March 2017

March 1st I dropped Jeremy off at the school at 4:30 am.  He and the cast were off to Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky.  They had earned all the money they needed to send everyone to the competition.  The excitement level was high as they boarded the bus for their first time ever at Nationals.  

Later that morning I got to spend some time with Sandra packing up all her mother's clothing and getting everything ready for donation.  I always enjoy my time with Sandra.  She is a lot like her mother.  She shared a lot of memories while we worked.  It was a good thing for both of us.  

That night there was a HUGE thunderstorm.  Naomi and I were out driving in it as there was a choir practice for the regional conference.  Our ward had been chosen to provide the choir for Elder Cook's visit. Naomi and I were excited to be a part of it.  

March 4th Jeremy called that night to tell us that their play had won several individual awards, including best live music and outstanding cast members for Harry, Jace and Teddy.  The did not place 1st or 2nd but were just happy to be there.  

March 9th was New Beginnings for Young Women. Justice Stewart worked hard to make sure the night was a success.  Our new Beehives felt welcomed and the rest of the guests enjoyed themselves.  I'd say that is a success.  

Justice Stewart chose "How To Be A Foxy Lady".  She put a lot of her personality into the night.

Our new Beehives that will join us during the next 9 months. 

My current Beehives performing their skit.  This was definitely one of the highlights of the night.

Me and Jordan Polera, our Beehive teacher.

March 12th we woke up to snow.  It was also the day of the Regional Conference with Elder Cook. There were so many people expected to attend that the event was held at the Bojangles Coliseum.  The nice thing about the snow was that everyone else that would have been on the road stayed home that morning and the highways were almost bare.  We arrived early so we could run through the numbers with the organist and make sure everyone had a seat.  The conference was very inspiring and it was a privilege to be on the stand with Elder Cook.  Naomi was excited to get to see an apostle up close.  Each speaker added their own flavor to the day and we all walked away better for having been there.  

In the Green Room before the performance.  Naomi is getting her goofiness out before the performance.  

Timeline of the snow.  Winter at 9:30.  Back to early spring by 11:30.  Typical of North Carolina weather.

A quick practice before the meeting begins.

March 15th, Jeremy registered for college.  We still have not received the official letter of acceptance or any information about tuition, but he was excited to get to sign up for classes.  It is starting to feel real.  

March 16th was the traditional pre-prom dinner with Bishop Beckworth at Ciro's.  Jeremy and I went to pick up Elizabeth.  She is not allowed to single date until she is 18 so I had to be there in order to honor that rule. Jeremy was really nervous about the night.  Elizabeth was having an off day and had been texting Jeremy weird comments all day long.  When we got to her house she did not wait for him to come to the door.  She bust out the front door as soon as we pulled up and wouldn't let Jeremy get her door for her.  She seemed okay on the ride to the restaurant.   I dropped them off at the restaurant and then headed to the church to be with the  Beehives and run the activity.  Afterwards, Nick and I hurried back to the restaurant to pick up Jeremy and Elizabeth and drive her back home.  I asked about the dinner and Elizabeth was short and curt with her answers.  "It was okay, but I guess I was just not hungry.  It didn't taste very good."  Needless to say, it was an awkward ride back to her house.  When finally arrived at her house she almost didn't wait for the truck to stop before she jumped out and ran to the door.  Jeremy said the night was a nightmare.  She was moody and no fun to be around.  She was on her phone the whole time and would not engage in conversation.  He was nervous about spending the whole evening with her at prom if she was still in this mood.  I felt so bad for him.  I wanted to drive back to Elizabeth's house and give her a piece of my mind.

The Laurels and Priests (and their dates) with Bishop Beckworth before dinner. 

March 17th was the 5th and 6th grade dance at school.  I went back to the school at 5 to pick Naomi up and sat and laughed with Mrs. Osburn who was monitoring the bathrooms and making sure no one left without a parent.  The kids were cracking us up.  At one point a group of boys came running down the hall and yelled into the girls bathroom, "Hurry up!  They are playing our song."  At another point several kids came running out of the Cafetorium saying, "Yuck!  I just can't listen to another Jacob Sartorius song."  Such entertainment.  

When I got back home a very solemn Jeremy pulled me aside and said Elizabeth had called and told him he was boring and not fun enough and didn't want to go to prom with him anymore.  He told her he would honor her wishes but he did have her corsage if she wanted it.  She told him to return it and then hung up on him.   He was upset and relieved at the same time.  He had done everything he could have done to make her feel welcome with the group on Thursday at dinner but she didn't want to have anything to do with him or the group.  I asked him if he wanted to go to prom with the group and he said he didn't want to go at all.  He said he was personally relieved and that he felt bad that he felt relieved.  Such conflict.  In the end he decided to stay home and spend the night doing whatever came to mind.  

March 18th I met the Laurels and Priests at the front of Highland Creek for pictures.  Jeremy was off shopping for new church clothes with Steve (which was exactly what he wanted to be doing).  Everyone looked really nice and they were excited about the dance.  They didn't ask about Jeremy because they didn't know yet.  Jeremy was supposed to be going with Elizabeth's ward.  That would give Jeremy some buffer time to deal with the aftermath.  Once the youth, especially the boys, found out they really had Jeremy's back.  That made him feel better about the whole situation.

Such a handsome/gorgeous crew.  

March 19th Naomi woke up with a really sore throat and the rest of us were just drained emotionally and physically after the busy schedule we had been keeping up so we played hookie from church.  It turned out that we all really needed a day to enjoy some down time and recharge.  Nick spent the day creating a new remote controlled car using the old body but a new engine from a remote controlled helicopter.  It made the car go really fast.  It was awesome.  I love spending time with my family.  They are the best.  

This storm was really cool.  The sunset was behind the approaching storm and it made the sky glow.  The picture doesn't do it justice so you will have to take my word for it.  

Nick came home from school on March 22nd really excited that his history teacher had recommended him for Honors history next year.  Nick has really enjoyed having Mr. Bates this year.  Way to go, Nick!

On March 29th Jeremy picked up his cap and gown.  It is starting to feel more real that he is really graduating from high school this year.

March 29th-31st Nick was at the Sound To Sea field trip with his fellow classmates.  It was a fun three days filled with adventures and learning.  The kids learned about the ecosystem on both the ocean and sound side of the island.  They also got to play in the water and have fun.  Nick had a blast. On the ride home the group had a great adventure when a tire on one of the buses blew.  They used the second bus to transport all the kids to a nearby elementary school so they weren't standing on the side of the highway. It took a bit, but eventually they were on their way home again.   They were a few hours later than expected but they all had a fun story to tell about their adventures.

The view from his window.  

Hanging on the beach with his friends.

Another of his favorite views.  We want to have a beach house some day.  

Inside the maritime forest.  

Coming out of the forest on to the beach.  

As if this month hadn't already dealt Jeremy a few bad hands, I FINALLY got a response from the financial department at SVU (after calling multiple times and sending even more emails).  We had filled out the FAFSA form back in November and had not heard anything yet.  The first payment was coming due and we did not know anything.  In fact, Jeremy's acceptance letter had still not arrived although they were emphatic that it was in the mail (for over a month now).  Something was not feeling right here.  In the end, the financial department sent us numbers that were $10,000 more than they quoted back at the open house in October.  Jeremy, Steve and I talked about it after Steve got home from work and decided that it would be better for Jeremy to stay at home and get his generals done at the community college, go on his mission and then transfer to a 4 year college at that point.  Going to SVU for his generals would cost him $30,000 a year (if tuition didn't go up again while he was on his mission).  At CPCC that same education would cost him $6,000 a year.  We called and talked to UNC Charlotte and they told us that transfer students from the CPCC system were their favorite because these students came in focused and ready to do well...and graduate!  He also realized that it would be less than 6 months from the time he started school to the time he turned 19 and would put in his mission papers.  That is a lot of money for 6 months.  The selling point for Jeremy was when I casually mentioned that he could live at home and we would get a third car so he could go back and forth to school and work without having to rely on us for a ride if we weren't paying $30,000 for tuition.  The deal was sealed and I could see the relief on his face when the decision was made.  He was still a little sad at not being able to go away to school, but he was relieved to be able to go on his mission with no school debt and do it more on his own time table.    Usually I have to hound him to send an email or make a phone call that is SVU-related.  This time he went right to his computer and sent the message to his counselor that plans had changed and he wouldn't be attending in the fall after all.  Jeremy has been much happier and more content since we made that decision.  This was definitely the answer to my fasting at the first of the month.  It is the right answer for him. 

I taught myself to knit in the round in order to make this Griffendor scarf for Haylie.  She wanted it a certain way and I delivered.  

March 31st Naomi went to Haylie's Harry Potter birthday party right after school.  She had a the best time playing quiddich and doing all things Harry Potter.  I picked her up and the two of us headed to the Polera's for the Beehive fondue and movie night.  The girls enjoyed dipping various treats in chocolate and then we all watched Moana.  We also had a chance to play some ping pong during the course of the night.  I love serving these girls with Jordan.  We make a good team.   

February 2017

February started off with Jeremy getting accepted to SVU.  This called for a celebration.  Jeremy wanted to give Razoos a try.  It was a fun night with everyone trying something new.  Their gumbo, alligator and fried pickles are amazing.  Afterwards, we headed down to the church to watch the Young Women play their basketball game in the semi-finals.  

February 4th we cleaned all day long just to catch up on things that should have been done but we were just too busy.  Steve finally had some time to start on the custom shelves around the window in the bonus room.  It was a productive day.  

Naomi showing off some of her art that is displayed in the hallway.  She gets better with every project she takes on.

February 5th was Superbowl VI.  It was also a fast Sunday.  I spent the day fasting for a way to pay for college now that we had been accepted.  Most of the finances were in place, but I needed some guidance with the last little bit.  The Superbowl was a really good one.  The Falcons were ahead 28-3 in the third quarter but the Patriots pushed back in the fourth and sent the game into overtime.  The Patriots won the toss and the game 35-28.  WOW!!

February 9th I got a call at 6 am from Sandra to tell me that her mother was in the ICU and not doing well.  Would I please arrange for a blessing as soon as possible?  I got Steve out of bed and called the bishop.  They got up to the hospital at 8:00.  I couldn't go because I was subbing all day and it was eating at me.  Steve called after the blessing and told me that Sister Ford was not doing well and in the blessing Bishop had told her it wouldn't be long.  I was just hoping I would be able to make it in time to see her one last time.  I got the call from Sandra at 1:00 that her mother had passed.  The kids in my class were really cool and understanding and gave me a few minutes to get over the shock.  I love these kids.  When they need to be understanding and sympathetic they rise to the challenge.  My only consolation at not getting to see her one more time came when I called Steve after school.  He told me that I would always remember her the way she was during my last visit a few days before.  I was an amazing day and we had a great conversation.  Sister Ford was full of stories and mischief, as usual.  He told me that would be a much preferred memory to the tubes and oxygen mask of her last moments.  I will miss her.  

That night was the big fundraiser performance for the theater department.  They were hoping to earn enough money to pay for everyone to go to the national competition in Kentucky the first week in March.  The Young Men and Young Women came to support Jeremy.  It was a lot of fun and the cast did an amazing job.  It was their best performance yet.  

February 10th (a day early as the weekend was full of stuff and Jeremy would not be around on the 11th) we celebrated Nick's 15th  birthday with Papa Murphy's pizza and presents.  I don't know why I don't have pictures of the cake and opening of presents.  Nick is always doing something creative with his straws so I was really excited when I found this funky straw kit with bends and turns.  He loved it.  

Happy 15th birthday silly man!

February 11th I drove Sandra to the airport.  Sister Ford wanted to be buried next to her husband in Las Vegas and so Sandra was helping honor that wish.  The whole ride down we shared stories and laughs and a few tears.  Sister Ford was an amazing person who will always occupy a piece of my heart.  Heaven is a happier place now that she is there.  I can just imagine the party and her getting to SEE everyone again.

After I got home from the airport, we took Nick to the mall and went shoe shopping.  He was one happy boy.  Shoes are what make him smile.

February 17th we all went to see the Batman Lego movie.  It was hilarious and we all enjoyed every moment of the movie.

February 18th we piled into the car and drove to South Charlotte to see Alexis and her new twins, Harrison and Holden.  They are more adorable in person than in their photos.  Harper, their 3-year-old sister showed us around the house and even gave us a tour of her new swing set in the back yard.  Naomi and I got to sit and hold the boys.  We loved it.



February 19th Jeremy turned 18!!  We went to church and came home to eat a Chinese dinner.  I had to leave shortly after dinner to pick Sandra up at the airport.  She had a lot of stories to tell of how wonderful the service was for her mother.  She seemed more relaxed but tired.  It would be good for her to have some down time.  I took her some dinner so she would have something to eat that night.  The Relief Society had arranged for several more meals to come in during the week.

Back at home we had banana creme pie and opened presents.  I still can't believe my baby is 18 and will be going off to college and a mission in the next year!!!!

February 20th was President's Day and there was no school.  Jeremy and I went clothes shopping.  He has grown and needed a few new pairs of pants and shoes.  We enjoyed the time with just the two of us.

February 22nd I went to the eye doctor in the morning and was planning on spending the day getting stuff done.  Liz was taking the afternoon carpool so I didn't have to worry about that.  I was just finishing lunch when Tabitha called and asked for some help.  Paige had split her pants at school and needed a new pair but Tabitha couldn't leave the house as her other two little ones were home with the stomach bug.  I was so grateful I had the time to help her out.  I took the pants in and got a pass to pick up Haylie and Paige after school so Tabitha wouldn't have to leave the house with sick kids.  Tabitha does so much for everyone it felt good to be available to help her when she needed it.

February 25 Jeremy asked Elizabeth to church prom.  She was really excited and said yes.  They are both excited and in planning mode for the night.

January 2017

January 2nd we took down the Christmas stuff and packed it all away for another year.  The only thing different this year was packing Jeremy's stuff in a separate box so he can take it to college with him.  It definitely made a sad day even more sad.  My baby will be in college next year at this time.  

Nick's resolution was to run more and get ready for bigger races and LNC track try outs.  He recruited Steve to go running with him.  The funny thing about the picture below is they got dressed separately (no previous consulting) and ended up looking almost the same.  Silly boys!

January 7th we all prepared for Snowmaggedon!!  The 7-10 inches never happened.  We only got two inches of snow and ice combined, but we had tons of fun.

Nick always gets the best air.

Steve gave it a try.

He stuck the landing.  Pretty impressive!

January 8 church was cancelled due to black ice on the roads.  It was only 7 degrees overnight.  January 9 school was cancelled due to black ice in the parking lots.  As always, it quickly warmed up enough to melt all the ice and everyone got back to normal.

This is what Naomi does when she is stuck indoors due to cold and ice.

Her friend, Haylie, came over to play and they had more fun with make-up.

January 13th was the middle school band concert.  Naomi was really excited because she had a solo. Her clarinet teacher came to see Naomi's very first performance.  Naomi rocked it!!!!

Naomi and M.E.(pronounced "Emmy")

Warming up.

Naomi rocking her solo.

Naomi and her teacher, Kaylie.  Mr. Venable wanted to meet Naomi's amazing teacher who has taught her so much.

The whole month of January I got to watch our young women play church basketball every Saturday.  Most of the girls really do not enjoy basketball season, but they come and support the team.  This was a great season and we had a lot of fun.

This is not the whole team, just the cool one's who stuck around for the picture.  

January 18th I FINALLY had a chance to clean the carpets downstairs.  They were even worse than I thought they would be which made it twice as satisfying when the job was done!!!

January 20th, Donald Trump took the oath of office and became the President of the United States.  It is a moment in history and, therefore, must be noted in this history.

January 21st Jeremy got his full license.  He is official and can drive himself anywhere at any time of the day with anyone he wants in the car with him.  WOOOOHOOOOO!  That night there was a Napoleon Dynamite dance at the South Stake Center.  I got to go and help chaperone.  It was really funny to watch all the kids.  

January 22 Nick finished his Personal Management merit badge.  He is getting closer to Eagle.  

January 26th was the Daddy Daughter Dance at LNC.  Naomi was really excited.  We went dress shopping earlier and she picked out a really cute dress.  She even let me do her hair in a fancy braid.  They went to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings and then hung out at the dance the rest of the night.  There was an outdoor area with a fire pit if you didn't want to be indoors.  This is where Steve and Naomi hung out most of the night.  They had an amazing time.  

While Steve and Naomi were at their dance, they boys and I went to the church for the youth combined activity.  The priests were in charge and it was a fun night.  We played Jeopardy with a twist.  Once the question was displayed via a projector onto the wall, the contestants had to run to the other end of the gymnasium, write the question on a piece of paper and race back to the  judges desk.  The fun twist is that the priests got to decide how the contestants ran back and forth.  We were treated to crab-walking, monkey running and the wheelbarrow.  It was a great night.

The priests manning the table. 

Bro. Lockerman and Bro. Kelly even got in on the action.  

December 2016

December 1st we FINALLY had our Activity Day Girls/Beehive Talent Show.  It was supposed to be in September but kept getting delayed due to scheduling conflicts.  The girls were ready and we had a great night sharing talents with each other.  One group did a synchronized swimming routing which was very entertaining.  We had a lot of musical talent in the group both instrumental and vocal.  One young lady did a dramatic reading of a poem she wrote.  Other brought their talents to display or eat.  It was a fun night.  

Naomi and Caitlyn playing "Silent Night"

The whole crew taking a final bow at the end of the night.

December 3rd I was reading my scriptures and trying to recapture the peace I used to feel in my life.  Lately everything had felt chaotic and I was doing things that were NOT in my nature.  I was confused and frustrated and overwhelmed.  Quite unexpectedly I felt a peace that started in my core and radiated outward.  It was like I was receiving a hug from my Heavenly Father telling me it would all be okay if I followed Him and his commandments.  I am so grateful to know that my Heavenly Father hears my prayers and answers them personally.   He knows just what I need.

Today

December 8th we ordered Jeremy's cap and gown along with all his fun senior paraphernalia.  I can't believe he is already graduating.  

Yesterday

That night was Young Women in Excellence.  The theme Naloni chose for the night was "Personal Progress Can Change The World".  It was an amazing night.  The girls all stepped up and completed the tasks they were given.  The decorations were gorgeous and the refreshments were yummy.  She had assigned everyone a different region of the world and they were to come up with a treat that represented their assigned region.  I made won tons and they were a big hit.  We had an incredible group of young ladies.  It is a privilege to work with and serve them.  

All our beautiful, talented, inspirational Young Women.

December 9th I got to do whatever I wanted all day long.  I started the day with attending Naomi's D.A.R.E (Define, Assess, Report and Evaluate) graduation.  During the previous semester an officer from the Huntersville Police Department, Officer Mike, would come every week and teach the kids about how to stay away from drugs and crime.  He also taught them what to do when they saw something that wasn't quite right.  The kids really looked forward to their weekly time with Officer Mike and grew really close to him.  As a thank you gift they all pitched in and got him a gift card (for himself) and a basket of goodies for his new task force dog.  His previous dog, Bella, had died unexpectedly in the middle of the semester and the kids went through the heartbreak of losing a good friend with Officer Mike.  They were also equally thrilled when the new addition, Rocky, came along.  

Naomi and Logan mugging for the camera.

Waiting to get her diploma.

Hugging Officer Mike.

Naomi, Victoria and Carly

Being silly waiting in line to have their pictures taken with Officer Mike.  It was a LONG line.

Naomi and Officer Mike.

Everyone with Officer Mike.

The Llama Squad - Anusha, Naomi, Victoria and Rachel.

After the graduation I went back home for lunch and got to talk with Mom and Dad for a bit.  I miss talking to them since we are all running in different directions.  It is rare that both our available times match up so we took advantage of this.  I started watching the new season of "Fuller House" which came out on my birthday. That night after everyone was finally home (Steve got stuck in traffic and got home too late to go to the ward Christmas party) we went to Razoos for dinner.  I love their deep fried pickles!!!  It was an amazing day.

December 12th our family had the opportunity to support a dear family (the husband served as the Young Men's president for years and the two kids are in YM/YW) at the surprise baptism of their mom and grandma.  Brother Biang said his mom called out of the blue and asked if he would baptize her during her visit for Hunter's Eagle Court of Honor.  He didn't event know she was seriously investigating the church.  It just goes to show that people are always watching the example we set as members of the church.  The kids thought it was especially wonderful because they have only been to Child of Record baptisms and have never witnessed a convert baptism.  The Spirit was very strong.

December 14th was Hunter Biang's Eagle Court of Honor.  Steve is so funny with "his scouts".  They are like sons to him and he is just as proud as the parents.  He has worked really hard for the last 5 years to make this troop into a true Boy Scout Troop.  I am so proud of him.

Steve and the kids went Christmas shopping without me one night and I kept getting silly pictures of their antics around the mall.  This one is my favorite!

That is a seriously large lollipop!

December 15th I went to lunch with Tabitha and her two youngest girls.  I love spending time with them because they are always so happy and positive.  I also get to hold Ellie while Tabitha eats and that is a treat for both of us.  Tessa got stuck in the play area and I got to crawl in and help her down.  I haven't played in the play area for years!!

That night was the annual Young Men Young Women caroling activity.  The Beehives were in charge this year.  We had to change from our usual nursing home as it was all booked up for the season.  I chose the dementia care home right around the corner from our house.  Back in the Joy School days we went there and presented our Christmas program and the kids and residents loved it.  Also, this year set it up so that each person had a copy of the words to all the songs so everyone HAD to sing - no excuses.  Monica played a song on her clarinet and Jeremy accompanied us with his ukelele.  THe Young Women also performed their special number, "A Manger Filled With Love".  The residents loved it and they all sang along with us.  At one point the air turned on and sent the pianist's music flying.  She had to stop playing and gather it all up.  One of the residents yelled, "You are just a mess, aren't you?!!!?"  We all laughed and I said, "Yes we are!" This kids loved that moment.  There was another resident that would scoot around in her wheelchair and come right up to the kids and smile while they were singing.  It was a memorable night for everyone.  Afterwards we all came back to my house for hot cocoa and doughnuts.  The Young Men leaders cracked me up because they are stood around and commented on how much smoother that went than last year.  They thought about it and said, "We were in charge last year, right?  That's why!!"  I love the Young Men leaders.  They have such a good sense of fun.  

December 17th the youth all met at the Shamanis home for a new missionary activity.  They were divided up into pairs or trios and given an area to canvas in order to hand out the new church Christmas DVD and conduct an interest survey.  It is called clipboarding and has been wildly successful in other parts of the country.  The kids were excited to be a part of the project.  After a training session on what to say and how to behave we got in our cars and drove to our assigned neighborhoods.  The kids were amazing.  They  handed out the DVDs and got several people to fill out the interest surveys.  Collectively we got 32 contacts for the missionaries to follow up on.  I am so proud of our youth!!

That night was the annual Christmas party at the Gerrard's home.  We made a special effort to attend since this will be the last year we will be invited.  Their son, Mark, is a friend of Jeremy's and unless they stay in touch...  We all enjoyed ourselves.  I sat and talked to some of the kids from school that I knew from subbing.  We worked out the word puzzle worksheet.  The kids did their usual video game palooza in the basement. 

December 18th the Young Women sang in sacrament meeting an then again at the stake fireside that night.  They sounded beautiful.   The University City Ward Choir finished out the night with three numbers that left the crowd speechless.  They were amazing!!!

December 21st was a doughnut day.   I subbed for Mrs. Rogowski in the media center and had a blast but I smelled doughnuts all day long and kept finding books with either "Doughnut" in the title or a picture of a doughnut on the cover.  It was an omen.  Also, since Nick survived his first day of midterms at the high school, we stopped and got doughnuts while doing some errands after school.  Everyone was happy!

December 24th we went to see the movie "Sing".  It was really fun and we liked it a lot.  We went to lunch at PDQ afterwards.  That night the kids got their new pajamas and we all went to bed ready for the morning. Nick was a little bit upset.  He wanted a MINT hoodie for Christmas.  It is all he really asked for  so we ordered it together early in December.  The website said it would arrive after the 11th of December so Nick started watching the mail every day from the 11th onward and had not seen it arrive yet.  Well, it arrived on the 9th and I hid it away. He would ask me every once in a while if I had called to see when it would arrive.  Christmas Eve at dinner her asked again and I started crying (in a theatrical mood, I guess) and told him how sorry I was that I didn't call.  I got busy and...  He went to bed thinking the sweatshirt had not arrived.  

Christmas morning they were all up early and ready to open presents.  Steve and I made sure that the MINT hoodie was the last thing Nick opened.  He was so shocked and surprised and relieved.  It was worth all the waiting.  Jeremy and I both got a lot of books and warm socks.  We laughed about that!  We apparently both have cold feet and really like to read.  Everyone enjoyed their Christmas.  We went to sacrament meeting and heard wonderful music and talks that added to the spirit of the day.  

The one and only picture I took on Christmas Day!  We just enjoyed being together,

 December 26th we finally started building the shelves in the bonus room.  They are going to be gorgeous when they are done.  I will post a picture then.

December 27th I took the kids to the dentist in the morning, Megan out for custard for her birthday in the afternoon and we went to see Rogue One that night.  It was a fun day.

December 30th was a Young Women movie night.  They wanted to get together and just chill one more time before the year ended.

Me, Sidney, Monica, Kaylee, Megan and Kellie

December 31st - New Year's Eve - The whole family helped prepare the Chinese food for the big celebration that night.  We had fun being together in the kitchen  That night our guests arrived and I must admit I was a little nervous because we had a new crowd this year and I wasn't sure how it was going to work out.  I didn't have to worry at all.  Everyone just fell into groups and had a great time.  We talked and ate and joked and laughed and played and it was amazing.  I enjoyed getting to know everyone better.  Jeremy invited Elizabeth and her family so I finally got to meet the Ehlers.  Their five girls fit in so well with the Mullers, Tufts, Maughans and Biangs.  We will have to remember this combination for next year.  

Carson photo bombing my picture of the girls playing Uno.

The braid train.

Nick is in heaven with Ellie sound asleep on his shoulder.

Nick was popular with the ladies.  Erica, Lexi and Tessa followed him everywhere and he did not mind it one bit.

Playing with Ellie now that she is awake.  This is a huge milestone because she usual cries when he holds her. 

Lexi and Tessa sharing the stool and apples.  

The last guests left at 11:30 and the kids wanted to watch the ball drop in Times Square.  We all sat there in disbelief watching Maria Carey complete botch her performance while throwing a divaesque tantrum on live, national tv.  It was a great way to end the year.

Welcome 2017!