Christmas Break and the Year's End.

On December 26th we joined the Gouldings at Temple Square for a kid exchange. 

It was a lovely night!

With the dim lighting it was hard for the photo to go well.

Between the excitement of seeing the cousins and the season itself, Callie was a little bossy, "Hold my doll, give me my doll, hold my doll, HOLD MY DOLL LIKE THIS!" 

Where we went, Fancy Nancy went. You can imagine Callie's distraughtness when she couldn't find Nancy in the days following. We used this picture to note that we did in fact still have her right before left to Wendy's. I called the lost and found at Temple Square, I called the lost and found at City Creek, I called Wendy's. Where was Fancy Nancy!? (She was stuck between Callie's bed and the wall). 

Graham looked like an official traffic cop in that parking garage at City Creek. Whistle and all.

We ended at Wendy's, which was our second trip there that night. The kids were starving when got off the downtown exit so we had gotten them something to tide them over. When we got into the van after Temple Square Callie asked, "Where are my fries!?" Truth was that I had polished them off. We were headed to Wendy's again anyway and I couldn't help but say, "We will go to Wendy's and get you some more." I know, I am creating a monster. Hehe.

I should have panned the camera the other way and I could've gotten a photo of our new friend.  He was a homeless man that overheard us talking and asked, "Are you guys Mormon?" We said yes and he said, "You are a cold hearted bunch." Sadie thought he said, GOLD hearted so she responded, "Thanks, we try to be." I said out of the corner of my mouth, "He said we are COLD hearted." Matt affirmed, "He is insulting us." We had a good visit with this guy and hopefully he changed his tune about us in the end. I don't think the workers thought anything nice towards us though. We hadn't realized the restaurant had CLOSED; we visited way too long!

The rest of the long break looked a lot like this:

Each of the littles took turns getting a 24 flu, then my eye swelled up big and red. The temperatures dropped to below freezing outside. We didn't go anywhere. We ate Christmas goodies, we watched movies, we stayed up way too late, we slept in. It was great. I don't think Grayson got out of his pajamas the entire time.

We started his BYU puzzle that Katrina had given him for Christmas. A THOUSAND piece puzzle! 

The interesting thing about this particular puzzle is that the photo was taken at the Georgia Tech game, THE VERY GAME GRAY AND I WENT TO TOGETHER. We were somewhere in the crowd!

We all took turns working on it. Shafer and Lindsey came over in the weeks following and Lindsey even worked on it. We were about 1/4 of the way done when catastrophe hit in the form a two-yr-old girl I was babysitting. When I picked Grayson up from school that day I knew I needed to choose my words very carefully, "Remember how when you were a baby you broke a lot of things?..." I think he was relieved enough that he  hadn't in fact broken anything this time and so the wrecked puzzle seemed like small potatoes. He took it like a champ! The lesson learned in the end was: People are more important than things, and relationships are more important than issues. I had to mumble that to myself again and again as I walked past the wreckage in the days following. 

He worked on it again for a while before scooping it all back into the box.

Mallerie's real Christmas wish was to get a perm. Since that can't be wrapped, she wrapped her head later. It's so cute on her!

New Year's Eve!

Cheers.

Huh? 

Even when I say it in an asian accent it still doesn't make any sense.

Countdown clocks!

A year for the bucks.

Mallerie and the babies came with me to pick up Ava in Elko after the new year. Our first stop however, was to Primary Children's Hospital where Adren was recovering from a bout with AFM. It was a time for us to join our prayers and fasting in his behalf. I was so impressed with his positive attitude and that of Lindsey and Jon. I suppose that is what an eternal perspective gives. 

Callie and Graham were too young to join us in the room but enjoyed looking at gingerbread temples.

We enjoyed our stay in Elko. Hartman's new Lincoln Logs were put to good use. As always we got in lots of visiting and laughter. A highlight was going out late with Sadie and Romney to Spoon Me.

I had made a Christmas list for myself for Matt to refer to if the kids were wondering about something to get me. Little things like lotion, jelly, and peppermint bark. Matt was so confused by that one. He thought it was some kind of tree I was asking for. When we were at the mall I texted him a photo of what it really is (I am glad he hadn't tried to buy me a candy cane tree).

And just like this scenario, if you too are confused about something I have written this year, you are overthinking it!