Sunday, January 22, 2024

                January is off to a great start.  We are having cold snowy weather and having fun sledding.  Teagan and I went the other night.  It was a riot.  We were sledding on partial ice and partial snow at the old stake center.  I got so much momentum, I almost ended up in the fence.  Walking back up for another sled ride was tricky since there was so much ice.  It was a battle of balance and not falling.  It did not help that it was dark, and you could not see where you were going, however, the stars in the sky were amazing.

               I need to say something about Christmas vacation.  It was awesome because we spent it in California with family.  We went to the beach, the rose parade, Disneyland, and spent a day in Mexico.  The weather was lovely.  Much warmer in California than in Utah.  I loved riding E-bikes at Oceanside beach.  The water was too cold for me, but McCabe and Teagan got in a splashed for a while.  They had a great time skim boarding.  Xadia and I played volleyball and Tricia sat in her chair dressed like an eskimo.

               We did Christmas a little differently this past year.  Instead of mom and dad being Santa Claus, we gave the kids $200 each to spend on Christmas gifts for the family.  Kids could combine their money and buy a gift for another person, or they could purchase gifts on their own.  It took a great deal of stress off me, and it was fun to see what each person got.  Everyone except McCabe liked the idea.  McCabe said that he does not want to do that again.  He likes it better when mom and dad are Santa Claus.

               Jacinda turned 19 in December.  She is busy working at the local theater as a stagehand or helping with costumes.  For her birthday, she got some Bildad the Shuite shirts which she loved.  You can tell by her reaction on the video.  She was laughing and so enthusiastic as she opened the gift.

               The other day I was in the fabric store with Teagan looking for fabric to add to a dress to make it more modest.  When I told Teagan that I was looking for some fabric for a dress, he said, “Oh you are looking for fabric for your Sunday costume.”  I started to laugh because that is a good way to describe some of my outfits.  They are a little different than the normal Sunday attire.  They are a more Edwardian style than a current trend of today.

               I got to watch McCabe at wrestling.  He has improved tremendously since Jr. High.  I was a little bummed that he told me not to bring my cowbell or else he would not invite me to another match.  I tried to reason with him and said that I would ring it for other wrestlers, but he said no.  So I was a good mom and did not take it.  McCabe did well in his match.  Both wrestlers put up a good fight.  He was exhausted afterwards.  I enjoy supporting my kids in their activities.

  Xadia had a volleyball tournament.  She is improving also.  She played all day.  The one thing she is trying hard to work on is her serve.  She is playing the position of a blocker.

               Teagan had an orchestra concert.  He is learning to play the viola.  It is fun to watch him play with Kade Mcpheters and Sam Sorenson.  Teagan had a big day today, he passed the sacrament for the first time.  He did great.  What made me really happy is as soon as he walked through the chapel doors, the sitting deacons were waving him to come over to join them in passing the sacrament.