December 2022

Hazel turned 14. Unbelievable that she is so old! She is gorgeous and mature and busy and every once in a while my heart throbs an extra hard beat as I watch her and think about how little time we have left with her at home. She made her own scrumptious chocolate cake and received tickets to the Lindsey Stirling Christmas concert later this month. 

She invited three friends to join us up at the cabin for a snow weekend. We were happy to have Aarna, Yashika, and Raeya with us. Mostly they sledded and played games and talked, talked, talked. We did let Hazel take them all for a short, slow snowmobile ride close to the cabin. Someone talked Hazel into wearing mascara for the first time. I'm glad she didn't want to continue wearing makeup when we got home. I love her natural look.  

Since we'd been in Utah for Thanksgiving and up at the cabin the next weekend, we didn't have time to go to the tree farm and have the full-fledged tree-cutting experience this year. Everyone was disappointed about choosing our tree from a local lot. I have to say, though, that it was a beautiful tree and it smelled really good for a long time, so it wasn't a total bust. 

Gemma's class went on a guided hike at Holdener Park for a field trip and I got to join. It was fun being out in the gorgeous hills watching her interact with her class. The guide had each student walk a section of the trail alone, spaced apart, and called it a "solo hike," It was time for them to reflect and listen and observe. I definitely want to incorporate that into my future family hikes! It was a a cool idea. 

Todd, Hazel and I ran into Target to do some quick Christmas shopping between carpool dropoffs and Todd found this gem of a furry jacket. He put it on and strutted around the store for a few minutes. I was laughing so hard I was crying! 

Hazel had a mega-full Saturday, with a youth breakfast activity, a birthday party, and a babysitting gig. The other kids' schedules were wide open, so Todd took them up to Bear Valley to ski and I pretty much got a day to myself. I did yoga and read my book and watched a show. Todd and the kids drove for two and a half hours, got turned away at the ski resort because they closed due to a blizzard, stopped for Mexican food and then drove two and a half hours home again. Bummer! Hazel was glad they hadn't been able to ski without her after all. 

I think it was the next day that the kids caught this shot of Todd and me both asleep on a Sunday afternoon. 

Julena had a baby - super cute Sophie. She had to spend a few days in the NICU, but she's home now and growing great, and I'm sad I can't hold her and smell her. 

We decided to try doing 12 Days of Christmas for someone this year and figured out how to keep it Christ-centered by focusing on twelve of His names. We brainstormed a list as a family and narrowed it down to twelve names with coordinating gifts and scriptures. For example, for Bread of Life, Hazel made her delicious rosemary bread and we wrapped it with a tag with John 6:35: "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." We picked a cute family that lives a block away, which was a genius move, because it meant on busy nights I could send one or two kids over on their own while I was fixing dinner. We loved doing it and are interested in making it an annual tradition. 

Hazel had basketball games all through December. Her team made huge strides and managed to win a couple games this season, despite most of them never having played basketball before last month. Jack and Gemma had tennis. Jack got sick and missed four days of school, and then had a hard time getting his make-up work completed. Lessons in time management! Todd and I made it to the temple for date night. Jack got asked to give one last talk in primary. He can't wait to move up! 

We went to see the lights at Deacon Dave's with Pete Andrus's family and the Haupts. We went caroling with an enormous group from the new ward. Todd and Hazel went to the Lindsey Stirling concert and said it was amazing. I got called to be the Relief Society Secretary. Although I would rather serve in Primary, that was an easy yes for me after my last calling! 

The kids first day of Christmas break wasn't until December 23rd. What a rip-off! By the time they were home, it was two days until Christmas. We spent all of Friday and Saturday in full-on holiday mode. We rocked out to Christmas music, made gingerbread cookies (but decided next year they should be sugar cookies instead), watched Home Alone, Rudolph, and The Grinch, and made sure all our gifts were wrapped and ready. 

Todd finished building a sled for us to pull our cooler and miscellaneous gear behind the snowmobile when we come up to the cabin in the wintertime. Each of the kids painted a side to personalize it. 

Todd sent Gemma and me to the store for some wild goose chase Saturday afternoon so he and Jack could secretly assemble my Christmas present - a new dishwasher! We have been hand washing everything for about four years now. At first, it was about teaching the kids "character," but of late, it has just felt like nonstop work in the kitchen for me. Todd heard my complaints and gave me a great surprise. 

Well, Gemma and I caught a stunning sunset on our way back home and stopped to soak it in. It was a glorious few minutes of gratitude and amazement for God's artwork. A couple days ago, I asked Gemma when she feels close to God, and she said when she is outside. Me, too! 

The kids all had been learning Christmas music in their music classes, so we spur-of-the-moment had a concert, and it was wonderful! Gemma and Jack played a duet they've been working on, and all three kids had several pieces to play for us. It brought such a beautiful feeling into the room. We mixed it up with singing some of our favorite Christmas hymns sprinkled all throughout and listening to the solos and duets. We all loved it so much and decided that needs to be an annual tradition as well. 

Then, of course, we ended the evening by sending the kids into the Teen Zone for their sibling sleepover. We heard giggles for several hours before they eventually fell asleep. What a great way to bond and make lasting connections! 

We kept Christmas presents simple this year, because really, everyone was getting snowmobiles and skis! Everyone got a fleece and a packable puffer, and a Girls or Boys' Guide to Heavenly Mother. Santa got Jack a new bonsai pot and soil, Gemma an 18 inch boy doll, and Hazel a Utah Jazz shirt. 

I also bought replacement hardcover copies of all our Harry Potter books, because those puppies have had a good life and deserved a rest! 

We had Erika over for Christmas morning, and then she joined us up at the cabin for Todd's birthday. We spent the week between Christmas and New Year's in Bear Valley. It was relaxing, winter-y, and beautiful. And it solved my 18-year dilemma of how to make Todd's December 26th birthday feel like a special day! That's it, from now on, we're going skiing for Todd's birthday. 

Speaking of skiing, Todd loves it, Gemma loved it (this was her first time), and Jack and Hazel love it. I ... am hoping I will come to love it ... because I don't like sending my family off to have an adventurous day without me ... but if I still feel the way I do now after a few more go's, I may be a ski-lodge book bunny instead, or bring my snow shoes and go for a silent hike on my own while they're on the mountain. I don't love it yet. 

My first ski lift ride, Todd and Gemma rode ahead of me and I was on my own. Near the end, I was waiting for a moment where the seat would tilt forward a little, or my feet would touch the ground, or the attendant would say, time to hop off, or something, but as I looked below, all I saw was a crazy steep drop. Before I knew it, I was past the point of no return, and the attendant had stopped the lift. There I sat, high in the sky, as Todd barely reached to take my skis off, and then I was moved into a building where I got off and climbed down. It was a pretty mortifying way to start my one and only big hill of the day. I fell so many times and I couldn't get myself back up, and no matter how much I turned in my toes, rode to the side, and dug my boots in, I couldn't slow myself down enough to feel like I was in control. By the time I was at the bottom of the hill, I was crying hot tears of frustration. I sent Todd and Gemma off without me and practiced some more on the bunny hill, then rested in the lodge for a couple more hours before everyone else was done. 

It was awesome to have Erika with us, though. She went out with Jack and Hazel to ride hardcore while Todd trained Gemma and me on the bunny hill. Then when Gemma was ready for more, Erika spent some time with her on the lift and a real hill also. Plus, she let Hazel try out her snowboard. Everyone was glad she came with us. 

We made a sledding track from our deck down to Quaking Aspen Road below. It's my dream come true to have sledding right outside the door! 

We went snowmobiling and pulled kids behind on tubes. 

I much prefer to ride and enjoy the scenery, and Hazel and Jack both want to operate the machines, so I haven't been doing much driving. I'm going to have to buckle down and get comfortable with it, though, so I'm not a logistical liability. 

We dug the truck out of several feet of snow, multiple times. It just kept dumping out of the sky!

We tried putting the zipline handle on the swing rope so the kids could swing and drop into the deep snow, but we decided everyone had more fun with the disk seat instead and we put that back on. It was hard to hold on with gloves on. 

We went back for a second day of skiing and I dared try again. I refused to use the steep drop lift, but I rode up a different one and had a better experience. But I still spent most of the day on my own while Todd and the kids went out and had a glorious adventure without me. 

Hazel gave Gemma this gnome doll for Christmas. She named it Floofie and took it everywhere with her that week. He has a bean-filled bum and made a great hot potato. 

We spent plenty of time indoors as well, weaving bracelets, reading, drinking lots of homemade hot chocolate, coloring, watching movies, and playing games. 

The kids played a vicious version of King of the Hill while Todd and I dug the truck out once again. I literally saw Hazel pick Gemma up and throw her! Somehow, landing on snow makes that fun. 

We took the snowmobiles on the groomed trail up past Lake Alpine. Todd decided he wanted to do wheelies in the powder, and when the kids followed, they tipped over. Gemma was caught under the machine. I panicked and felt so utterly powerless trying to hustle to her on foot in the waist-deep snow. Gratefully, she sank in the snow and, although her foot was caught, she wasn't hurt or even uncomfortable at all. My naivety makes me worry more than I need to, I guess. I hope. 

Our last two days were just slightly too warm outside, and instead of snow, we had constant rainfall. Time for face masks! Although everyone griped about me bringing them and getting them out, I received a lot of positive feedback afterward: my face feels so good, my skin is so moisturized, I want to do that again! 

Well, I like the indoor days, but they can make Todd a little stir-crazy. He decided he couldn't let the rain stop the fun and talked Hazel into putting on her swimsuit and sledding down the hill with him. He ran, hopped on head first, and slid right off because it was slippery from the rain! I was laughing so hard! But he got back on and finished the hill, and Hazel followed, and then they went down again together before coming inside to warm up. He is so good at creating memorable moments. 

Well, the rain kept up for two days straight. We had invited the Turri's up for a few days, but they got Covid and cancelled. We invited the Haupts up, but they got lice and had to cancel. Finally, we decided to come home a day early and celebrate the new year in Livermore instead. And I got us an awesome game this year, called Beat That, full of quick minute-to-win-it challenges with cups and ping pong balls and dice. We had a total blast playing it, but I didn't take a single picture! Wat, wat, wat....

Anyway, it's been a busy and fun year, very full of kids' activities, church service, and trips to the cabin. We look forward to what 2023 will bring. 

November 2022

Our calendar is filling up again with lots of weekday activities. Hazel made the school basketball team, has a community volleyball class, and is taking bi-weekly piano and violin lessons, as well as teaching piano lessons Monday mornings and attending youth activities for church each Tuesday night. Jack joined the coding and math clubs at school, which each have weekly meetings, has piano lessons and tennis class on Wednesdays, and sometimes attends young mens' and sometimes primary activities, depending on what they are working on. Gemma has piano lessons on Mondays, primary activities every other Tuesday, and tennis class on Wednesdays. I am working hard to make dinners that fit our schedule and are still healthy and provide leftovers for Todd's lunches. 

Gemma had her first piano recital with Sister Pickett. She was confident and played Fur Elise and The Dragon Hunt beautifully. 

Gemma's class went on a field trip to the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, where they learned about the Native Americans who first lived in our area. I was able to chaperone. It is good to be involved in my kids' school days again! I love walking into the classroom and hearing kids say, "It's Gemma's mom!" 

My Relief Society activities committee planned an amazing triple-baby shower for the three pregnant women in our ward. We held it at my house, and it was so much fun. I think we had 24 women there? Tons of yummy food, fun games, and decorations, and I didn't have to really be in charge of it, just be warm and welcoming and loving to all the ladies who came. There was a great energy there, and it carried over into church the next day. I walked into the chapel before Sacrament Meeting and three or four ladies beamed and waved at me that I hadn't had a connection with before. It was a very satisfying experience for me, and I hope relationships were strengthened between other women in the ward as well. 

We went to Chrissy's for Sunday dinner, and we had an epic arm wrestling match. Todd got destroyed by Spencer. He had a rug burn on his elbow for two weeks afterward! Chrissy had previously shared with us a song Spencer created with his school friends about getting "Spencified" - so silly and so 13 year old boy-ish - so that's how Todd hilariously continued to refer to his oozing elbow - he "got Spencified." 

We've been going to Hazel's volleyball games Monday and Wednesday evenings. It's fun to see how much she loves to play. She's definitely getting better! She's serving consistently and learning to set and tip. 

Hazel pulled Jack to school on the wiggle cart one day. They used to do that semi-regularly when Hazel was in 5th grade. Jack was a little embarrassed to show up to school like that, so I don't know what sort of bargain they struck to get him to do it, but it was funny to see. 

Seven girls tried out for the CMS basketball team, so all seven girls made the team. They are fun to watch, but I don't think they've won any games yet. Todd coaches loudly from the stands, and still connects with his entourage of middle school boy fans. He's got skillz with the teenagers, which I'm super grateful for, because I definitely feel less and less cool the older my kids get. 

We went up to the cabin over Veteran's Day weekend. We were planning to do some serious yard work, but there was a big storm a couple days before we got there, and everything was covered in a couple feet of snow. Winter came early! 

We shoveled off the deck and made a giant pile for the kids to jump onto. We imagine we can turn it into somewhat of a hill over time. 

The roads were cleared, thank goodness, but we had to shovel a path from the road to the door and completely uncover both decks. This smaller front deck is where we planned to put our firewood, so we had to clear it off simply for functionality. 

And finally, we got to put our snowshoes (last years' Christmas gift) to good use for the first time. We drove up to where Highway 4 closes off for the winter and hiked the rest of the way to Lake Alpine. It was beautiful! 

Jack was the pianist for our Primary program. He rocked it, no sweat. I am amazed by how comfortable he is behind a piano. He has been taking turns with some other volunteers in our Primary to play the piano each Sunday - Jack plays on the third Sunday of each month. We don't have a regular pianist because our ward keeps shrinking and shrinking. Which led to some very exciting news later that day: our ward was dissolved and the boundaries in Livermore were adjusted. Starting the week after the program, we joined a much larger and stronger congregation with a lot more children, youth, and active adults. I have been praying for something like this to happen for a good couple of years now, and in the meantime, advocating in ward council for us to behave more like a branch due to our numbers. One exciting consequence of the boundary changes was that I was released as Relief Society President. It took a couple weeks to transition information and closet contents around to the other wards, and then I finally felt the sweet relief of emotional and mental burdens being taken away from me. 

That one picture of Jack playing for the program is lame, but you can thank my mom I have it. She asked for pictures and video since she couldn't be there, and I brought my phone out for a minute, but felt very self-conscious holding it up in the chapel, so unfortunately, that's all we've got. 

Gemma was asked to write a few sentences about an Old Testament scripture hero, and I couldn't have been more proud that she chose to talk about Eve. My feminist heart swelled. I'm so grateful for all we understand about Eve! She said:

"I learned from Eve this year that you can be brave. God will be with you and help you. Eve used her agency and ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That brave choice allowed all of us to come to the earth, be a part of a family, and use OUR agency to make choices between good and evil. I can be brave like Eve and choose good things that will help me become more like God. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." 

Jack had one last recipe from his Eat2Explore boxes and happened to be in charge of making Korean BBQ the same day he had his friend Juno, who has a Korean mom, over after school. Turns out Juno had some kitchen tricks up her sleeve, and we had a very delicious and authentic dinner that night. 

I got to help in Gemma's class the day they were painting their California relief maps. It was fun! 

Fall stayed strong all through November. I kept soaking in the colors everywhere I went. I like spending time outside, feeling the wind, smelling the plants, enjoying the colors, admiring the sky. 

Erika watched the kids while Todd and I took a couple days off to celebrate our 18th anniversary. We went to Point Reyes on Friday and to Sonoma on Saturday. We made a nice blend of hiking and checking out cheese factories, and finished up with a cheese-making class. Our Friday hike took us down to the beach, and our Saturday hike gave us views of downtown Sonoma. Both were enjoyable. 

We stayed at this really cute place on the marsh called Motel Inverness. The views were delicious! 

I'm thankful to be married to someone who respects and listens to me, who encourages me to grow and try hard things, who earnestly tries to be the best dad he can be, and who still makes me laugh, tingle, and feel utterly comfortable. 

In our class, we made a basic ricotta and then added flavors to it. We took home Pomegranate Ginger, Lemon Zest, Jalapeno, Pepperonchi and Pepper, Yellow Indian Curry, and Honey. Yum! 

This year, we drove to Utah for Thanksgiving. We spent two days with the Binghams and two days with the Bonners (and two days on the road). We had every single Bingham at the dinner, including Grandpa Bingham and Grandma Holley. It was awesome! 

My family got the assignment to make twelve pies. Twelve! There were six left at the end of the night, so definitely we will edit the amounts if given the pie task again in the future. Hazel was incredible, and Jack worked super hard as well. Everything was delicious, but I think the chocolate silk pie took the blue ribbon. We also had key lime, blackberry, apple, and pumpkin. 

Everyone's favorite part of the Bingham visit was the Turkey Bowl. It was Isaac's idea. He called everyone the week before to invite us to participate, so it was pretty hard to say no. I'm so glad I didn't! We went down to the high school field as the sun was setting and had a total blast. There was no pressure to be athletic. It was just awesome. 

Missy hosted the Bonner clan at her new house. Grammie brought supplies for gingerbread houses, which the kids loved working on. 

The biggest hit at the Bonner visit was using Missy's sports court. We played pickle ball, basketball, and dodgeball. It was tons of fun! 

Hazel's cousin group wanted a picture to show they're each an inch apart in height, although I'd have to say Aybree looks a couple inches taller than Hazel here. 

The kids took a Polar Bear Plunge as well. They're insane! It was, like, negative four hundred degrees outside! Thankfully, they had a hot tub to seek refuge in before and after, but still, that's cray-cray. 

We drove to Cedar City on Saturday to see the Festival of Trees that Laura orchestrated. It's in its fourth or fifth year. She does an awesome job raising money for community charities and reveling in her love for Christmas decorating at the same time. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures! I think I was too cold to take my hands out of my pockets! No, I remember now, I forgot my phone in the car. Lame. That's why there's no visual documentation. Sorry.