January

 New Year's Day...since I didn't stay up late I had the roads to myself in the morning.  Headed to the gym. 

The last Friday of Christmas break we went to Airbourne with Catheys.  Over the years the place has changed and really minimized the areas for older kids.  Jacob and Jaxon are done with it, but they went this time.  

Catching the rope

Jan 9 & 10 Jason and Jacob went up to Aspen Grove with the YM/YW for Youth Conference.  They said they had a good time.  They had a dance, free time, snowshoeing, and had a speaker who talked about patriarchal blessings.   

Jackson Ward, Kara Reeve, Christopher Light, 
Sam Smith, Tai Manuel, Christine Bolingbroke

   

While Jason and Jacob were at Youth Conf. I went to dinner with Judy, Margaret, Marcia and Le Ann.  We went to Tuk Tuks...I love that place!  Had a fun time visiting.

Since sometime in December my left  hip has bothered me.  I usually change my walking shoes 1 time a year.  I got rid of these shoes and it helped my hip quite a bit...almost immediately.  If you look at the shoe on top, the left side of the heal is quite worn down.  I think this caused part of the pain.  

We didn't take any pictures of this (don't know what is with me), but Jacob had a school day off on Jan 17th, so we drove down to UVU and BYU to take a school tour.  UVU has changed a lot since I was last there (over 20 years ago).  It seems like a great school and the tour guide was very upbeat.

Did that one in the morning and then went to BYU.  Their tour is somewhat different...all the other schools had a slide show or video they played while you waited for the tour to begin.  It showcased the school and some reasons you'd want to go there.  The guides were very upbeat and seemed interested in the touring students.  They gave info on scholarships and costs.  

BYU did not have a slideshow...we were toured around in a golf cart (which is good because campus is big) and the guide talked about the different buildings, things to do etc.  We never went into any buildings or got a feel for it.  I realize that BYU is beating applications off with a stick because so many kids want to go there, but it was not as "up beat" as all the other schools.  They don't need to promote it, but it is too bad we didn't get the excited feel as the other schools.

Got together with Catheys and they helped my "christen" my Skyjo card game I got for Christmas.  

December

Luke, Jacob, Jace

We began December going to the Draper park tree lighting event.  They have a big globe willow tree called the Tree of Life.  It is beautiful.  We asked the Andersons if they wanted to go with us.  

Jason, Jacob, Benji, Luke, Sherrie, Ollie, Lee

 That Friday, the 6th, Jason got tickets to the Grizzley's hocky game.  Ben/Elias, Tom/Jaxon, Jason/Jacob all went.  I called Natalie and we went to see the movie The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever.  It was a really good movie.  Afterwards we went for dinner.

Saturday, the 7th, we had our ward Christmas party.  Jason and I were part of the committee.  It was all the "old timers" who were asked to help and with responsible people like that the party was easy to do. 

Each of us made 2 breakfast casseroles, they had fruit, donuts, chocolate milk and juice.  The Hillcrest choir came and performed and then Santa appeared.  

It was kind of simple and the turn out wasn't great, but you never know on numbers for this sort of thing.  

The Old Timers
David/Jessica Womeldorf, Jason/Me, Theresa/Leon
Winters, Lori/Burt Holt, Lauri/Tom English,
Pat/Melanie Messam, Todd/Brenda Combe, 
Mike/Sue McNall

Cory and Tori photo bombing us

December 12 Ben Ahyou took his clients to see A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater.  All those plays are so well done!  Tori and Cory were there too.  

Paul and Chris Sorensen, Elroy Vogler, Tina 
Ackerman, Lori Harwood, Torie Potestio

On the 14th we had my annual friends Christmas party.  Steve Smith, Lorraine Vanderley, and Tobi Potestio were unable to come.  We had a fun time.

Lor, Tori, Sherey and Lloyd Jones,
Margaret Pearson

Clark White, Brad Jackman, Jason

Cari Bryant

Josh and family flew in on Saturday and Sunday we had a family dinner and bridal shower for Janette.  Jared Xia's family was there and it was fun to meet them.  

Irina gave them this wall hanging

Almost married!

             

On Monday night, the 16th, we went to Jacob's school Christmas performance.  They did a really good job and it was fun to hear them.

On Thursday, December 19, Jared and Janette got married in the Timpanogos temple.  It was a great day1

Wedding luncheon, Cassie and Frank Xia on
the right.

MarySue, Randy, Jason, Karen holding Marshall,
Jared, Stephanie, Juliette

Meilin, Hannah, Jenny, Jacob

Grace, Mylee, Robert, Lilly, Abby

Dancing after the reception

On Monday, the 23rd, I had breakfast with the Julies and Teresa.   It was really good to get together.

Christmas Eve we went to see the movie Wicked.  There has been so much hype about it....I liked it and thought it was very well done, but was not dying over it.  

After the movie we got Cafe Rio, as per our tradition, and had Shanae Richardson over for dinner with us.  Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture.

Christmas morning!

We opened stockings, water bottles, mechanics gloves, metallic bowls for nails and screws....

....fire starters and cake decorating items.

A treasure hunt to find Jacob's Wii he  had asked for.

Our Christmas haul

We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and headed over to Randy and MarySue's for the rest of the day.

We visited, ate lunch, played and opened presents.  Once everyone was there it was crazy with 31 people. 

Jared, Janette, Me, Jacob, Jason, Karen, 
Stephanie, Jared, Rob, Randy holding Sam, 
Jenny, Juliette, Jacob, Abby,
Front: Lilly, Irina, Mylee, Marshall, Emma,
Daniel, Stephen, MarySue, Hannah, Grace,
Sage (Dan's girlfriend), Sophie (Sage's twin), 
Sarah, Henry (Sarah's boyfriend). 

Jacob counting his money from selling old phones, 
and Christmas.

On Thursday night, the 26th, Jason began sneezing a TON!  We wondered if he was allergic to something we had brought in.  Nope, Friday morning he didn't feel well and that night he had me take him to the ER for chest tightness.  

The ER was packed and we had to wait about an hour to get into a bed.  Luckily they did an X-ray and blood draw while we were waiting to be seen...this helped get things going once we got in the room.  They did 2 blood draws for a test that can determine if you were having a heart attach.  All was clear.  They also tested for Covid and Influenza A.  

Jason had influenza A and felt awful.  Luckily we went in early enough that he could get Tamiflu to help reduce the duration of feeling sick.  He has been quarantined in our room and I have slept on the couch.  

On December 30, we got together with the Catheys and Nefs while Nefs were in town.  We went over to the church, did dinner and played games.  Jason came over later with a mask to visit.  He was feeling better, but not completely well.  

For New Year's Eve the 3 of us had dinner and watched some shows.  At 10 p.m. I went to my bed on the couch in the living room.  Just too tired.  Jacob and Jason stayed up and watch the Fast and Furious.  

Another year over.  On to 2025!