December

 December was full of all the good things...

Our HSAP put on a "Learning Lab" where they made four different Christmas treats and decorated gingerbread houses. I told Miss Robin that she pretty much did a Grandma Camp with the group. It was a good time. 

Mariah finished up her basketball season with a bang. On her second to last game she scored two shots and they won the game by one point when a teammate made a three pointer with seconds left on the clock. I screamed way too loud each time Mariah scored and when the three pointer happened. Asa was very distressed and kept looking up at me with fear in his eyes whenever I tensed up. Hopefully no lasting trauma there. 

Mariah's last game was a home game and she scored twice again! Her goal all season was to make a basket in a game so she was happy with how the season ended.  

We went to the Coral Ridge mall for ice skating. While the kids ice skated, Tanner, Asa and I snuck away to do some Christmas shopping. 

And visiting the Light the World machine. It was a great way to feel the true Christmas Spirit, giving to others. 

Mariah had her first paid gig! She was asked to be the entertainment for a tea party. She worked hard coming up with thirty minutes of songs and did such a great job. We had fun eating all the fancy foods at the tea after her show. 

The oldest four played in their Victorian Stroll piano recital and all did well. Eliza was really excited about the dress she picked out and wanted her hair in braids just like Laura Ingalls. We had just finished reading most of the series of Little House on the Prairie. Vivi wanted a fancy dress too so she wore one of my old dresses and felt fantastic. 

While Tanner and Austin were at a friend's birthday party, the rest of us got all bundled up that night to see the trains, sip scalding hot chocolate, try roasted chestnuts, and get as many free cookies as we could. Oh, also the candy canes...thats the main reason why we needed to visit Santa. Vivi was shocked when the Ghostbusters gave out bigger candy canes than Santa...not sure what message that gave her. 

I took the littles to climb in the train while the older kids were watching a blacksmith. 

We went bowling and Asa and Vivi were only there for the shoes...that was the highlight

And the arcade game that they thought they were playing. If anyone tells them that it would be so much cooler if mom just put money in the game, they will ruin all the magic. Just saying...

We had our ward Christmas party put on by the Marshallese and Tareokwe gave Eliza one of the skirts that all the dancers were wearing. She was so excited to wear it to church the next day. 

We also did some of our Christmas traditions like Christmas stories

and gingerbread cookies. The kids were excited to bring some out to the workers on the house. And we made a package to send to Natalie. 

The kids wrote their names in the new cement. These contractors are so great with our kids, they are always willing to look up and make funny faces whenever a child bangs on a window or let the boys help out on things. 

We made our Hanukkah Donuts.  

We attended the HSAP Christmas party and enjoyed making pizza, singing carols, minute to win it games, crafts, and bingo. 

I don't think this picture can get any more two year old vibes. 

The boys needed a photo with Grady.

We got to go to another Kemem with our church family. This is a one year old birthday party and they are so fun. There was lots of good food, dancing, and running around like the wild children they are. 

The oldest four got the opportunity to sing in a choir while being accompanied by a full orchestra. Mariah and Chet even sang a solo together. 

It was such an amazing show, but very long. Asa fell asleep five minutes before the intermission and that was enough to sustain him for the next hour. He aggressively drummed throughout each song but it looked like he was conducting and everyone thought it was just adorable. Vivi really wanted to bring a balloon from the birthday party into the concert and in a moment of weakness I let her. There was regret as she kept tossing it in the air and I frantically tried to grab it before it floated down on the crowd below (we were in the balcony). 

We had our Shepherd's Night with the cousins and ate way too much cheese but had a wonderful time together. 

Vivi was really excited to be a sheep. 

The littles decided they wanted to make play dough as a Christmas gift for Jack and Porter. Eliza decided we needed to add mint essential oil and it smelled just like a candy cane. Porter only tried to eat it once...

We went to JK's house for cookies and a good time. 

Eliza spent the whole month of December making gifts for her siblings. She sewed multiple dolls for Vivi, complete with accessories, and made this whale for Asa. She couldn't wait for Christmas day and had them open them a little early. 

We went to the Assisted Living Place in town and played some Christmas music. Vivi even sang a little solo and did so well. They were so kind to us and were the best audience you could ask for. 

I need to be better about getting pictures of the boys dressed up, but they are always rushing to get changed right when they get home. 

Asa had a fever Christmas Eve so he and I stayed home while the others went down to the cousins. 

I got to snuggle him for multiple naps and that doesn't really happen anymore, so Merry Christmas to me! I made snacks for the roadtrip and prepped stockings.  

Tanner saved me a plate of Brittany's fancy dinner and I couldn't have loved him more then in that moment...the man really gets me. 

Asa was feeling better Christmas day and we had a nice slow morning opening gifts. 

Vivi was so excited about the princess dress Mariah got for her. 

Most of Christmas day was spent getting ready for our drive down to Georgia. 

But we used our Christmas poppers that night and everyone went around blowing on their whistles (which we discovered were all at different pitches...none of them a good pitch, I might add). We also watched It's a Wonderful Life, and I cried, just like I do every year. All those people gathering to help him just gets me every time. 

We left bright and early the next morning and this is how we all felt on the drive. While Asa was feeling better, Vivi started feeling sick partway through the drive. So we changed plans and decided to stay at my parent's instead of Em's in the hope that we could keep her kids healthy. Poor Vivi was so very sick and spent most of the time with a high fever just sleeping. 

Grammie and Papa Ralph treated everyone to miniature golf and we had a great time. Let it be known for all time that I beat Tyler.

Austin and Ethan made sure everyone accurately recorded their strokes...or whatever you call it. 

After the golf, I traded with Tanner so he could take the healthy kids to Amanda's to watch the BYU game and go swimming. Somehow Vivi heard that was the plan and she cried the one and only time during her sickness. Later after a nap she seemed to be feeling better and I asked if she and Asa wanted to go outside. She started walking and after we had been going for a while I told her we better turn around before she got too tired and she said, "I just want to touch the water at Aunt Mandy's pool, I won't get in." I had to break her heart again and let her know we couldn't just walk to Aunt Mandy's. 

Later my mom came and watched Asa and Vivi so I could spend some time at Amanda's house and make Austin's birthday cookies. 

And I mean...it's a good thing I did. Because no one else would have made them like I did. Still not sure what went wrong, but they tasted better than they looked.

And of course, Austin was so gracious with my mess up. He was happy to have his cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, and moose tracks ice cream to wash down those superb cookies. It was a pretty good birthday for him: miniature golf, swimming, BYU win, and all with family. 

Eliza loved holding Collette. 

By Sunday Vivi's fever had gone away and we decided to bring the whole family over to Amanda's for Sunday dinner. Vivi and Asa made sure they coughed in every square inch of that house. The least we could do for the Crandalls. 

The next morning we headed down to Orlando. We didn't leave as early as we wanted so we just were able to meet Boo and Mike for dinner and then head to our hotel. Asa was up the whole night with an earache and I only slept from 3-6. I then woke up with a migraine and with Vivi and Asa still not feeling well we decided to take a sick day at the hotel. Tanner took the kids swimming at the pool and I tried to be as still as possible until my migraine went away. 

But the day wasn't all bad, that night Tanner picked up pizza and we drank orange juice out of fancy cups. And I felt better! 

We woke up the next morning feeling much better and after letting Dan and Katie crash at our hotel (they had just arrived on a redye), we headed to Busch Gardens. 

We were so excited to be with Boo and Tiff's families. Here's a shot of some of the group waiting for a roller coaster. 

I waited for over an hour with Mike, Eliza, Jude, Benny, Seth, Owen and Levi for a ride. They got a little antsy but we made it. Tiffany was the real MVP staying out with the babies and toddlers. I owe her big for that one. 

Benny really wanted Asa to sit by him on this ride. 

It was so fun to get all these cousins together. 

I got a wild hair and took five kids five and under on the train. We had fun looking at all the different zoo animals and waving at the people we passed. It got a little dicy when I thought we might not make it back to the station where Tiff and Boo were, but we did and everyone was happy. 

At the end of the day, my sisters and I went on a ride and had a blast...I mean, look at how thrilled we are here: 

If we weren't screaming then we were laughing...so yeah, we were hoarse by the end. 

While Vivi was feeling much better, she wasn't her normal energetic self. Which was a tender mercy, she is usually the one I'm afraid I'm going to lose. And while we did lose her for a little bit (that darn jungle gym area), she mainly stayed in the stroller. 

Leaving the park...

We went back to our hotel that night and went right to bed. I woke up at midnight to fireworks and car horns honking...Oh yeah...Happy New Year!