School is out!!  I have loved the past few weeks but I have seriously been counting down to Christmas break.  We have had lots of fun and lots of busyness which seems to happen every December.  There is always one week that seems a little over the top no matter what best laid plans we have made.  To sum up the last two weeks:

We have had many concerts and rehearsals for the girls.  Robyn was in a school choir and then Allison and Robyn both had a performance for their theater group.  I had to miss the school choir concert as it was the same night as a class and Jeremy's work party.  So a neighbor took Robyn over early, Allison met her there with camera in hand and Jeremy was able meet her for the last half of the choir concert.

We were both able to go watch the girls theater performance though.  That was super fun with the girls loving being able to perform.  They thought getting JCW shakes afterwards was just the ultimate night.  Allison played in sacrament today for the Christmas program and has been playing her song over and over to practice it.  Robyn had her grade Christmas program as well and I was able to go over on my lunch break and see it.

We had parties.  We had a ward Christmas party and Jeremy's work party.  Girls kept needing white elephant gifts for different activities and parties.  I got to meet three different groups of friends for get togethers to catch up.  I have decided that meeting up for lunch etc is a much better way to celebrate than giving out little presents.  It was wonderful to catch up with people.  Spencer had his first work party and learned how fun it is to go to work parties: feast, treats, prizes and games. 

We celebrated Jeremy's birthday with grits in bed, and a delayed birthday feast.  For his actual birthday night the girls had rehearsal and I had a final but his thoughtful brother took him out for a Jazz game which he enjoyed.  And then Jeremy and I got to go on a 24 hour date while Jason and Kelly took our kids.  Jeremy fought the holiday traffic to get us up to SLC where we enjoyed Mongolian BBQ and got to walk around down town and see the lights and get cheesecake.  We had hotel reservations up there.  We walked into their beautifully redone historic lobby to find out that our redone room had accidentally been given away and they offered us one of their non-restored rooms.  Jeremy walked in and said wouldn't you rather just go home than stay here?  So that is what we did.  I cannot tell how much I had been looking forward to sleeping in for just one day!  So that is what we did and enjoyed an awesome brunch and finished up some Christmas shopping.  It was great even if my plans didn't quite turn out!  That is usually how life turn out around here!

We had tests.  Robyn tried out for archery and didn't make it.  She was sad about it but is resolved to practice and learn so she can be better for next year.  Spencer took the ACT and felt good about it.  He and timed tests are not friends as his anxiety sky rockets.  But he said he got further in the questions than he has previously before time was up and he just had to guess on the rest.  I had the end of my classes which meant assignments being all finished and 3 finals to do.  Did pretty well on everything and I was super glad to be done for awhile.  I am done with school till January 11.  I got my practicum assignment which will be for three months starting at the end of January.  I will go to a middle school and work in a classroom there every morning for an hour and a half.  I think it will teach me a lot.

We had appointments.  Allison persists in doing early morning dentist visits which truly does make life easier although the wake up calls are tough.  She got her bottom retainer our and now has a removable one to wear at night.  Jeremy has had appointments galore as he keeps taking on side projects and studio rentals.  He is working super hard right now and we try to give him opportunities for naps as much as possible.  Spencer got his first suit this week.  His church pants were an accident waiting to happen!  He wore his suit today and fidgited with it the whole time as he gets used to it.  He is happy in this picture but he was trying to look James Bondish.


We cooked.  We made a bunch of pumpkin bread and fudge and kids ran them around to people and ate a bunch in the process.


So it had been a full December and most of the time went pretty smoothly thanks to some awesome kids and husband pitching in.  We had a few hiccups but they were able to pull it together usually.  For example, one afternoon was going to be busy.  I had told Robyn to stay at school and Allison would meet her there.  I was even proud that I had thought to write here a note to read before archery try outs.  I get a call at work from Robyn.  She was at home and crying.  She didn't know what she was supposed to do and she had lost my note.  While I am talking to her she is telling Spencer don't hit me, I didn't do it.  Spencer grabs the phone to ask me where all the ham was that he had saved from the ward Christmas party.   He was sure Robyn was the one who had eaten a bunch!  My coworkers let me leave a few minutes early and I come home expecting drama.  I come home to find that Spencer has pulled dinner together for Allison and Robyn to take to their theater rehearsal/performance and was leaving in the truck to pick them up.  I take his place and go to pick up the girls at Manilla where Robyn had ran back over to.  Allison had met her there and had been her "parent" for archery tryouts and the choir party.  Did her make up and hair and they were all ready to go to the theater for their practice and later performance.  I was grateful they were able to work everything out together.  Its a messy and sometimes loud process though!