So one of my resolutions for this year is to get back to blogging regularly. I love looking at my blog book from 2012 and looking back at the posts from last year I realized we had a really incredible year, but I did not document it well, which means I won't have those memories for the future. If you would like to stop receiving the blog posts in your emails, let me know and I can take you off the list.
This post is going to be a travel log, so don't worry about reading it. I just wanted to be sure I could remember all of the fun things we got to do this month. The pictures will be posted in a different post since 1, I don't have them on hand, and 2, this is going to be very long.
December started a maelstrom of events, and for 2 weeks straight I was falling into bed absolutely exhausted by no later than 10 most nights.
It started on the 15th, when I went out with Kiera and Cheyenne (2 of the girls I went through Young Women's with) to celebrate Cheyenne's engagement. It was fun spending time with them and catching up. Cheyenne's fiance makes her super happy and I'm so excited she'll be sealed in the temple in less than 2 weeks.
The 16th I hosted the monthly girls night. We did a white elephant gift exchange with a "My Favorite Things" theme. It was fun seeing each persons personality come out in their gift, and we had a cookie exchange. I got some super yummy cookies from my friends that Byron was more than willing to help me eat. I kept our Christmas goody plates pretty simple this year and I think Byron was missing all of the cookies that I usually make.
Since I knew I was going to be busy on Caleb's birthday we celebrated a day early and the 17th we woke Caleb up early and I gave him breakfast in bed. I had made a trip to our favorite donut shop the night before so he woke up to hot chocolate and his favorite sprinkle donuts and strawberries. After we got ready we headed out for playgroup. I had planned a fun Christmas craft and went to the church to set some things up for it. Each child decorated a foam ornament that looked like a snow globe, and my friend Emily read a fun Christmas story while we set up for each of them to decorate ginger bread cookies that my friend Saundra made. I had found cute Christmas sprinkles and gotten some glitter frosting in Christmas and winter colors, so they had a good time and ingested a lot of sugar.
Thursday evening I was hosting a bridal shower for Cheyenne. The church was booked so one of the women in the Centerville ward let us use her barn. It's heated and really pretty (it was built in the 1800's and I think it was a church once upon a time) so I got to keep the decorations really simple and since it was late in the evening I just set up a crepes bar for food. It was cute, and fun, and hopefully Cheyenne had a good time. :)
Friday morning was Caleb's birthday party! Charlie, and Carson, as well as 4 of his friends from his Sunbeam class came over and played Pin the nose on Olaf and ate some hot dogs and potato chips. They had fun helping Caleb open his presents and ran around playing with all of his fun new toys.
That night was our ward Christmas party but since we had such a busy week our kids were a mess and we had to leave before the program so they could get to bed.
On the 20th my friend Kiera went through the temple to receive her endowments. We got there bright and squirrel-ly and had a wonderful being in the temple with her. Alyssa watched our boys so since our anniversary was the next day we stopped for Ihop afterwards to celebrate. We hadn't eaten there since we lived in Terre Haute, and it's one of Byron's favorites so he was quite happy.
Our anniversary was the 21st but Raeanna, a close friend of the family had passed away on the 15th and her services were that day, so I found a sub for my primary class and we went to my grandparents ward in Englewood. We enjoyed a picnic style lunch at Grandma's after church before going back to the building for the services. They were beautiful and heartfelt, and I know I'll miss. She was an incredible woman and a lot of fun to spend time with.
Monday was my birthday! Byron went out at zero dark thirty to grocery shop for the ingredients to make me french toast. He did a magnificent job and I really enjoyed him staying home most of the morning to spoil me and get the boys ready. Byron headed to work then and I went out to buy fabric to make a dress for my sister for Christmas. The house was a mess but I ignored it for the day and had a good time making a really pretty dress for Amelia. It was easy, since I used my favorite twirly dress tutorial, but I couldn't find a good way to make the sash with what I had, so I didn't get to finish it that day. My mom took me out for lunch at this really yummy Italian place in Kettering. It's locally owned and the food was incredible. I was full the rest of the day so when my parents took the boys so Byron could take me on a date we ended up just going for a walk and buying cupcakes to take back to the house and share with my family. When we got back they were starting a game of hide and go seek. My parents house is really big, so everyone had a place to hide and it was really hard to find most of them. My siblings are really good at fitting themselves into small spaces.
Tuesday evening we went with my parents to meet my brother David and his girlfriend (whom had just gotten home from her mission on the 16th) and her parents at Cracker Barrel for dinner in Columbus before going to the temple with them. My friend Cheyenne was being endowed that night so I managed to kill 2 birds with one stone by getting to be there with my family and being there for my friend. I got to meet her fiance and get to know David's girlfriend, so it was a fun evening.
Wednesday was Christmas Eve, I went shopping for a few last minute Christmas presents, then went home and helped Byron set up the little play kitchen we had gotten for the boys. When they woke up from their naps we let them open their Christmas presents and that night my parents hosted their annual Christmas Eve party. The children re-enacted the Nativity while my Uncle Ryan narrated and we had delicious Chinese food for dinner! Everyone went out Christmas caroling afterward and a good time was had by all.
Christmas Day we got to my parents house by 7:15 for Christmas morning breakfast. We had hashbrowns, eggs, cinnamon rolls, bacon, and sausage with orange juice to wash it all down. I can't imagine how early my mom must have gotten up to make it all and I am so grateful she took over Christmas breakfast this year. After breakfast we opened presents and played games together. We stayed until it was time to head to my grandparents for a wonderful turkey dinner my aunt Dorothy and Uncle Alden prepared for everyone. The food was amazing and it was fun spending time with all of the family that was in Ohio this year. Grandma handed out her traditional gift of socks (which we all love) and fun little toys as presents this year. We headed out around 4 and came back to the house so Alyssa could facetime with the family of her best friend who is currently serving a mission in Ecuador, she also got to see him on the computer, but they didn't get to talk since he was having problems with the speakers on the computer he was using. We went home around 7 and were happy to put the boys to bed.
I would like to say that put an end to the month, but alas, twas not to be,
The next day Keeley came down from Danville Ohio (2 hours away) and my mom, Alyssa, Gabrielle, and I went out for dinner and then skittle bowling. It was really fun and I almost won but Gabrielle managed to pull a couple of really good scores at the end and stomped everyone. The next round we bowled normal and Keeley won. It was nice getting to know her a little better and spending time with my mom and sisters.
Saturday my Wilson grandparents came up to see David and spend time with Keeley so we ate lunch at my parents house and played games before heading home for naps.
Sunday morming we woke up early and made the drive to Danville to go to Keeley's ward for her welcome home and stayed after for her party. We got to meet all of her brothers and sisters and enjoyed some wonderful homemade chili. We made the drive home that night on really full stomachs and happy to see David with someone he gets along with so well and whose family likes him so much.
Monday I joined my parents and siblings, as well as my Aunt Dorothy's family at the YMCA for swimming and lunch. Caleb did an awesome job putting his face in the water to blow bubbles and kicking around in the water. David likes to "jump" off the side wall into the water and tried his hardest to convince whoever was holding him that he could move through the water on his own. Crazy kid. That evening they all came over for tacos and family home evening. I enjoyed having everyone in the house and playing games. We ended the night early though so we could all be at the temple on time the next morning.
Tuesday my mom had scheduled a temple baptism and confirmation trip for everyone but they had double booked us, so they opened the temple early and we were there for our session at 5:30 am. It was amazing being there with 2 of my aunts, an uncle, my grandparents, my husband and my dad, as well as 5 of my cousins and 3 of my siblings. We performed baptisms and confirmations for 222 family names in our hour and a half session and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong and everyone was happy. We were all thrilled when my grandparents took everyone out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel afterwards.
So I think that pretty much sums up the month of Decmeber. We were going to host a game night for New Years eve, but that didn't happen. Byron was sick and didn't want to spread the germs around so we just watched NCIS and ate doritos until we were too tired and went to bed.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have good times planned for the New Year. We love you all and are looking forward to spending time with the Boultons in July and The Lanes at the beginning of August!
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