Welcome to a new year! I started things off right with a centering sunrise walk down the trail while the rest of the family slept. I can't remember why I woke up early, but I'm happy I made the most of it.
We went to the church gym for some sports practice. Hazel gave Jack some volleyball pointers and Todd worked with Gemma on layups.
Jack's main Christmas present was an afternoon at the escape room in town. We decoded clues in a bank heist-themed room and successfully stole the giant diamond without setting off the alarm.
Then we headed down to Newark to have dinner and games with the Dix family. The kids collaborated on an original song about "dogs" (aka feet) that was pretty incredible.
After all that New Year's partying, Gemma slept in hardcore the next day. She is a master of the morning sleep-in.
Jack asked for chicken pot pie for his birthday dinner. We wanted to make rhubarb crumble for his treat, but after hunting realized rhubarb is spring-seasonal and switched gears to chocolate cake with coconut frosting. So yum.
The next two days we had the young women up to the cabin. We were grateful for the foot of snow that fell earlier in the week so that we had some snow right out in the yard for everyone to play in. Todd also took everyone who wanted up to a good sledding hill. We played games and had good food and it was fun and low-drama. Jack was a little uncomfortable at times being the only young man there, but he made the most of it. And Gemma loved being included with the young women, some of whom are only a month or two older than her now.
When we got home Saturday night, we sent Gemma to her room with an ipad and watched Jurassic Park with Jack to celebrate that he's now a teenager.
Gemma started violin lessons with Kirstan Hilton this month, her big Christmas present. As soon as we walked out of her first lesson, she turned to me and whispered, "I loved it!"
Hazel's basketball season continued all month long, but some of the games had huge losses. It can be hard to remember that although her team is called Varsity, it's really basically a JV team - half the girls are freshmen playing for the first time, and none of the players are seniors. It does make a difference.
I had an amazing massage. It was raining and I could hear it hitting the roof. Stephanie always goes over 10 or 15 extra minutes, but this time she went 30 extra minutes! She has my lifetime loyalty.
We went back up to the cabin for Gemma's birthday. The Andrus's came with us. Renee snowshoed, I shoveled and yoga-ed, the rest of the group skied, we all played games. It was a quick trip, Saturday morning to Sunday with church in Murpheys on the way home. Then we had ribs and potatoes and mint brownies at home for Gemma's birthday dinner. Gemma got a bunch of stamps for her gift from us.
Monday (MLK day) we had birthday parties. Gemma and Clara had an exclusive playdate - fancy lunch and ice skating. Clara gave Gemma tiny cute Harry Potter dolls that she's been playing with a ton.
Jack had a big crew over that evening for pizza and games.- indoor and outdoor. It was a fun group, and we discovered an exciting secret: if you have a game-themed birthday party, you're likely to get a lot of games as presents!!!
One of my New Year's goals is to update my bedroom by the end of the year. I have picked out a new duvet cover and bought new matching nightstands and lamps. I cleaned up the piles of junk I've been dumping in the corner or on my dresser and have been making my bed and putting away my clutter every single day to keep my room pretty. Next up: my first-ever headboard! Eventually - new window coverings. It is so nice to have my room look intentionally pretty instead of just a mish-mash of random tables and lamps. It brings me daily satisfaction.
Jack made the boy's volleyball B team. It is fun to go to his games and see how much he has improved since last year. He says he likes being on a team, working together on a goal.
He competed in Math Counts and enjoyed that experience. He has been chosen to go forward to an intra-district competition next month. He has also begun a ballet class. He's in a club at school called Neon Clear, run by a super smart, super rich man who is paying for the club members to try things outside of their comfort zone, to expand their horizons. Hence, Jack is taking a scholarship ballet class for the rest of the school year. So far, he says he doesn't love it, but he doesn't hate it, either.
Jack gave a nice talk in church about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. I taught a whole-group Primary lesson on ways we can hear God communicating with us. I loved teaching the kids so much. I wish I had more opportunities to give the kids lessons or lead discussions.
We had so much fun at the last St. Mary's basketball game that we bought tickets to attend another one, and brought a couple of Hazel's basketball friends along for the experience. It was a close game the entire time - exciting!
We had all the youth over to our house to watch the churchwide youth broadcast Sunday night. Surprisingly, we found ways to fit everyone in. There was a good discussion. I'm grateful our stake's boundaries adjusted in a way that put us in a ward with a larger youth group.
I caught a stunning sunrise during my seminary carpool walk. Gorgeous.
Todd is attempting to grow spicy peppers from seed in preparation for Oktoberfest 2024. They are under a marijuana lamp in our den as we speak.
Hazel's basketball season is coming to a close. They had their last game on February 1st against Granada, the other local high school. All that's left is EBAL (some sort of tournament) next week. Hazel made this poster to advertise their game because she was rightfully affronted that the school was only promoting the boy's team rival game on Friday. She printed several out to pass around campus, spoke to the leadership teacher about including the girls' game in the school announcements, and gathered up fans via word of mouth. She is a born leader.
