Other December Happenings

I love, love, love that Aubrey and friends hang out at our house all of the time.   It's getting much too quiet around here with the other three gone.  These girls are silly, giggly, loud and crazy, and I'm glad Aubrey has a good friend group.  

Macy, Maiya, Aubrey and Parker

I made lots of the Santa Sacks (75 plus probably) during November and December.  I ordered hundreds of blanks from China a couple of years ago and am still trying to move that inventory.  They are really well made and super cute, but each year I am ready to move on from this item when December 10th hits.

I volunteered to take care of Christmas gifts for our Relief Society presidencies in the stake. (I am serving as the RS secretary in the Stake.)  I found some super comfy and cute Cuddly Dud socks at Sams Club.  I also bought a huge bag of Hershey's chocolates.  Then I headed to Hobby Lobby for Christmas sacks and ornaments. 

I found a fun idea on Etsy and made it my own on Canva, and my dad printed the cards for me because my printer not printing well.

Brian and Aubrey helped me put the gifts together for our Family Home Evening activity.  Aubrey agreed as long as she could play her favorite Taylor Swift songs for us as we worked.  She was happy blaring her music and telling us in detail what she liked about each song.  It was especially nice for me to have the 52 gifts put together in 1/3 of the time.  Teamwork is dreamwork.

She is a crazy girl, and I love her.

Gram and Grandpa stopped one afternoon.  She looks so cute in her scarf.

My dad had oral surgery one day this month, and I stayed the night to help with my mom so that he could start the recovery process with a full nights sleep.  My mom needs help walking but doesn't realize it.  My dad has an alarm and cameras set up in her room so he can help her before she tries to get out of bed on her own.

Well, in the middle of the night I looked at the camera and about had a heart attack.  I thought my mom had somehow evaded the alarms and was on the loose.  It's happened before.  Can you spot her in her bed?  Guess what?  She is there.  She is just so small (less than 90 lbs) and her head was covered with blankets so I couldn't tell.  

My brother Kerry is quiet and kind.  One early morning I heard the doorbell ring and found a GIANT 3 lb Hershey bar on the doorstep.  He made my day!  (month?!)

We chipped away at this yumminess a little bit every day.

The week after Christmas, I took Aubrey's car to church and was so pleased to see three of her Christmas gifts already being put to good use: the adorable gear shift sweatshirt, her new Stanley and her car freshie.

Aubrey and Brinley both have used their light book lamps too.  Yea for successful Christmas gifts.  

Aubrey taught Kaide to dab! ( watch video here.)  And Brinley taught him "again" in sign language, which he does at the end of the video.  He is learning new things every day, and we all think he is brilliant!

He also says "DAAA" when he dabs, and it's the cutest.

Bryn and Kaide

Also, Erin invited Bryn and Aubrey plus a few school friends over one night for a girl's night.  How cute is that?

Over the break we went to the movies as a family (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) and organized volleyball at the gym a couple of times with the Birds and Vores plus our missionaries.  We played Dominion, Skull King and JackBox Games.  

JackBox game 

Parker and I went on many late night walks.  Brinley joined us a few times too.  I LOVED these walks and talks.

Tan and Bryn have always been close, and it was fun to see them back together again.

The Birds had us over for pickleball and cornhole.  We enjoyed talking to the cousins about their favorite Christmas gifts and enjoyed being active together.  (I wasn't one of the active ones...wimpy elbow, but I could tell my young adult kids really appreciated being active.)

Parker & Braddock vs Hudson & Britney

Cute Ella Bella

Aub, Tanner, Brit and Ella

Front: Sister Smith, Braddock, Aub  Back: Sister Leavitt, Ella, Brit and Tanner

The first time we played, we fed the missionaries at the church and then they joined us for one hour before heading to appointments.  The second time we played at the church on their p-day and it was our teens/young adults and missionaries from the zone.

Front: Adam & Brinley Back: Erin, Parker, Charlotte

We visited with Gram and Gramp often.

I love how excited Gram was to see Parker when he came home from BYUI.

Aub, Gram and Grandpa facetiming Becky

Bryn & Gram

Grandpa took the girls out to eat one afternoon.

We survived family pictures.  I will put the real pictures in another post.

Park (21) & Aub (17 in a few weeks)

Brian had several days off which was wonderful.  It really made it feel like a family vacation.  He also cooked quite a bit which made for an AMAZING break for me.

The day before Bryn and Parker headed back to school, she and I decided to go to the movies.  It was just us and one other couple in the entire theater.  Craziness.  We saw The Boys in the Boat.

Aub making dinner and being dramatic.  Notice the swim goggles as she cuts up an onion.

Love this cute little family.  (haircut time!)