are really glad that Taylor is part of our family.  The facility isn't wheelchair accessible for the cheaper seats so instead they set up chairs for us right behind the team bench.  It was very cool.
And despite what it looks like in the photo everyone (but Robyn) had a great time.  Spencer enjoyed yelling with all of the BYU team and they truly were really good.

Some type of flu like stomach bug hit Jeremy Saturday and Allison today.  So they have been sipping their ginger ale and munching on saltines and perfecting their looks of utter misery.  Its sad to see them so down and hopefully it will end soon.  We started our New Year with our annual month of no sugar.  So maybe they are experiencing withdrawals, I know I am.