Camden's Christmas Program

 December... you are the best and oh so full.

Westin came home from school sick on Tuesday and just never made it back that week. It was so strange, poor guy. He didn't throw up until Saturday morning, and just that one time, but he felt so off all week. He had testing this week so it wasn't a great week to be home, I felt bad for him. 

Bennett and Camden loved going on a date with dad to a Jimmy John's mystery shop this week. And Camden MOSTLY loved telling everyone about his Christmas program coming up at the end of the week and practicing his solo over and over. He was so excited about it.

Friday was Westin's piano recital. We played a duet of Brahms Lullaby and then he played Ode to Joy. He did great! Especially considering he still just wasn't feeling like himself. Camden lost his glasses and I am thinking he left them on the bench at the Lutheran Church the piano recital was out... fingers crossed that's right. 

Saturday morning we all went to the church up Lemay for Camden's Christmas program. He was getting pretty nervous at this point, and when he stood up to sing his solo I just kept thinking about how BRAVE he is to do that. So many people wouldn't do that! But he stood up there and sang his song and you could tell he was proud of himself after. Such a sweet guy.

After the program we went downtown and toured the Avery House. The boys loved the kids room with all the old games and the super detailed dollhouse. I loved the main bedroom with beautiful wallpaper that a CSU student painstakingly traced to recreate the original. It was so detailed and gorgeous! Then we went to the toy store downtown to see our friend Jerry playing the piano, and then came home and made breakfast burritos for lunch because downtown smelled like breakfast burritos.

On Sunday Michael took the boys up to Gateway to go on a hike, and I opted to stay home and catch up on toffee making and package organizing and making the house a little more peaceful to combat the Christmas chaos. December is such a mental load!

But we've got such cute boys and a cute town and a schedule full of cute December things.

Asher likes this Christmas tree at Camden's school, and wanted me to take his picture in front of it.
He's so sweet.

Caroling with the Young Men and Young Women at a couple assisted living centers.
This is maybe my favorite thing I've done this holiday season.

Traffic during my morning workout.

Only shot I have of Westin's piano recital crew, and he's turned around in it :)
He did a great job performing Brahm's Lullaby and Ode to Joy.

Little Shepherd boy, ready for his solo.
He was SO excited about his program.

Recreated wallpaper from one of the oldest houses in Fort Collins, the Avery House.
So beautiful!

We visited the toy store downtown to see our friend Jerry playing the piano.
He's basically blind and can just play almost any tune.

Illegal picture snapped during family prayer but they're just so cute.

Dad took the boys on a cold Sunday hike while mom took a December mental health day.

Winter Fun

 This week started out so busy! We fed so many people on Tuesday -- four missionaries and all the young women, rolls and chicken noodle soup. I think the boys are so funny when we have the missionaries over. This time they played the game where you both say a word out loud at the same time, and then try that over and over until you say the same word. It's so funny to try to follow other people's train of thought.

On Friday we went to a walking nativity in Windsor with the Allemans, Baileys, and Schmidts. Our favorite moment was when a man asked us what we were standing in line for and I said, "Baby Jesus." You had to be there. It was just a chaotic place and it wasn't too clear where the nativity route ended up so it was just a funny moment. I really loved seeing Asher pet little lambs. Also, pigs are really cute?

On Saturday we went to Riverbend Ponds for a nice winter walk (there has been next to no snow this year) and Luna came along. We had fun throwing rocks onto the ice and listening to the crazy sounds that makes. But then Luna ran out onto the ice, and then it broke through -- luckily she wasn't very far off shore, but she could not figure out how to get back onto the ice to come back to us. The kids were so stressed out, and finally I had to walk through the water and break the ice and pull her front paws toward me to get her out. That dog... She needs doggy swimming lessons. And some doggy street smarts. But we love her. The boys were cheering and Camden said, "Thank you for saving Luna's life!" Michael called it premature heroism -- he wasn't too worried about her yet :) She tried to go right back out after we rescued her, so it was back on the leash for crazy Luna. I went shopping for Poinsettias with my friend Carrie after.

Westin LOVED going to Boulder with his friend Quinn and Quinn's dad this weekend. That was Quinn's birthday celebration and Westin is lucky to have such a good buddy in our ward. The rest of us went to a holiday party at a bank we've been going to each year and it was totally weird this year... like we kind of just crashed an employee party or something haha. Scratch that off our festivities list. But we went and got tacos after so all was well.

Puzzle guys. I love seeing them work on one.

My sourdough pics I send to Michael at work when I have to babysit his dough...
I like that sourdough is his thing.

Dining in the Dark night for Young Women's. These girls are fun.

Petting zoo at a little walkable Nativity with friends.

This was before Luna ran out on that ice and fell through...
I am still cut and bruised from rescuing her. What a crazy dog.

Westin totally loved going to Boulder with Quinn for Quinn's birthday and going to the CSU game.

Done!
With a missing piece!
Nooooooooo

I stayed up Sunday night and livestreamed the entire last Eras Tour concert.
What a fun tour this was... I really loved following it.

Westin's Birthday, Thanksgiving, & Great Wolf Lodge

We've got a 10-year-old!

Westin is double digits and it's truly hard to wrap our minds around that. This kid is bright, inquisitive, has the most insane memory, knows everything about the NFL and college football, loves learning, wants to be in the room where it happens at all times, knows how to get Asher all the way ready for bed, loves book club at school, loves to help me in the kitchen, has a total foodie personality, is a good, good friend, loves to play games, hates piano lessons, memorizes so quickly, and just makes our life a lot more fun. We love being Westin's parents.

On Monday he opened up a chess set, a current events magazine subscription, a BYU jersey, a BYU sweatshirt, and a card tricks kit. He has wanted to play chess nonstop ever since. We went to the library that morning and then he wanted to watch Migration with Bennett and me that afternoon "with no multi-tasking!" (guilty... I'm always trying to get things done when a movie is on). So, we laid down and watched Migration and did nothing else at all. It was a great afternoon. Then we went to Texas Roadhouse that night and he loved sitting on the saddle for the birthday yee-haw. He blew out candles in a pumpkin chocolate chip bundt cake when we got home. What a fun kid, and so fun to be with him on his birthday. I love that the boys have a full week off of school for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday was Thanksgiving prep! We made the pies, stuffing, sweet potatoes, candied almonds for the salad, and salad dressing. Then later in the week we made the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole (I am always surprised at this one's spot in the lineup). We took an easy way out with a Costco turkey breast and Trader Joe's gravy. Our friends brought Brussels Sprouts and rolls and more pie. So much food!

We loved having the Cornwalls over. They have four kids around our kids' ages and they all have so much fun together. I loved playing Wavelength with all of them. My favorite clue was Bennett trying to describe "Huggable, Not Huggable" and he chose a Christmas tree and we put it exactly where it should be on the just slightly non-huggable side. Then he hugged our Christmas tree to show us all how right he was. You can kinda hug it, but it's not really huggable.

Friday morning we woke up, put on swimsuits, packed a change of clothes, and drove to Colorado Springs. We had a lot of fun at Great Wolf Lodge, we weren't quite sure what we should expect. But once we got the hang of things, we really had a lot of fun there. I'm so proud of my kids going on anything they're tall enough for. I was NOT that way! One water slide had you step inside a vault and then the ground comes out from under you and you drop before sliding through a tube. No one dared go on it the first day... but I think during my sleep I resolved to go on it? Because I woke up and said I wasn't doing anything until I did that, so I walked right onto it completely dry and just did it. Bennett did go first though :) Then Michael and Westin did it as well, but Bennett is the only one who went on it a couple more times. Once was enough for the rest of us!

We ate Shake Shack on the way out of town the next day and that burger always makes me so happy. When we got home, we quickly unpacked and then Michael and I met the Gregorys for Vietnamese food and Wicked. It was SO GOOD. I had decided to not see it until next year so I could see both parts together, but you can see how long I lasted. I am excited to blast that soundtrack all week.

I loved this weekend with our boys. My heart never thinks of Deseret, Utah more than on Thanksgiving, or my Grandma Eliason and all my cousins. My kids are growing up with very different Thanksgivings than I knew. But, mine were happy and so are theirs. We're really lucky.

 

Ten years old!

I'm still shocked he wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse so they could do the birthday Yee-Haw.
He would NOT have picked that for any other birthday so far :)

He chose pumpkin chocolate chip for his cake,
also shocked by that.
Do I even know this ten-year-old?! I do :)

Camden living that thug life with his roll.

Every year my pie crusts fail.
But this year!
...This year the failure was spectacular.
My worst yet.

Westin helped me make SO much food for Thanksgiving.
I loved having a little sous-chef buddy!

I was driving lost in thought after preschool, and I heard Camden say, "I love you, mom."
I turned around and he had put on this pilgrim hat and the vision just filled my heart haha.
Such a goofy, sweet guy.

We checked on the Gregory's cats through Thanksgiving,
the boys were big fans.

Westin loves his new current events magazine subscription he got for his birthday.
He's been combing through all the November issues.

A little Christmas spot in my house that makes me happy.

Doesn't this pie look good!?
It's not.
Another spectacular failure.
I'm cursed, but I will someday break it.

Michael headed up the chocolate curls effort for the chocolate pie.

We walked along the river Thanksgiving morning and I was so glad we did.
I was going to just cook all morning but Michael is good at getting us out of the house,
and there was still plenty of time to get things done.

Luna ran wild and free with these boys and she was in heaven.
She cannot figure out how to swim, though.
I thought dogs just knew? We have to teach her??

Ready for friends!

We colored an extra large Thanksgiving poster this year.

The spread is ready!
Childhood Maddie didn't even eat the sweet potatoes or stuffing but grown up Maddie appreciates them.

We loved having the Cornwalls over for dinner.
This crew has a lot of fun together!

I really loved playing Wavelength with them all -- that game is so fun with age differences.
Kids are so funny.

Another day another cat check.
Westin likes these solo trips with mom.

Great Wolf Lodge!
This racetrack ride was so much fun. I loved watching Camden love it.

Little Wolf Cubs heading out to Fuzzy's for dinner.
This was the first time we skipped Torchy's for Fuzzy's and we won't do that again!

Asher loved the wave pool by the end

Heading out!
Bennett always takes a video with his camera of any hotel or airbnb we stay at the day we leave.
He leaves no spot unfilmed -- behind doors, the toilets, the closets. It cracks me up.

Shake Shack on the way out of town!
This meal made me verrry happy. I love a Shake Shack burger.