Ice skating...

When I was a kid, my Dad would take the family ice skating on lakes that had frozen over.  We've skated on Baker and Pine Valley Reservoirs.  He used to drive the Big Red 3-wheeler out on the ice and tie sleds and tubes to the back and we would ride around.  It was good times.

Part of me wants my kids to experience ice skating as well.  There used to be an ice skating rink in St. George a few years back but I don't think it was cold enough here and they ended up moving it to Cedar City.  I just recently found out about it so we decided to head up to Cedar to skate!  Merril went home with Mark so he could have a nap.

Maxine and Juliet have been before.  It seems like both times, Jack had been off playing with cousins or Dad.  This was his first time skating and he did amazing.

Maxine and Juliet, who considered themselves pros, struggled more than they thought they would.  Juliet hugged the side more often than not and kept trying to get the walkers and buckets that Mikayla was using.  By the end, everyone was getting the hang of it.

Mikayla was so cute and had a good attitude the whole time.

Jack skated the most but also fell down the most.  But he kept getting right back up and going again!

It took me a few turns around the rink but I remembered how to skate and only fell twice, mostly because one of the kids I was helping fell and took me with them.  

After a few hours, we were freezing and ready to head home.  Everyone fell asleep on the drive back because that is a lot of exercise!

Christmas 2015...

On Christmas Eve there was a prediction for snow!  SNOW!  Unfortunately, we didn't get very much.  This is the closest I've ever been to a white Christmas!

We had fun getting up and opening presents.  Mikayla loves her Frozen purse.

Jack got Legos, of course.

Mark wasn't sure what was going on but was excited nonetheless.

Good times at 5:00 a.m.

Christmas was a little different this year.  My whole family couldn't get together until the day after Christmas so instead of running from one family event to another, we had a more mellow day.  After opening presents, we hurried and got ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa Campbell's house for Christmas Carol Roll.  We had to be up there by 8:00 a.m. because Justin and Rachel had a brunch they needed to be to at 10:00 a.m.  So we ate, hung around until mid morning and then came home.  All the kids wanted to play with their toys.

My new toy was an itty bitty camera to take places when I don't want to lug my big one but still want the quality of a camera.  So we were playing with it.

Julie had been up most of the night on Christmas Eve/morning so she was beat.

It was refreshing to go to a Christmas get together and then have the rest of the day off.  We usually meet up at my parent's house in the afternoon so kids fall asleep on the drive between grandmas' houses and by 6 or 7:00 p.m., they are all so tired.  This year we just had a chill Christmas afternoon and I secretly loved it.

Christmas Eve Ride...

For several years, Merril would ride mountain bikes in the dark on Christmas Eve with his buddies and brothers.  The last few years, that tradition has fallen off.  He still like to go ride and this year took the 3 older kids.

It was a good activity to get them out of the house so they didn't explode waiting for Christmas to come!  

A Christmas picture with 5 kids...

I used to take a group picture of my kids in front of the Christmas tree every year.  It seems like I haven't taken any since Juliet was small.  I decided to break out the camera to snag some pictures of the kids.  Mikayla had a sad moment but we were able to pull her out of it for a smile.  They ended up being pretty cute!

Holiday Season...

We went out to the live nativity at Tuacahn and the kids thought it was fun to see the live camels and horses.  All the kids wanted their picture taken in the face holes.

Merril went to a bonfire with Ryan and Jared and some of their kids.  Just Jack and Maxine went.  It was getting late and so me and the 3 younger kids stayed home.  The kids thought it was so cool to see adults playing with fire.  They poured gas on the sand and lit it on fire.  I don't disagree, the sand on fire is quite a spectacle.

Thanksgiving at our house!

It was our turn to host the Gordon Thanksgiving.  Merril thought of a way to use the pool table as a gigantic dinner table.  It ended up being the exact perfect size!  I can't believe how huge it ended up being.  It took 3 pieces of wafer weld board to fit everyone.  I think we sat 23 or 24 people around it.
He did a great job!

JoLyn, Mike, and Merril.

Mitchell and Brooks.

Luke, Jo Anna, Boyd, Mom.

Mark had a great time feeding Wyatt pie.

Everyone loved the pies.  Or maybe just whipped cream.  (Max, Grant, Jack, Juliet)

Just before Thanksgiving, I read this horrible article about how we build up holidays in our minds and then are completely disappointed because family can't behave and adults end up arguing and ruining the event.  Our family get together was the exact opposite.  Stories were shared, people laughed, there was great food and plenty of it!  I had a great time and loved having my whole family here to share.

Making a mantle...

I've been thinking about mantles for about a month, watching YouTube videos, and drawing sketches.  With Merril's experience and my research, we started building a mantle for the basement.  The mitered corners were the trickiest part but we got pretty close to perfect.  I'm air nailing the mantle together.

We learned how to make pocket holes on the top of the mantle to secure it to the studs.  The mantle is completely removable and doesn't alter the stone in any way.

After we got it up there and knew it would work, we pulled it off for stain and polyurethane.  

I went back and forth over the stain.  I wanted it to match the rock but at the same time wanted it to stand out.  Merril wanted something lighter.  In the end, I went with this reddish color because I loved it.

After it dried, Merril secured it to the wall and I think it looks great!

I can't believe the effect it has on the basement!  It really makes the room look complete and clean!  I love it so much!  The goal was to finish it before we host Thanksgiving.  It ended up being perfect!

Veteran's Day Programs...

Normally I don't remember doing hardly anything for Veteran's Day but this year Maxine and Mikayla both had programs.

Maxine, along with a boy from the school, were asked to sing our National Anthem at the Intermediate School's Veteran's Day Program.  That's a hard song and she was nervous but did great!

Mikayla's preschool teacher, Ms. Slack, organized a huge Veteran's Day Program.  The little kids were adorable waving flags and singing patriotic songs.

Mikayla is just right of center in this picture.  She participated like a champ and was super cute.

A blanket of memories...

I have stacks of baby blankets.  Girl and boy and gender neutral ones.  I had a nice mix of colors so I decided to back the quilt in yellow flannel so it would be cozy.  I could only find lime green flannel at Walmart so I decided that would work just as well.

I wanted to go really easy and just did 12-inch blocks.  Rotary cutters are a dream.  After standing, moving and trying to figure out a pattern, I ended up doing a green/yellow, blue, pink/purple and repeat.  It worked out for the most part.

Working with so many different fabric types was the biggest challenge.  The fleece would stretch like mad but the flannel and 100% cotton would not.  It doesn't quite match up on all the corners but it was close enough.  Eh.

I laid it out on the floor and safety pinned the middles of the blocks.  I purchased a free-hand quilting foot for this project so I could make this design we call a "snail."  These are nicknamed by Mikayla.  She had a stage when she drew on walls and couches constantly, no matter how much we would remind her not to.  Her shape of choice?  Snails.  She called them snails.

We would find "snails" everywhere and I thought it would be a cute design to remind us all of these types of stages when the kids were little.

Mikayla was the first to snuggle in the quilt.  I finished it while the other kids were at school and Mark was asleep.

I learned how to mitre the corners of the binding, something I've always wondered about.  It turned out great!

It's safe to say that it's the new favorite blanket in the house.

Jack's 10th birthday...

Jack had the family party this year.  It was just a quiet celebration at home with his favorite dinner and chocolate cake!

He had to take a big breath to blow it out.  Maybe not that big but whatevs.

His grandparents gave him a kendama and a nerf gun.  We gave him a Lego set.  Of course.

A few tidbits about Jack: He still loves Legos.  He will only build the original instructions one time and then he creates his own trucks and cars and whatever else tickles his fancy.  He does well in school and is crazy good and multiplication in his head.  I need a calculator but he can just figure it out in his head.  He's taking guitar lessons and still loves mud and hates showers.  He's got a tender heart and absolutely loves his brother Mark.  

What did Juliet find?

About a year ago, my good whisk went missing!  I figured Mark had tossed it in the trash when no one was looking because we've found a lot of stuff "accidentally" thrown away.  I lost my good can opener that way.  I've looked in kids' toy bins, under couches, under beds, hoping to find it.  I have another silicon whisk, which isn't nearly as good, but it was enough to keep me from buying another one.

Fast forward to today!  Juliet was helping me decorate for Thanksgiving and opened the box of decorations and guess what she found!?!  It's my good whisk!!  Yay!  Yay!!

We still figure it was Mark that accidentally packed it away in the Thanksgiving box.  Now if only she could find my good can opener.

Maxine turns 13, omigoodness...

I knew it was coming.  It's been coming for a while now.  I'm the parent of a teenager.  Holy moly.  Really, she's a good kid.  She mostly does was she's told and babysits a ton for me.  It was her turn to have a friend party and we decided to have a lateover.  The girls wanted to watch Napoleon Dynamite.

How did this happen?

Ever since she's started Young Womens, she's been looking so much older.  She's getting tall: about 5'3" and wears a size 8 1/2 shoe!  

It doesn't seem like she's going to stop any time soon.  Wow!  She said her birthday was awesome!  

Halloween 2015...

I have wanted to be a 1920s flapper for a number of years.  I would've just purchased a costume but a modest flapper costume is hard to find.  I ended up buying a dress from the DI and buying fringe and sequins to glam it up.  With beads and gloves, it turned out pretty awesome.  I wish it had more fringe but that stuff is expensive.  I might add more later.

Maxine was Katniss from the Hunger Games, Juliet was a vampire and Mikayla was a witch.

Mark found a leftover duck costume and wouldn't wear the awesome skeleton costume I got for him.  He was terrified of it and wouldn't go near it.  C'est la vie.

Jack was the HULK!

Because we didn't want to shave Merril's beard for Halloween, we found a way to integrate it into his costume.  He was/is The Most Interesting Man in the World from the Dos Equis commercials.  #nailedit

Check this out: Just a few days before Halloween, I got the idea to spray paint a huge pumpkin on our lawn.  People trick or treating thought it was super cute!  I hope it mows away in a few weeks.

Update: It did NOT just mow away.  It was lighter but was there pretty much until Christmas.  I might have to do it a few weeks earlier next year!