Indiana!!!

A Monday off of work and school always feels like such a bonus,
but add in a championship game for Indiana and it was a GOOD long weekend!

Monday was catch up day -- haircuts, FINALLY laying out the rug under the furniture in Camden and Asher's room which was a spatial challenge, cleaning up, starting Bennett's science experiment (trying to grow plants with something that's not water -- apple juice, lemon juice, milk, and miracle grow), errands, and then Michael made an IU fruit platter.

Then off to the Baileys for the championship, and I still laugh about Matthew's prayer when he thanked Michael Daetwyler for bringing them all together that night and prayed he'd have a good night ahead haha. The game was SO GOOD! Fourth down risks, close score, awesome plays, and walked away with a win and history made. Man, what a fun season. Mendoza is so awesome, and so is their coach.

Winter is finally showing itself around here, with low temps and snow this weekend. We sure did have a weird start to it all, and it looks like it's just going to warm back up soon. We went out with Dimonds on Saturday to get Mexican food and it was COLD. I assumed no one would be downtown because of it but it was as full as any other Friday night. Coloradoans don't stop for cold :) Then the next day we took the boys to In & Out and Scheels for burgers, fishing rods, and ferris wheel rides. We also got the Wii out for the first time in years and that was an entertaining indoor activity. Michael and I did a Tonal workout together while all four of them were laughing upstairs on the Wii and Luna was laying by them, and it felt like a winter living milestone. It used to just be SO HARD to be stuck inside, but this weekend we did just fine.

The rug! This has been rolled up between their beds for weeks because it sounded so hard to get it under the beds and the dresser. And it was. But we did it! The boys were a big help.

Messy but dooooone. Well, the walls need things on them :)
But SO close to done.

Starting that science fair project!

IU!

These boys are just chanting "Pick six. Pick six. Pick six." 
Haha so cute.

Let's goooo Indiana.

Kitty now trusts all laps in the house!

Look at these cute Dimonds.
So grateful for their friendship.

Scheels day!
That store is full of good stuff,
but we walked away with just a fishing rod and a few lures.

Ferris Wheel Rides!
I loved this.
This weekend was dark, in the news. I rode this ferris wheel with my boys just feeling so grateful for their safety and mad that so many would willingly dismantle the beautiful democracy and safety we've built and earned in this country. It's so wrong. Minnesota is carrying such a burden.

Denver Stock Show and Broncos Heartbreak

 On Monday I hosted neighborhood book club, and I was kind of dying last week because I put off reading the book and when I did -- I realized I recommended a different book than I thought I had. I thought I chose this one but instead sent out THIS one, and they are not the same. Ha. I told everyone we'd have a funny read for Christmas break and as I was reading it I was like, um when does this get funny??

So even though it wasn't the comedy I was expecting, we had a good chat about neurodivergence and judging. Whoops. I love book club nights.

The boys had to choose their science fair projects this week and fill out proposals. Three kids in elementary school is different than two! Luckily they chose some pretty straightforward experiments so hopefully it's ok :) 

Michael and I both had book club on Thursday, and Westin had a field trip Friday.

Saturday we did a day trip down to Denver for the Western Stock Show, which sounds random and it was. But those cows! So fluffy and perfectly groomed, down to the last little poky hair at the top of their tail. We watched a pig talent show and some animal races, plus saw tons of bulls and cows and different animals being perfectly groomed for the show. My favorite was seeing a mother pig and 10 little piglets, they were just so sweet. Then we went almost straight to the Behunins to watch the Broncos game. Such a stressful game with a HAPPY ending, but then minutes later we found out the Bo Nix broke his ankle. Westin was absolutely devastated. Those big feelings still get big sometimes and I felt really bad for him, especially after his love for the Pacers last year and Haliburton's achilles injury just minutes into game 7. The life of a sports fan is rarely great, but maybe Indiana will deliver for us Monday.

Sourdough forever!
Michael mixes it up, stretches and folds, I bake. 
I think this with butter is my all time favorite food these days.

Ready to host neighborhood book club!
This is pretty new and our third month of doing it,
and I LOVE getting to know my neighbors more.

I keep thinking our house feels like a breath of fresh air without Christmas up.

New blank wall coming together.

I love these pictures.
I see these from my bed so I needed to pick two pictures I'll never get sick of.

Fluffy cows at the stock show!
So funny how multiple grown men just get every hair in place on these cows.

Such a big dude.
Getting hairsprayed.

Spanky the pig new lots of tricks and I think this was the boys' favorite part.

Asher the Ram is worn out.

First Temple Trip

 The big event this week was Westin's first temple trip!

We went on Saturday with Quinn's family, and their friends Levi and Wendy also came, plus some supportive leaders and bishopric members. I just loved being in the temple with Westin's amazing support crew and it was special to be there for his first baptism experience.

We hiked on Saturday at Lory State Park, which we for some reason have done every winter but never in the summer :) It's just a good little winter hike I guess. 

Friday night we had the Beattys, Behunins, and Baileys over for greek food and the Indiana game, and I made Pastel de Nata for the first time. It turned out pretty darn close to what we ate in Portugal! I did puzzles with the young women while the football game was on and I just felt content. I guess I've grown to love football but it's for different reasons than Westin -- I just love when we get together with friends way more during that season and have fun together. Also we are just loving this Indiana run SO much. Championship here we come!

Filling in that new blank wall!
Hanging this mirror was so tricky because our vanity mirrors are built into the wall on the other side.
I drilled into the wall for 2 seconds to hang this mirror before remembering that and I just shudder to think about drilling through the mirror on the other side...would've been such a pain.
So I waited for Michael to get home and we hung this together, luckily it was juuuust big enough to mount on either side of the mirror on the other side if I scooted it over just an inch from where I was.

These don't look like much, 
but we made Pastel de Nata! 
A Portuguese dessert that we ate every day last April.
I wanted to make them before Emma Bailey left on her mission. 
The Baileys, Beattys, and Behunins came to watch the Indiana game this weekend so we sent them home with some for Emma.

Luckily these cute Young Women came over during the football game too,
so we had some puzzle time! They finished a 500-piece and made some good progress on a 1,000.

Westin's first temple trip on Saturday!
So happy he gets to do all these milestones with his bestie, Quinn.

We loved being there with him that day.
He had a few other friends come as well, 
and it was just a good crew to be with in the best place we could be.

Sweet of our bishop to come support them that day.

Hiking in Lory State Park.
Michael really wanted to see a mountain lion.
There have been lots of sightings reported here lately,
but, our crew is just too loud to ever have such luck :)

1,000 puzzle pieces of donuts! This was fun to finish.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Only resolution: Drink water.

I'm not making any other goals, picking any other words, or thinking about much else this year -- I just know I need to be drinking a lot more water! Ha. Here we go.

I made a big cleaning list for the boys and we worked, worked, worked Monday and I told them we'd get tickets to Zootopia 2 for Tuesday if we could knock it all out. It felt so good to get Christmas put away and things cleaned up.

This week we finished The Great British Bake Off, went to Zootopia, Michael took the boys on a little outdoor adventure while I fed all the Young Women a waffle brunch and played a slideshow of our activities this year. Katie and her boys came over later that day and Michael did a frenectomy for Oliver. The boys had fun playing together and we did a gingerbread house and played outside. Then the Baileys and Behunins came over to watch the Indiana game and Katie and Ryan stayed for most of it. I am so haaaappy when my house is full of people we love. I was looking at Katie's sweater all day thinking how cute it was and then I opened her Christmas present to me and it was her sweater :) Haha she's the best, I think I'll wear it all the rest of Christmas break!

Monday was WORK day. Michael went back to work and I had the boys tackle a big to-do list for me to get our house recovered from Christmas, with Zootopia 2 tickets promised if we could conquer it. We got so much done in one day, it made me grateful I didn't leave it for when they were back to school because these boys can really do so much with me!

On New Years Eve we did fondue and games over at the Behunins, and then we went to the Baileys for, well, more games and more fondue. Michael and Camden and Asher made it until 11:00, which we were shocked by but everyone was just having too much fun! Bennett and Westin and I stayed for the countdown. We've entered our midnight era again.

On Saturday the boys played football at Warren Park with some other dads and boys, and Camden especially loved it. He's catching Westin's football bug. He even wore his cleats and I thought that was the cutest thing. That night we went to get Thai food with the Baileys, Behunins, and Allemans for Matthew's birthday. We had a good talk and I just think it's so lucky to have friends that really relate to you in life. I feel like our ward is this pocket of people that I would just go crazy without during all that's happening in the world right now.

On Sunday after church, Westin was ordained a deacon. What a special blessing and happy milestone for him. He's going to be the Deacon's quorum secretary and he's just really looking forward to this year. He's so great.

Sunday we had a lowkey day full of football, and I made fajitas for the missionaries. Asher cuddled up to Michael and they took the cutest nap -- life is busy and moves fast and I forget that Asher is moving at a speed our other four-year-olds never did, but bless his happy little self for doing such a good job hanging with it all. Man, we love that little dude.

This is the mystery of Christmas to me -- this is all my Christmas decor apart from our trees and outdoor lights, 
and it doesn't look like much. BUT it takes up a whole closet! How do people deck the halls for all the holidays? I'll never understand. I'm always so impressed when I see people decorate for anything.

All my Christmas returns. Not bad, not bad at all.

Puzzling and finishing the Great British Bake Off (kids edition).

Someone got Puka Nacua and was STOKED.

Michael loves Samoas and I'm not into them.
He got this granola at Costco so I assumed he'd love it and I'd pass on it.
He didn't really like it and I was OBSESSED with it. It's gone now and I can't stop thinking about it.
My favorite treat I've had in so long.

Have to make these once a year!
Didn't get to them for Christmas but we brought them to the Baileys for New Years.

About to countdown!

The midnight crew!
Heading home from the Baileys.

Made a little gingerbread house with Camden while cousins were here.
We didn't get to everything we wanted to over Christmas, but after works just as well :)

Riding home from a football Saturday with dads and boys.
Camden wore cleats and had some super moves.

Making plans for my new blank wall after filling in our closet doorway.

Table came! Picture a big arched mirror... 

Look at these cuties...
I was late getting dinner on the table for the missionaries because who could wake up this Sunday nap?

Such sweet little buddies.