December 17-January 3 2022-23

 Saturday, 17th

Judi and I were both so excited to see the kids all day that we couldn't stand it! The day seemed to go by so slowly. We watched the Vikings historic comeback win against the Colts and then 3:40 finally came, the time we had determined we would leave for the airport in Las Vegas to pick them up. We got to the airport almost an hour early, got our gate passes, went through security, and then checked the arrivals board to see if the kid's plane was on time. To our surprise, it was 20 minutes early - arriving in just about 15 minutes! It was a good thing we got there so early. Judi was so excited when she saw the kids coming up the ramp! We gave hugs and then headed for the baggage claim by way of the tram where an older man rushed to get on just before the doors closed, leaving his wife on the platform behind him. "I lost my wife," he said with a smile. "That was easier than I thought it would be."  We got the kids' 4 bags and headed to the car. On the way home, Lizi "interviewed" everyone in the car in a funny southern and then English accent as if we were on our way aboard the Hogwarts Express.

Once we got home about 9:20pm, the kids got all their stuff put in their rooms, Trey came out to see Nana and we then went to the Disney room where he saw all the new things and looked through my last auction results. Everyone then went out front to look at the Christmas lights on our house. We came back in and Shelby and Lizi came to look at the Disney Room too. We then had Pizza and salad for dinner, Trey headed to bed, and Lizi and Shelby took showers and looked through the presents with Judi. Lizi and Judi then started setting up their plastic animals and started setting up Lego Disneyland. We then decided that we better head to bed.

Sunday, 18th

I woke up and started getting ready when I heard a knock at my bathroom door. It was Judi who was up much earlier than she normally is without prodding. She was so excited to spend time with the kids that she just didn't want to miss a second. She started playing with Lego and soon Trey was up too. Trey, Judi, and I ate breakfast and then Trey hopped in the shower. Lizi and Shelby then got up and ate and then we went to church. We decided to drive since the weather said it was 38 degrees outside. I love walking to church with the kids but that sounded a bit too cold to me. It was fun seeing Trey and Judi play little hand games during sacrament. They sure seem to have a fun time together. Lizi went to her class after sacrament meeting but said only one girl talked to her. I know it's a difficult age and at any age it's difficult to talk with people you don't know, but I wish the kids would make her feel more welcome. Trey and Shelby went to their class together and had a similar experience. Halfway through, there was an FSY meeting and I went to it and sat with them which was fun. After church we came home and Lizi and Judi started reconstructing Lego Disneyland while Shelby, Trey ad I went outside briefly to play with the dogs and catch cockroaches to feed the fish. Shelby then read a book and Trey and I watched some football. When dinner was ready (roast) we put on two episodes of Lego Masters while we ate. After dinner and Lego Masters, Lizi and Judi started working on the World of Color show and the Christmas Fantasy Parade. It was fun to hear them laughing together as they put on the show, trying to remember how it went. Shelby read a book again and Trey and I watched more football. After the game, I showed Trey some of the highlights from the Vikings historic comeback yesterday and then we all talked for a while on the couches and got ready for bed.

Monday, 19th

I got Judi off to school and then Trey got up and fed the dogs for me. We then ate breakfast and he showed me how to add cards on my Youtube channel end screen. Lizi then got up and ate breakfast and Shelby got up and went outside to play with the dogs. She had fun playing fetch with Nana. Lizi and Shelby then organized the Christmas presents while Trey worked on his Youtube channel. All of us went outside and played fetch with Nana. Shelby and Lizi went down to the swing in the pit and Trey and I played catch with the football. Shelby and Lizi then came over to play catch with us. It was so much fun throwing the football around. We came in and had lunch and watched the newest Spiderman movie. We then watched Clue and had dinner. After the movie we talked about the Gumball Rally, looking at past questions. Judi then came back over and we played Mario Cart before going to bed. 

Tuesday, 20th

I had to get up early to clean the rock shop so Trey had to wake Judi up at 8:00 and make sure she got ready for school. He also made her lunch for her. It is so nice to have such responsible kids, especially as I hear other people I clean with not able to rely on their kids to get to school by themselves. When I got home, Trey went back to bed and all the kids slept in for quite a while. Trey was up first and ate breakfast and then he and I went to play Pickleball. Trey is really quick at getting some of the shots that require him to cover a lot of ground, fast to get. We came home and Lizi and Shelby were both eating breakfast at the table. After they finished, we went to the Post Office so Lizi could get a few boxes for her Gingerbread house. We then headed to Walmart for groceries and to get candy to decorate with. When we got home, Lizi worked on forming her boxes into the Tower of Terror (now Guardians of the Galaxy). We then all piled in the car to pick Judi up from school. I could tell that Judi was so excited to see them waiting for her. We got home and played Mario Cart and I made dinner. Judi had activity days from 5:30-7:00 and while she was gone, the rest of us ate dinner and watched an episode of Alone. When Judi came home, She and Lizi played Lego and with a Santa and stuffed animal reindeer, making presents to put in a Halloween bag for Santa to carry in his sleigh. Shelby, Trey, and I watched a bunch of episodes of the Office which Shelby seemed to like (this was Trey's second time seeing these episodes since we watched through season 5 in the summer). After the Office, Judi went to her Mom's and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I talked for about 2 hours on the couch. It was AWESOME. I sure love my kids. They are so unique and good, each in their own individual way. I shared the experience I had on the phone with my mom before she passed away and as I finished I saw a tear drop from Lizi's eye onto her cheek and Shelby had tears in her eyes as well. It was a special night for me to spend just chatting with the kids. We then went to bed. 

Wednesday. 21st

Lizi woke up first today and and came out to eat breakfast. Just when she was finishing, Trey woke up and ate also. And not long after that, Shelby came and ate breakfast. Since everyone slept in, they got ready and we went to pick Judi up from school since she just had a half day. We then all drove to Zion National Park and had such a fun side in the snow on the East side of the park. The line to get in was really long due to construction so I even contemplated just turning around and going home, but I'm glad I didn't. The park was having so many visitors that they weren't letting anyone up the canyon at the time we got there so, again, we thought about going back home but we decided to drive through the East side of the canyon a little ways and found a good spot to turn out and park so we could  get out and explore. At first we just played in the snow at the side of the road but soon, Shelby, Lizi, and Judi were going down the hill into the small river canyon so Trey and I decided to follow. We had fun making snow angels, taking pictures, and trying to break up the ice of the frozen river by throwing rocks at the ice. It was so thick in spots that it wouldn't break. In trying to cross the river, Shelby's foot slipped and went in the water so I was worried that it would get really cold. We stopped by the Visitors' Center on the way back to have our passports stamped. When we got home, Shelby played the ukulele, Trey played on his phone and Judi and Lizi played with stuffed animals. They then all played Mario Cart while I got dinner ready. We had wok chicken for dinner and watched a few episodes of Lego Masters. Judi then went to her Mom's house and while Lizi took a shower, Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. We then talked for an hour or so and went to bed. 

Thursday, 22nd

Lizi was the first one up again so she and I ate breakfast. As we were eating, Trey came and joined us. I then went in to get ready for the day and Shelby got up and played with the dogs outside. We sat on the couch and talked about the Gumball Rally (Shelby read her book while Trey, Lizi, and I strategized).  We then all played Mario Cart. Judi then came over and She and Shelby baked cookies while Trey, Lizi, and I raked leaves in the grape arbor. For a while when Lizi, Trey, and I were done with the leaves and when Judi had done all she could do to help Shelby, it was cute to see Trey and Judi "rough-housing" with each other. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. Judi and Lizi also played with stuffed animals by the Christmas Presents. When the cookies were done, Shelby, Lizi, and I wrapped them while Trey and Judi delivered them to the different families. We made some for the Browns, Christiansen's, Eatough's, Desatoff's, Arscott's, Scott's, Gustoffsen's, Klunker's and both Elkins' families. I was really proud of Trey and Judi for delivering them because I could tell that Trey really didn't want to at first. And Shelby and Lizi did a great job making everything look great. I went out and delivered the last three plates with Trey and Judi. When we got back, Shelby and Lizi were reading their books so Trey, Judi, and I played Mario Cart. I then started getting dinner ready while Trey and Judi continued to play. We watched Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas while we ate and then Lizi and I went to choir practice. I love choir and it was so fun singing with Lizi. When we got home, we watched Home Alone and had some dessert. After home alone, Lizi and Judi played with Lego Disneyland while Shelby, Trey, and I watched the Office. We then went to bed.

Friday, 23rd

I went to the store right after I woke up to get some food coloring for the frosting for gingerbread houses and to get some other groceries. When I got home, Lizi was in the pantry picking out what cereal she wanted to eat. Before we started eating, Judi and Trey also got up and ate with us. Lizi and Judi then played Lego and Shelby watched them while I did dishes. Shelby, Trey, and I played Villainous while Lizi and Judi went outside to play stranded family. When the dishes in the dishwasher were done (we had to wait for the mixer to be cleaned), Shelby started making the frosting for the gingerbread houses. What a big job that was! I am so proud and thankful of her that she took the time to do that. We then all worked on gingerbread houses - Judi did Sleeping Beauty Castle, Lizi did Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Trey decorated a preconstructed gingerbread house, Shelby did a greenhouse, and I did Storybook Land Canal Boats. When we were finished, there was quite a bit of clean up that everyone helped with. I'm really so proud of my kids for their willingness to help clean up without being asked. While Shelby was finishing her gingerbread house, Lizi did laundry and Trey, Judi, and I played Mario Cart. Lizi then took my place so I could start making spanish rice for dinner. We watched Home Alone 2 while we ate and then watched Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas after that. I then got Judi to bed and Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office while Lizi went to bed. We then all went to bed.

Saturday, 24th

I woke up and turned the Vikings game on. Judi got up first and stated watching it with me and then Trey got up and watched it with us as well. Lizi and Shelby talked in their room for a while and then came out to eat breakfast. Lizi and Judi then went outside to play stranded family and Shelby read her book. when the game was over, we played Mario Cart and then I made some lunch. After lunch, Shelby, Trey, and I played knock out while Lizi and Judi kept playing stranded family. Judi then wanted to ride bikes but the tires were flat and our bike pump decided to quit working so I went to the store to buy a new one. While I was at the store, Shelby read, Lizi and Judi played Lego, and Trey was on his phone. I made dinner and we watched Mickey's Christmas Carol while we ate. We then went out to look at Christmas lights and took Judi to her mom's for pictures. When we got home, Shelby, Trey, and I played Clue while Lizi worked on floats for the Lego Main Street Electrical Parade. We then all took pictures by the tree (our Christmas Eve pictures). Judi then helped Lizi with the Lego parade floats. We then watched Small One and talked a little about the time around Christ's birth. We then watched another movie - Mickey Saves Christmas, I think - and got ready for bed. Everyone decided to sleep in the living room tonight - Judi and Shelby on the floor, Trey on the big couch, and Lizi on the small couch.

Sunday, 25th

In the early morning, just past midnight, I did Green Beard. Shelby said she saw me taking down the stockings. Just as I was putting a note by Grendma Bobbi's picture which happened to be right in the middle of where everyone was sleeping, Judi started talking in her sleep. Fortunately it didn't wake anybody up. Everyone got up around the same time and decided to try to solve the Green Beard clues right then so they would have time to get ready for church. They found the note pretty fast in the display case and on Bobbi's picture, but struggled with the one on the tree. The candy was hid in the dishwasher this year. After Green Beard, Trey made scrambled eggs for everyone and we ate before walking to church. We had a short choir practice before church and did well in our choir performance. We walked home and opened presents. Trey liked his GoPro and was surprised by his Sea of Thieves shirt. Shelby liked her books and Ravenclaw dishes. Lizi really loved her Maze Runner books. Judi loved her Harry Potter wand and Lego. After presents, Judi went with her mom and I started making dinner. Trey took a nap on the couch and Shelby and Lizi worked on re-doing the Lego floats for their Main Street Electrical Parade. We had Cornish Game Hens for dinner and then the kids had a webchat wit their mom. Lizi and Shelby kept working on their Lego while Trey chatted and Lizi, Trey and I played Mario Cart while Shelby chatted. Then we went to bed.

Quote of the Day - Lizi, when I took the Cornish Game hens out of the oven and placed one on everyone's plate: "We get our own chicken?!?!"

Monday, 26th

I got up early to clean the rock shop and then go to walmart to get the cheap candy and cheap Christmas lights on their after Christmas sale. When I got home, everyone was still asleep. Lizi was up first and we ate breakfast together and then played Mario Cart where she got 1st place in 3 of the 4 races! Trey then got up and took my place playing Mario Cart while I took my car in to get serviced. While I was gone, Trey and Lizi played Mario Cart, then Judi and Lizi went outside and played in the sand box and played with their Harry Potter wands that they got for Christmas. Shelby was working on ideas for her book and getting school all finalized for next semester. Trey started editing his next Youtube video. When I got home, Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office while Lizi and Judi continued playing outside and then came in to paint. I then got dinner ready for everyone - we had Pasta Roni. We watched a Charlie Brown Christmas and then finished the season of Lego Masters and then went to bed.

Tuesday, 27th

Lizi was up first again and we ate breakfast and played Mario Cart until Judi and Trey woke up about the same time and came out and played too. We then went to the Disney Room and recorded 2 videos about Walt Disney World. It is fun for me to hear the kids' opinions about the different Parks and attractions. Judi was then picked up by her mom and Lizi and I went outside to throw the football around. Trey and Shelby came out too and played catch with us for a while. We then rode bikes in the pit, which was so much fun! We also rode them to check the mail. We came home and played knock out. Shelby won 3 games and Lizi won 2! We came in and I got dinner ready - chicken and rice casserole - and we watched some Finding Bigfoot/Survivorman Bigfoot episodes. We had trouble trying to decide what to do next so Lizi decided to go to bed early while Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. The we went to bed too.

Wednesday, 28th

Once again, Lizi got up first, we ate breakfast, and then played Mario Cart until Trey got up. Trey played some Mario Cart too and then, once Shelby was up, we all went ice skating by the St George Mall. It was so much fun and for most of it we had the whole rink to ourselves. The kids did really good at skating but also took a couple of hard falls. To get used to it, there were dolphins we could push around to help us maintain our balance. After ice skating, we went to Barnes & Noble for Shelby since she LOVES books. She had a fun time looking through the young adult and fantasy genre's in particular. When we got home from skating, I made hot dogs for lunch and then the girls read their books on the couch for a few minutes while Trey played on his phone. We then went out side and played knock out. While we were playing, Judi came over and played with us. Shelby then went inside to read some more and Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I rode our bikes to the mail. When we came back, Lizi and Shelby read their books, Trey played on his phone, and Judi put together her Harry Potter Lego set she got for Christmas. Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I then played Mario Cart while Shelby kept reading and then I made dinner - hamburgers and left over chicken/rice casserole. We watched Lego Masters while we ate and then Judi went back to her Mom's house and Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I watched Ocean's 11. After the movie we sat and talked for an hour and a half. It was so cool to just sit and enjoy my kids' company. Lizi decided to take a shower so Shelby, Trey, and I watched a couple of episodes of Office. When she was done, she came back out and we talked for about another hour about the stresses of school and other things while Shelby and Trey went to bed. We decided that we better get to bed too. 

Thursday, 29th

Lizi woke up first again and she and I ate breakfast together. Trey woke up shortly after that and we got Mario Cart ready. Judi heard us turn it on and came running out to play as well so the four of us played a few games. We then noticed that it was starting to snow small flakes outside so Shelby, Lizi, Judi, and I went outside to watch it and play with the animals. Lizi and Judi also checked out the pink ladybug that we have filled with water for the dogs to drink because they put some green fake plants in it in hopes that they would freeze in the water. Lizi and Judi stayed outside and played stranded family in the clubhouse. They took a nap and Lizi said that she almost fell asleep. While they were outside, Trey, Shelby, and I watched a couple of episodes of the Office. When they came back in, we sat on the couch and talked a little bit about Gumball Rally strategy while Shelby read her book and Judi worked on rubber band bracelets. I then got lunch ready for everyone and then I showed Shelby some family history stuff on my computer. Shelby, Trey, Lizi, and I then went out to play a few games of knockout while Judi kept working on her bracelets. Lizi came in to read while Shelby, Trey, and I played a few more games. We then came in and Shelby read a book and Trey played a game on his phone. I helped Judi with her bracelets - she tried a more difficult one and had made a mistake with it and was sad because she had to start all over. Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I played a few more games of Mario Cart while Shelby read and then I got dinner ready - spaghetti - and we ate and watched Lego Masters. After Lego Masters, Lizi and Judi did the Main Street Electrical Parade with Lego and Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. We then all went to bed.

Friday, 30th

Judi woke up first and we played Mario Cart. Trey and Lizi then woke up and we all ate breakfast and then all played Mario Cart. When Shelby got up, we recorded two more Disney videos for my Youtube channel. After we were done, we ate lunch and then went outside to set up the trampoline. The kids were such a great help. Trey read the instructions and figured out where all the parts went and Lizi and Shelby helped by tightening all the screws that Trey and I put in and putting the plastic disks in the bottom of the poles. Then they all worked together to connect the springs from the trampoline to the outside edge. And finally, Shelby and Lizi tied the netting down to the trampoline. Judi helped keep Nana occupied since she kept waning to jump up on the trampoline like she used to do with our old one. When we finished, the kids had a fun time jumping on the trampoline until it got too cold to jump anymore. We came inside and got dinner ready and watched Peter Pan. Shelby then read her book and Trey played on his phone while Lizi and I played Mario Cart together. After Mario Cart, Lizi read her book while Shelby, Trey, and I watched the Office. We then all went to bed.

Saturday, 31st

I woke up and went to the Post Office and Store and when I got back home, Judi and Lizi were playing with Lego. Trey woke up shortly after that and we ate breakfast together. Shelby then got up and read a Peter Pan book on her phone on the couch while the rest of us played Mario Cart. After Mario Cart, Lizi and Judi played more with Lego and Shelby, Trey, and I watched a few episodes of the Office. We then had lunch and rode our bikes in the pit. It has been a little rainy - kind of more of a slight drizzle which made the pit a little muddy but it was a lot of fun to ride and make a trail through the pit. We then rode our bikes to the mail to try to clean off our tires a little but they are still quite muddy... We played a little more Mario Cart and then I had the kids empty the dishwasher (which has been an at least once-a-day job for them) before I started making dinner. I also had Shelby make some cookies for us to eat for New Year's Eve. We started our traditional Star Wars marathon by watching Episodes 4 and 5 and then Lizi and Judi decided to practice their Lego Main Street Electrical Parade and World of Color shows. While they did that, Shelby, Trey, and I watched 2 episodes of the Office and then Lizi and Judi performed their Lego shows for me (which is what we were doing right when the New Year rang in. I am so amazed at how talented they are! We then all got ready for bed.

Sunday, 1st

Our church changed to 9:00am and choir changed to 8:10am so we got up early and went to church. Lizi was excited because one of the boys - a Scott that lives on our street - remembered who she was. After church we came home and had lunch. Lizi, Judi, and I played Mario Cart while Trey was on his webchat and Shelby had a nap. We then watched football for a little bit and when Lizi got off the webchat, Trey, Lizi, Judi, and I played the Magic Kingdom game. After the game we watched the Vikings game (lost to Green Bay) and then I made hamburgers and cheesy noodles for dinner. We watched Up while we ate and then Shelby cleaned her room while the rest of us played Mario Cart again and then Shelby came out and took my spot. After Mario Cart we decided to head to bed a little early since we didn't get much sleep on New Years' Eve. 

(Picture taken 12/31 - Lego Main Street Electrical Parade)

Monday, 2nd

Cedar City finally got enough snow for us to go sledding. We were watching the forecast the night before and it looked like it was going to snow so we planned on waking up and leaving around 10:00. We made it to our normal spot right off the freeway at 11:00 and there were some people already there but we found our normal spot near the scoreboard. We had so much fun sledding. Trey really worked hard building a ramp and it was really sweet to hear him say that he wasn't just building it for us but also for people to use after we left. It was built SO high! Lizi and Shelby had a fun time building a snow man and Judi had fun trying to do "tricks" in her sled as she came down the hill. After a little over 2 hours, we decided to head home. We got a pizza on the way. After we ate pizza, we filmed another Disney World video for my Disney Youtube channel. Judi's mom then came to pick her up and then I had a fun time talking to Shelby and Lizi in their room about the people in their Sunday School class here in Utah. Trey and I then played Mario Cart while the girls packed. Then Lizi came to join us for some races in Mario Cart and I got dinner ready. We had chicken nuggets and french fries and watched a few episodes of Alone: Skills challenge. After the show, Lizi and Shelby kept packing and Trey and I played more Mario Cart and then we headed to bed. 

Tuesday, 3rd

We had to leave between 7:00 and 7:15 so everyone was up early. I'm really proud of how they are able to wake themselves up when they need to and get ready by the time they need to. On our way to the airport, we talked about the Gumball Rally. We got to the airport about 2 hours before the flight and made it to the gate a little over an hour before take off. Time seemed to fly by for me as we talked while we waited and before I knew it, it was time for them to board their flight. They sat in the very front row which they thought was pretty cool at first, but then they realized that they had to put their bags in the overhead bin because there was no seat in front of them. Their plane sat on the runway for quite a while - maybe 45 minutes before taking off. They had a stop in Lubbock Texas which I totally forgot about but Trey heard the announcement so he made sure that the girls stayed on the plane. I already can't wait to see Trey and Lizi for the Gumball Rally in a month!