December

We began December with a short power outage.  Months ago we purchased a solar/electric powered generator.  It was charged and we decided to try it to run the refrigerator to see how it worked.  The generator indicated it could power it for 15 hours.  Didn't need that, but it was nice to have! 

Our financial advisor does a client appriciation

event each year.  This year we went to Hale Center Theater to see Frozen.  Before the play we had a dinner they provided and Ben had brought in some industry experts to talk and answer questions.  Jason had to leave for California that morning so I brough Joy.  It was a fun evening!

Natalie is trying to help me learn to 
crochet this giraffe.  She came to my
house to teach me how to do it.  I kind
of have the hang of it, but struggle.    

Here is an arm I began while she was here showing me (on the right).  The left "arm" is the one I did on my own.  Not the same!

Young Me and Young Women went to
see the Draper Tree of Life as an 
activity

    

On a Friday night we had our annual friends
Christmas party. Lloyd and Sherry hosted it this
year.  Fun to see people.

My white elephant gift was a home
Liposuction kit.

The next morning Jason and I went to the Chevron
Kids Christmas party.  Jacob had math etc. to do 
and didn't want to come.  It was held at the 
Loveland Living Aquarium.  I hadn't been there
 for years so it was fun to see some of
 the changes they had made.

Scuba Santa

                  

That night we to the Tabernacle Choir
Christmas concert.  Irina gets tickets for 
these types of events now that she works
here for the Church.  We met at the food
court beforehand for dinner.

   

We then went to Temple Square and
stood on the wedding picture 
stand in front of the temple.

Waiting for it to begin

The next morning the YM/YW went to 
Music and the Spoken word.  

As my Christmas gift Jacob gave me the gift of him getting  his haircut!  Cory Gilbert cam over and it looks so good!  Here are the before and afters.

Before

Looks like he has a small dog at
his feet.  :)

After

     

Michelle Madsen and Lindsey Forbes
Valiant Activity Day leaders

Our December Valiant Activity Day.  Trip with the boys to see the Tree of Life at Draper Park.  We had 5 girls come.  We looked at the tree, they rolled down the hill a few times and then we went over to the big playground and let them play.  We had hot chocolate and rice crispy squares.

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For Jason's work party we had dinner...it was pretty good.  They got a late start so the meal sat on the warmers a bit longer than it should have.  After dinner they had play gambling.  When you cashed in your chips you got a raffle ticket for each chip.  The raffle was held after the gambling and you put your tickets in a jar in front of items you wanted to win.  They had BBQ sets, heated vests, a power washer, a Minky BYU and U of U blankets, etc. 

We had 2 tickets given to us and I put mine in the jar for the BYU Minky blanket.  I did not win.  The group of us at the table didn't gamble at all...just visited.  So we all only had 2 tickets per couple to put in.  

John and Emily Lee, Therin and his daughter
Anna.
We sat at the same table as some of the people 
Jason knows.  They are very nice and made for a
good evening.  

Staying over night was really nice.  We just went back up to our room and the next day slept in.  We went down to the gym at the hotel.

After showering we went to to Eggsburgh for breakfast/lunch.  Jason an omelet and I had strawberry french toast.  It was good. 

Then we headed over to the Eccles theater for the Kurt Bestor Christmas show.  He was good as usual.  It has been 10 years since we last we to his show.  

Meanwhile, back at the ranch we left Jacob home.  He had Jaxon stay overnight and hang out with him.  They had fun!

The boys downed a 12 pack of soda. 
18 sugar cookies and lived their
best lives.  

The aftermath when we arrived home. 

On the first Monday of Christmas break we had Catheys over to do a gingerbread house that someone had given us.  Addie and Morgan did the decorating while Wendy and I supervised.  Ashlyn, Tom, and Jason played UNO.  

Mini UNO

It turned out really cute!

December weather has been SO warm!  I went 
out to get the mail in a t-shirt and was not cold.
It was about 61 degrees many days!

Christmas Eve...We went to Heidi's house for dinner.  It was delicious and very filling!  

After dinner we played the chimes.  First Jacob, Samantha, Julianna, Kolton and Olivia played Happy Birthday for Joy and then we did Christmas carols.  Mom would have enjoyed herself!

The bell ringers!

Then we did the nativity.  Jacob was the angel.

Christmas morning waiting to go downstairs....Jacob inspected the gifts.

Matching shirts!  

After opening gifts we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Wong's house.  They have been busy hosting dinners while Jenny and Jacob were in town.

We decided not to exchange gifts this year, instead we ate, played games and hung out. 

We played knock over the bottles with a tennis ball.  Then the bag game where you bend down and pick up the bag with your mouth.  Each time you are successful an inch is cut off the bag.  Here is Jacob and Daniel having to get down low.  They both did it.  

Jason trying and not quite as successful.

On Tuesday morning I went over to Heidi's to see Parker and McKenzie and their kids...Rio, Oscar and Boone and Linnea and her baby Carter. They are all so cute and fun!!

Carter

Rio

New Years Eve we went over to Catheys for pizza and games.  We compared Costco pizza to Sam's Club pizza.  Most preferred Costco. 

Getting the bubbly ready

Playing UNO Attach

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  On to 2026!

November

We  received an invitation from the Cutlers to join them for ice cream.  Apparently Merinda had been asked to bring ice cream to an event and they over calculated numbers.  Andersons came too.  Jacob was with friends watching a movie.  It was yummy and we had fun!

Ice cream Party!

In November the Bosch store does a pie 
making class.  I always like to go and get
tips.  They made a coconut cream pie I really
liked--I usually don't like that type of pie, but this
one was really good.  

Dinner and a movie at Cathey's one weekend

 

This is the second weekend of pizza and 
visiting with Catheys.  

Weekend #2

Weekend #2

I had a blow dryer question for Brook which
led to us getting together for lunch.  It was so fun
to visit with her!! She seems to be doing well.

Brook and Erin both recommended

blow dryers to me.  Erin recommended

the Dyson, but at $300 not going to do 

that one.  ;)

Brook recommended one I found on

Amazon.  A ceramic one that is 

supposed to blow your hair dry 

very quickly.  It did dry it quickly, 

but it also tangled it.  I tried it for a 

week hoping I could get it to work,

but ended up returning it and finding 

my order from 2018 for my $20

blow dryer that works great!  

Back in my single days the ward 
put together these milk carton (you
can tell how old it is from the fact
that they still used milk cartons!) 
emergency kits.  They were for 3 days 
and very simple.  It was from 1993 and
I opened it up to see how it was 33 
year later.  

Here are the items, hot cocoa mix, apple cider
mix, granola bars, fruit leather, jerky, crackers,
trail mix, etc.  One of the granola bars was 
decent. Crackers and trail mix were stale.  
There were 2 kids of fruit leather and one of
them was still good!  I circled it in the picture.
I'm guessing it was at the very center of the 
carton and had the least exposure to air.  It didn't
crack and still tasted OK.

 

Friendsgiving!!  From the time Jason and I got engaged (Nov 19, 2005) I have joined them in their Thanksgiving dinner.  Traditionally held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  We did this until 2020 with Covid.  In 2022 we changed it to February because we couldn't do it in November 2021.  That was the last time we held it.  

This year I texted to see if they wanted to do it again and not have all the kids join us.  We had it on a Saturday night and it was fun to see everyone.  The only ones who couldn't come were Carolyn and Richie.  

Jason, Jennifer, Lisa, Brad, Kristianna,
Clark and Gina

I wanted pumpkin pie and on Sunday decided to try it.  Unfortunately the crust did not bake.  I need to work on it.  There is always next year.  

Then there is my 21 year old car.  The speedometer doesn't work--I use an app for a speedometer when I'm driving the freeway.  My check engine light went on again (it went on in October when the battery died).  I called our mechanic, Todd and he said to bring it by.  I got up early on Wednesday, got gas, and drove over to his house.  After getting gas the light went out.  He did a reading anyway to see what might be wrong.  He said he'd have to look it up and get back to me. He was heading out  on a cruise for 2 weeks so I'm not sure what it wrong, but the light is off!  

Thanksgiving!  I made a lemon sour cream pie and a blackberry pie.  Others contributed salad, veggies, other pies, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, ham, etc.  

We went over about noon and ate around 2 p.m.  It was good to visit with everyone.  Janette and Jared came in for the weekend and they went with Josh, Irina, Sarah, Daniel and Sage canyoneering on Friday.  Dan and Sage were not with us at Thanksgiving because earlier in the week they flew to Taiwan.  Sage has flying privileges through her mom until she is 24 so they are taking advantage of it.  

The whole week Jason had off and it was busy.  Yard work, replaced the garbage disposal, shopping, going to the gym etc.  

Friday we got our Christmas stuff up.  These pictures are things I got from Mom's.  The wooden nativity is from when I was little.  

The Hershey's dark chocolate mints go into the advent box counting down the days.  I LOVE those things and can go through bags of them!!

On to December!