Christmas

We had a low key good Christmas this year. The Huntsmans, Berrys and Grandma and Papa came over for Christmas Eve. We had a little Christmas program with the family, dinner and played games. The next morning the kids woke up bright and early, so we took our time playing and opening gifts, but then Andy and I got a glorious nap while they played with all their treasures. We started a new tradition this year, the first is that we had the kids write letters to each other to put in their stockings. Andy's sister Kim told me about how her family does that and how it really starts off their Christmas day right with appreciating and lifting each other up. I really admire the relationship her children have with each other. I hope this tradition helps bring us closer together and make our Christmas' more meaning full too.  We had dinner at the Shinsels and tried out some of our new games. It was a good day.

Final days

In the last few days before Christmas we squeezed in a few more things. The kids all had their Christmas programs at school, and we had a night out with the girls to go to the live nativity. It was the second time that day we got to see the Clyde camel and he was super nice. Abby said he was like Sven since she got to feed him carrots. Sydney wanted to make sure we didn't miss any stop on our way around the recreated Bethlehem and we had a good time. The boys had fun staying home watching a movie for their boys night too:).

Holidays are here

This year a friend told me about a local Christmas tree farm where we could go to choose and our own tree. We tried it out and I'm super glad we did. I think the kids had fun and Andy was a sport about getting us a huge tree! Later that day the kids and I went to the Festival of Trees where they did holiday crafts and got to meet Santa! It was a fun start to this cold, windy winter in La Grande :)

Nutcracker Recital 2018

Its almost time for the annual Nutcracker ballet recital so they had dance pictures a few weeks ago. This is Sydney's fourth year at the La Grande School of Ballet where she gets to participate in the Nutcracker every year and it's become a family tradition :).

Halloween in Texas

While Andy and I were on our cruise, the kids had a great time staying with Grandma and Grandpa Pack in Texas. They got to do lots of fun things and even celebrate Halloween. They loved playing with their Turano cousins too and were sad when it was time to meet us at the airport and fly home again.

Seminar at Sea

I was accepted to attend a Seminar at Sea for Royal Caribbean so Andy and I got to go on a cruise just the two of us a few weeks ago. I felt very fortunate to be accepted to this seminar since they had over 500 applicants. I learned a lot from talking with the other agents and going to the seminars for the first couple days on the cruise. We sailed on the Allure of the Seas and stopped in the ports of St Maarten, Puerto Rico, and Labadee, Haiti. It was Halloween while we were on board the ship and there were lots of themed activities on board. I thought the haunted house they put up in one of the dance clubs in the ship was a nice touch. We loved the different activities and amenities on this Oasis class ship. This ship has ice skating, flow riders, a rock climbing wall, carousel, high dive show, mini golf, a zipline, and lots more. We had an amazing week together and are so grateful for mom and dad who watched the kids so we could go.

Folliculitis

Andy got an infected hair follicle a few weeks back that got pretty serious in a matter of 24 hours. He had to go the ER, get IV antibiotics and get it drained in the middle of the night since it just kept getting bigger and was extremely painful. None of the OTC painkillers would even touch the pain. It was a pretty painful experience for him and one that reminds us how grateful we are to live in a time of modern medicine with access to healthcare quickly. After his ER visit, he had to continue to help the wound drain and put antibiotic cream on it for about a week after. All is well now, but the shape of his nostril seems to have been permanently altered a little bit :). We are also grateful for home teachers who were able to help give him a priesthood blessing on such short notice and help him get on the path to recovery even quicker.

Budding reader

Wynn has been doing really well with his reading this year. He prefers to read non-fiction and Dr. Suess books at the moment. We've enjoyed making a habit of going to the library every Tuesday while Sydney is at dance to get him new books to read throughout the week.. He struggled at first to find an interest and learn his letters, so I am proud of him for the work he has done and how far he has progressed.

Preschool Field Trip

Abby got to take a field trip to the pumpkin patch with her preschool class. She enjoyed picking ears of corn and climbing the big haystack with her friends the most. The kids also got to go through the corn maze and choose a pumpkin to bring home. It was a fun little mother/daughter date for us to go on, and then she got to paint her pumpkin later that night at family home evening. 

Ireland

Ireland was stunning. What I liked most was the contrast between light and shadows. I could have spent the whole time on the coastline. It was similar to New Zealand but much more compact and the hedges they use to divide their properties make it much more quaint. The best scenery of all was at the Giant's Causeway. I've never seen such a unique natural formation and would love to spend more time there if I go back someday. We had a fantastic guide in Ireland who helped everyone have a great time and I had a few favorites out of our list of activities. I loved the show at Taylor's Three Rock and think they did an amazing job showcasing the traditional Irish river dancing as well as the harp, their national instrument. I also really enjoyed riding in the jaunting cars (horse drawn carriages) out into the Killarney National Forest past the lower lakes ending at Ross Castle and finallygaining good fortune by kissing the Blarney stone at Blarney castle ;).