Happy Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve.

Sunday, December 21, was the Winter Solstice. Our choir director reminded us that on the darkest day of the year, it is important for us to think about Christ's light and share that. It was a beautiful Christmas program at church.

After church we managed to get a couple family pictures of everyone looking pleasantly at the camera.

We also got pictures of Jeremy and me together. It was a great way to emphasize Short Girl Appreciation Day.

It was also Humbug Day but I was so happy because of church. There was only some grumbling later. It happens. 

The kids took a couple days to build our balloon Christmas tree. Sunday, Jeremy decorated it and we had a little tree lighting. We got Jeremy's parents to join with us on a Zoom meeting then we got to chat with them for a while.

Monday, December 22, I got out for a morning walk at the park with the lights. I listened to some Piano Guys Christmas music (great for feeling the Spirit) and felt such strong gratitude for my Savior. After the shortest day of the year, feeling his light meant so much to me. I was crying so much while walking around the park, I don't know how helpful that was for my breathing while I was trying to exercise. Ha Ha.

In the Come Follow Me manual and on Instagram, Elder Soares shared some thoughts about Jesus Christ being our light, our life, and our hope at Christmastime. It went right along with my thoughts that morning. I do feel so much gratitude for my Savior when I've been thinking of some stressful things.

At home that day, Jet and I enjoyed a Discovery Kit from the Provo Library. This time, we read books and did activities (puzzle and fishing game) about Ocean Life.  

That night we went to another Interactive Movie at the Provo Library- The Nightmare Before Christmas. We went to one before when we watched The Princess Bride and unfortunately last Christmas, we missed the one for The Muppets Christmas Carol because too many of us were sick. 

We loved this one. We got to sing along with the songs, cheer and clap, etc. It was great for Jet because he loves that movie so he knows the songs and enjoyed doing the activities.

 

Tuesday, December 23, I got out for my morning walk again. The light of the sunrise was gorgeous. It was National Roots Day so I sent a text to my in-laws telling them we're grateful to all be part of the same family tree. 

That night, Jeremy, Nichole, Jet, and I went for a drive looking at Christmas lights and decorations. We've been so busy this was the only night we could do it. It was nice and we even drove up to see the Christmas Star on the mountain in Pleasant Grove. 

I am grateful for celebrating Jesus Christ's birth this season. My life is so much better because of Him. He is my light, my life, and my hope.

Merry Christmas! 

Star Party!

I am thankful for the Star Party some of us went to one night because of my son's Earth and Space Science class.

Members of the community brought telescopes so we could see different galaxies and stars, Saturn with its rings and one of its moons, and our moon when it finally made an appearance.

There were hot chocolate and donuts.

My sons had friends to talk to.

I got bad pictures with my phone because I was not going to use my flash at an event that requires darkness.

I did get decent (enough) pictures of the moon with our good camera.

 

When we got home that night, Jeremy and Jet were trying out some lights that would "dance" to music. Jeremy needed them for yet another balloon build out of state. He didn't need them to dance to music for the build but that was one of the modes of the lights. Jet sure enjoyed it.

 

Mommy, Look

It's a star! 

(He really likes the neighbors decorations)

Christmas Day 2022

So let's talk about Christmas Day.

First of all, we got the star on the tree.

While I was working on Christmas Eve dinner, Jr. and Nichole made breakfast sandwiches to put in the fridge so that Christmas morning, we'd have something quick to eat before church. Thanks, kids.

Christmas morning we got to come out to see what Santa brought and what was in our stockings. 

I carried Jet out still asleep but after a while he woke to see what Santa brought him then had fun opening the wrapped presents in his stocking- dino cars! He was excited with each car and started roaring (as he does) but as soon as Jeremy handed him a new wrapped present, he immediately handed back the dino car so he could unwrap the next one.

Then we didn't open any presents from around the tree but got dressed, ate our quick breakfast, and went to church where there was a beautiful musical program with special words from the bishop. Lucky got to sing with the Primary and I was able to sing with the choir.

It was what I needed and wanted that morning. I'll be honest that Christmas Eve was rough. I had a nice breakdown. Well, it wasn't so nice. There has definitely been some stress lately. But Christmas Day was just right.

 

At home we were able to Zoom with Jeremy's parents while opening presents (later that day, I called my parents and had a nice chat with them and two of my brothers).

One thing we found out about Jet is that he really likes unwrapping presents whether they belong to him or not. The kids helped bring out some presents Christmas Eve and one present had to be rewrapped. Then during our main present opening Christmas afternoon, we took turns opening presents and Jet was practically launching himself at the presents to try to tear the paper off them. In some ways that determined what present would be opened next when it was the recipient's turn. Three year olds are fast, man.

Nichole was sweet and made this for Jet for Christmas:

 

Christmas Day was nice.

Now we're dealing with the aftermath.

Meatier Meteors

June 29 was National Waffle Iron Day. The kids made waffles for us before we went out to celebrate National Camera Day, also on the 29th. We took the camera out to the lake in the same spot we went to see the Christmas Star. This time however we looked for shooting stars since the next day was Meteor Watch Day or Meteor Day and we wouldn't be able to go out on the night of the 30th. We didn't see any shooting stars but it was good bonding time and it was nice to look at the stars where there wasn't as much extra light as in the middle of the city.

The next night, June 30, we had individual pizzas for dinner. People could choose their own toppings. Some of the pieces ended up "meatier" than others. Get it? Get it? That was Jr.'s suggestion.

I sure do love creativity... and nice family time.

Winter Solstice Among Other Things

December 21 was the Winter Solstice, the first day of Winter. When Jr. was going to make pancakes the day before, the smoke detector went off (not from his cooking, from bacon grease and water in the skillet). I told the kids to open windows but to make sure to close them before sundown since the next day was the solstice (it's been tradition this year on the solstices and equinoxes). We ate fluffernutter sandwiches again.

 

The 21st was also Short Girl Appreciation Day. I got a picture with my teenagers who were not standing on their toes nor was I slouching. Throughout the day, Jr. gave me hugs and told me that he appreciated me (not just because I was short, but because I do so much).

Also on the calendar for that day was Yule. Jr. wanted to listen to music. I told him he could only listen to music if it was with a Yule log fire like The Piano Guys or Josh Groban. Jr. found a YouTube video of Link standing by a fire. He put it on the TV then put Breath of the Wild music on the computer. Bwah ha ha ha. Clever boy.

 

The kids took turns doing online crossword puzzles for National Crossword Puzzle Day also on the 21st.

 

For Family Home Evening lesson, we read the nativity story in Luke 2 as we drove to West Mountain. As we drove along we saw sheep. We were like the wise men traveling to see the Christmas star. That day Jupiter and Saturn were the closest to each other in alignment with Earth that they have been in 800 years. Nice and bright... and around Christmas time. That's why it is known as the Christmas star. We drove to the other side of West Mountain with just the hill behind us with no house lights and farmland across the lake at the place we stopped so not a lot of lights there either. There were some other people with vehicles in the same area but it was a big area so no one was too close to each other. 

It was fun to see the planets. Looking closely with the camera, we could sort of see Saturn's rings and some of the moons of those planets. Jet loved seeing the sky with the half moon and stars.

 #LightTheWorld suggested getting as many family members together for a virtual hangout that day. I didn't suggest doing a video call like we did for Thanksgiving but while we were out looking at the Christmas star, my sisters, Mom, and I were all texting about it. Both of my sisters were also out looking at the planets and unfortunately my mom had rain. It was still fun to chat together and see pictures of my sister's view.

Everybody say, "Christmas Star!"

Since I finished reading A Christmas Carol on Saturday, we watched The Muppet Christmas Carol when we got home from seeing the Christmas star since December 21 is National Humbug Day. Every time Scrooge was going to say, "Humbug," in the movie, Nichole would say, "Happy National," before he said it then would say, "Day," after he said it. Heh Heh Heh.

 

It was also National Flashlight Day. We definitely used flashlights while we were out at the lake in the dark.

What They Missed- August 12

Wednesday, August 12-
I feel like my one accomplishment the whole time Jeremy and the oldest two were gone was getting the kitchen table completely cleaned off.

That and taking the boys out to feed the birds... most days.

I had a rant written down on this day when I was taking notes. I don't want to write it on here. I'd rather write about Middle Child Day. Jr. Jr. was excited because now he is the exact middle child in the family. With the two oldest gone, Lucky was the middle child of the two that were left. So we celebrated them both. I had Jr. Jr. figure out the menu plan for dinner, though.
We had pizza, dried fruit, and root beer. I taught the boys a trick of using a red vine for a straw in their cans of root beer if they bite the ends off first. Red vines dissolve easily in pop, though, so we had extra sugary root beer.

 
That night we went outside in the dark in case we could see any shooting stars. Before we got very far, though, the neighbors' porch light came on and the boys started playing Shadow Wars. They were cute.

We went in the backyard to look at the sky. We didn't see much in the way of shooting stars since we were still in the city. I think I saw a couple, so does Jr. Jr. We did see UFOs, though. That was cool. Jr. Jr. explained to Lucky that UFOs are Unidentified Flying Objects so if you can't tell what is, it is unidentified and therefore a UFO. When I first saw one it was floating across the sky. It looked like the shape of one of those elongated parachutes that people use to jump from Point of the Mountain. My next thought was... some sort of stealth jet you could only see the outline of if you were trying? We all watched it as it continued along then watched it change shape. Well, there went my stealth jet theory. It was weird. Was it a group of bugs flying in formation then changing formation? We saw these UFOs a few times so it was either several groups or individuals or it was the same group or individual going around again. It could have been eerie but we found it interesting.
We also saw several planes and helicopters flying around flashing green and red.
While we were out there, we sang a bit of "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail just in case Jeremy was out looking at the same stars from a few states away.