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Snuggles with your youngest while your older children are at school.

December Holidays

Let's talk some December holidays that weren't Christmas and New Year's Eve.

There were a lot we didn't end up celebrating because of sickness. Nobody found treats in their shoes on St. Nicholas Day. Sigh.

We did get back to our tradition of someone being sick during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, though. Woohoo?

And since that day, December 8, was also National Brownie Day, somebody did make brownies for us to eat during the devotional. 

December 11 was International Mountain Day and I did take a sunrise picture with mountains.

I also managed to make Teriyaki chicken because that day was also National Teriyaki Chicken Day.

Jet helped me make waffle batter for National Maple Syrup Day on December 17. I love that he's my kitchen helper.

Jet loves decorations and lights as you know so he and I were able to go for a walk in City Center Park in Orem on December 18. Jeremy called us when he was going to pick us up but I totally forgot to "answer the phone like Buddy the Elf," even though that was the holiday and I knew it.

When we got home I was telling the story to the kids when my phone rang. Jr. Jr. had called me so I could answer the phone the right way that night. Thanks, Jr. Jr. We of course then had our traditional Buddy the Elf breakfast for dinner.

We used our Fablehaven Cookbook and followed one suggestion for making Tanu's Heartening Soup (shelf cooking style with substitutions) the night before the Winter Solstice.

Then I got out on the Winter Solstice, December 21, for a morning walk around City Center Park while the lights were on. I love doing that in December/early January when I'm up for it (which I wasn't much up for it before January- just those two times).

 We celebrated Lucky's birthday in December. He took balloons to his classmates and we "partied" at home. Jet helped me make Lucky's birthday cake (and put the candles in) and luckily Lucky asked for a really simple dinner. 

Do you want to say Hi to Daddy?

Hi, Daddy.

Hi, Jet.

Let's Go Back and Remember December

I'd rather be asleep but I should catch up on my blog so... let's talk just a little bit about December.

"I had plans." That was what I kept saying through the holidays. I had a list of things to do, some of them traditions, certain things I just wanted to do as a family. Some of those plans went out the window and some were modified.

Let's start with the beginning of December and what we did get to do right before getting sick. Besides celebrating Eat a Red Apple Day on December 1, we also started our Countdown to Christmas scripture study. I also wanted to #LightTheWorld, so I had ideas for that as well. Those didn't all work out but I was able to do some things like send encouraging texts when I was sick. We did a lot of simple things like I gave my daughter a ride to a store (she donated a toy while she was there) and I provided snacks for the kids rehearsing for the elementary school play and my son delivered them.The kids helped each other with homework. We were able to do some of these simple things for Giving Tuesday.

Now let's go back to our Advent Calendar scriptures with the mint M&Ms.

This year we put together another jar for some friends and Jeremy, Jr., and I shared about our tradition with them while having a good visit. That felt good.

O.K. I do want to go to sleep so I'll catch up some more later. 

 

P.S. December 1 was also Antarctica Day so we gathered up some penguin friends and started reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. We didn't get very far in it because of getting sick and not feeling up to reading every night.

I had plans but they didn't all work out. Sigh.

Happy New Year!

Man, it was annoying being sick for most of December. I was feeling better then got sick again right before Christmas. We were all sick for the holidays. Sigh.

I'm doing better again except for that lingering cough I thought I was over half a month ago. Sigh.

So it's time to go into this new year and deal with life.

Happy 2025.

Enjoy this picture of the moon and the sky and the mountains.

I Got Sick

We didn't do some celebrating toward the beginning of December because I got sick again. It is tradition after all. Now that I'm feeling better (except for an annoying cough), I've got to play catch up on what we did do.

We've had some gorgeous mornings in December so enjoy this beautiful sky picture.

By the way, before December came, Nichole celebrated L.M. Montgomery's Birthday on November 30 by naming a piece of music after a character in one of her books.

Catch of the Day

I just love him so much.