The beauty picture wise of having Christmas on a Sunday is that we all look nice for photos!  No bed head and mismatched sweats this year.  The true beauty was being able to have sacrament meeting on the day we celebrate Him who we worship plus we got to hear Allison play the piano which just brings me to tears every time.

December was a little of a blur.  I finished up all my classes and had a week of finals.  My last final...ever.  During which I came down sick with strep.  Like lay on the couch in between finals, watching You've Got Mail, unable to eat or drink anything and praying someone would come give me a hug, tell me I was doing a good job and feed me chocolates.  Later that night after my last final my YW presidency did exactly that - angels in disguise.  And the next day a kind doctor gave me lots and lots of pills.  Life became much better.

David and Griselda plus kids came by for a quick visit.  I had a week of no school and no kids and went crazy running errands, cleaning the house and binge watching TV shows.  Girls had their December showcase for their theater group where we watched them dance and sing their hearts out.  Spencer had his work party as did Jeremy.  Then school was out and everyone slept and slept and played.

We went to a Christmas acapella concert.

Since Spencer worked Christmas Eve we ditched Jason and Jeremy to do some cousin ice skating a day early.  I love pushing Taylor's chair around on the ice.  Everyone thinks you are being a nice mom but really he is a grown up version of a kiddie walker.  I never fall!



Christmas Eve we gathered with cousins at our house for football, games, nachos and Elf.  Spencer got a game from work called Redneck that led to more screeching and laughing than we have done in a long time.  It was wildly inappropriate for our kids as they all joked about how many red-headed step-kids named Daryl they would have while Allison kept getting arrested for being inappropriate by hitchhiking naked and Spencer and Garion made a fortune by suing a doughnut shop for making them fat as they didn't know doughnuts caused obesity.  I think the more chocolate you eat and the later it gets, the funnier the game grows.

Christmas Day, Spencer had to go shovel snow at the church so we got up early for stockings and french toast and then went to an amazing sacrament meeting.  We got to spend the afternoon opening and playing with presents and then the evening with cousins.  It was relaxing, spiritual and wonderful all in one day.




The best entertainment of the day was watching Jasper with his new squeaky toy.  Its like crack for a little dog.  He would chew till he couldn't chew anymore, catch a power nap and then be back at it again.


And as previous posts have told the rest of the week was quite stressful.  We are grateful for all the fasts, prayers and love that were sent our way.  And I was grateful for doctors and nurses who worked long past closing to call us and help us out.  I just paced feeling like I should do a million things and not being able to do anything.  I was grateful for meals that were brought and lots of hugs.  I am firm in the belief that God knows where our family needs to be, and the road we need to take to get there.  I just wish I knew what that road is going to look like!


While Spencer and I propped up Jeremy between us we went to see Rogue One.  During which girls were at home making Jeremy cards to open during his biopsy.


But life continues with kids and while this was going on we tried to keep some normalcy as much as possible.  Too many movies for sure were watched and enjoyed.  I got to take the girls (and Taylor) shopping for shoes.  We all went bowling and I was able to take Robyn and her friend swimming.  Not quite as much family fun as we had anticipated but it was greatly appreciated.


Running outside in sunshine with friends is worth the 16 degrees.


With Taylor in respite, friends bringing in meals and nothing but waiting for the doctor I kept my plans to fly out to California for the weekend.  Unfortunately the plane didn't agree with me and my short trip was made shorter by a day.  But I got a wonderful evening and day with my family.  There is something so ultimately comforting about hugging your family and sleeping in the house you grew up in.  We had a big dinner with everyone and a trip to Phil's fish Shack and the Steinbeck museum the next day with part of my family.  I wish we all lived closer but it makes me treasure even more when we are together.