Fire in the Sky

We have made it mid-week! The children have been waking and back into routine for a few days now. We are back to our morning "Come Follow Me" study as well which is nice. Lily will often be sleeping on the couch while we quietly eat breakfast in the dimly lit kitchen. Today it was doughnuts that I picked up for a steal at the grocery store. The bakery often sets out left overs in boxes late at night for a crazy discount. By the time they had finished there was glaze all over the table cloth and under the chairs as they licked their fingers with jelly on their faces. 

Shortly after the children left for the bus, the sky caught fire and we were blessed with the most beautiful sunrise! It was breathtaking!

The house is coming along nicely and we are so excited to move in! The doors and trim are in the works and we are glad to be at the "finishing" part of this adventure. With all of us crammed over at my parents two bedroom in-law suite, I think they will be glad when they have their space back.

Naptimes are sometimes a fight these days and I end up lying with her for a very long time before she finally falls asleep. Once I got her, Sawyer and I snuck out to the playroom (where six other beds currently reside). The afternoon sun was pouring in the West facing window and I couldn't help but cozy up on the couch and soak it in. Sawyer whispered quietly as he built with magnets and diggers. I love his imagination! Listening to him made me smile as I lazily closed my eyes and enjoyed the peaceful moment.

After school we went to watch Hyrum play his first ever basketball game. He did so well! They only lost by three points. He made over five baskets and knew how to play his position. I love watching our kids play sports! 

Fin's Baptism

Finley made the choice to be baptized! We are so proud of him for following Christ and accomplishing his goals and desires. I spoke on Baptism and his Grampa Hudkins spoke on the Holy Ghost. 

He was baptized and confirmed by his Dad. 

I also played piano while Auntie Naomi conducted the music. Camilla was able to do a beautiful musical number as well. 

It was slightly chaotic with 13 cousins, but we made it through! Uncle Arland ran Zoom so that Great Gramma and Grampa could take part virtually. 

Hyrum and Joe were both able to share their testimonies and said, "Fin, I want you to know..." and it melted my heart seeing their sincerity.  

Fin is a pretty great kid and we are glad he's a part of our family!

 

Violin by Moonlight

Tonight while the littles slept and the full moon blessed us with its light, Camilla and I snuck into the new house with a candle. She brought her violin over to fill the emptiness and played near a moonlit window. She played by ear the song "I'll count the days" from the show Downton Abbey. She has such a beautiful touch. There is something about music by candlelight that I adore and I'm so grateful this girl loves relishing in it with me!

 

Family Ski trip

Today we woke up super early to head to the ski hill! We took the oldest five to Canyon and taught them how to ski. Camilla was the only one who had been skiing before, so I was a little bit nervous!

 The sunrise was beautiful and the children were all super excited!

Excitement turned to discouragement as they struggled to get their skis on, and then get to the crazy carpet. But with some encouragement and perseverance, we managed to get everyone going down the bunny hill. 

Oliver caught on super quickly and was so brave! He would practically ski straight down the bunny hill! One time as he was going down the steep part at the top of the T Bar, he flew over the edge and into a bunch of trees. By the time I was able to get down to him a kind man skiing by had popped off his skis and made his way through the trees to check on him. Thankfully nothing broken or hurt, but he was definitely a little more cautious the next time.

I hardly saw the older three once they got going. They took the chair lift and explored the big hills. Every once and a while they would come find us and tell us of their adventures. Once or twice, Camilla offered to keep an eye on Fin and Ollie while Mr. Stannix and I took the lift and did the big hills. 

It was so fun to spend the day together on the ski hill! We are super grateful to Gramma and Grampa for watching Sawyer and Lily for the day so that we could have this experience together! Hopefully this can become something we do every year!

 

Progress

Today I took Sonny to the vet. Turns out he has a crazy bad ear infection. We were given some medication for him to take orally, and some other stuff to spray in his ear a few times each day. I made sure to enter all of the times into my phone calendar so I wouldn't forget!

Things are coming along nicely next door! I love that we are able to stay close by and keep a close eye on the projects. Today the fireplace got plywood!

The boys took Lily out to sled down the hill with them in the afternoon. I listened to her giggle from inside and watched how they let her sit on the GT while they pulled her back up the hill each time. It was so nice to see everyone getting along so well!

They tired her out!

 

Hanging at the Rink

We've been spending a fair amount of time hanging out at the Hockey rink. 

Grateful for this girl and the JOY she has while waiting on her big brothers to finish practices and Games.

 

The Outdoor Rink

The children are busy soaking up the last week of Christmas break! If the weather is even mildly warm for Winter, you can find the boys up at the out door rink with the neighborhood kids. They spend hours and hours there! They walk if it's super warm, or sometimes I offer to drive them the two minutes up the road so their toes aren't cold by the time they get there. They wear their oilers jerseys, join teams, and enjoy skating until the sun goes down!

 

Hyrum is a Deacon

Today was pure chaos as we got ready for church. Sharing a bathroom between eleven people often means that the boys pee outside if it's occupied. Today one of them came in upset, "Sonny made me pee on my TIE!" Many tears were shed as we tried to get out the door on time between the fighting.

After church, Hyrum received the Aaronic Priesthood from his Dad. This means that one of his duties each Sunday is passing the Sacrament to the congregation. It was a pretty special day. I am so proud of this boy and the decisions he is making to become like Christ. He is a great example to his younger brothers. Mike wrote this to share with others on his social media page:

"This New Years Day, my son Hyrum received the Aaronic Priesthood. As we start a new year, he'll begin a life of service dedicating himself to lifting the hands that hang low and finding the lost sheep. I'm proud of his humble, kind young man, who inherits many of his Christlike attributes from his mother."

 

Heavy Frost

The frost was breathtakingly gorgeous this morning, hanging heavy from the trees and fences. We are in full relax mode over here and the children have even mastered sleeping in. The big boys have spent almost every day at the "ODR", and the littles can be found playing or napping all over the house. We are enjoying having Daddy home too!

 

Christmas Day Recap