My Day in Photos

Simone's got the big room now and we are slowly making progress!  There is about to be a climbing wall attached to the opposite wall as the bed!  Its going to be very cool.

beautiful walk

Cute fun friends 

Elise making Soleil laugh.  Simone in the background hanging records.  

We always need Elise's help when we are hanging anything. 

Pretty frosty windows

She's finally asleep and this is heaven

I had a garland where the blank spaces are.  Take a photo before we take them down!  

Love all these cards so much.

She loves her toys

Favorite Family movies

Since Soren was sick this week we watched lots of movies!  He was kinda bored with them, but we found a few oldies he hadn't seen yet.

Our two family favorites that everyone needs to watch with their older kids:

1.  The Fugitive.  Such a classic, fun, suspenseful show!  Good one liners in there too.  Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, lots of action.  I'm surprised at how many kids have never seen this one

2.  Frequency.  We love this show so much!  Again suspense, mystery, good actors.  Its a fun one.

My kids have seen those both so I like to add new ones to my list on my phone.  I go through all the movies on the airplane alphabetically and watch the trailers of the ones that look good and then I have some good ones when we sit down and have to look through Prime.  I feel like all the streaming shows are just highlighting the same shows over and over.  So its hard to find good recommendations.

My friend Tonya has so many good ones too!  They definitely are movie connoisseurs,  I'm just looking for the good old ones my kids haven't seen yet.

This month we watched Elf, Christmas Vacation, Wonder, August Rush, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Bedtime Stories, Mr Poppers Penguins, Up and we also watched Ephraims Rescue to get a church one in there.

Next up: Gran Turismo, The Prestige, The Best Two Years, Hugo, Ferris Beuhler's Day Off, Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood, The Kings Speech, Finding Neverland.

My Pottery Set Up

Simone throwing her pots in the Laundry room!

Thinking of things I want to start doing more of this New Years Day!

First on my list is to use the pottery wheel and kiln Jared bought me last year!  Simone's been enjoying it.  I was so, so busy this year!  And it just wasn't the right time to start this new hobby.

The wheel is messy and there is clean up involved and last year I just couldn't enjoy making more work for myself.  But I got the perfect setup now!

When I got the kiln and wheel as a gift I was trying to figure out where in the world I was going to put it.  So it was in our kitchen for a bit but the mess was TOO much.  Then we moved it all to the apartment, and finally outside when the weather was better.  Simone used it the most especially in summer.

But I've always had this large laundry room.  And I even drew up some ideas to make it smaller cause it has a huge closet that I didn't feel like I needed and so much floor space that it felt unnecessary.  Well, turns out the closet fits both my wheel and the kiln and all the other stuff that is needed.  I have access to the washer and dryer and sink to easily clean up.  And it is nice to be able to shut the door.  The unnecessary floor space is suddenly necessary.  So I'm super excited! 

Simone used the kiln the past few days and it heats up the house too, so that might have to move to the patio in the summer but there is a little part of me that is wondering if that kiln could basically turn my laundry room into the next thing I've had my eye on, a sauna!  It gets so hot in there.  We have thermostat struggles over here cause I'm always cold and Jared is always hot.  So today I'm freezing and I can just cuddle up by my hot laundry room and get warm fast.  

I think it is really sweet that he wanted me to have this stuff.  Miles asked me last Christmas what I do for me.  Since I'd planned to have our family go to the pottery place they knew it was something I enjoyed and wanted to pursue and got them thinking of how fun it would be to be able to do it at home.  So they bought a wheel from Amazon, but then a few days later one came up on auction that was so nice!  It really is amazing what a difference it makes to have the larger one.  They found the kiln on KSL.  It was a little overwhelming cause I wasn't that invested haha.  But now I have the stuff, I should use it!

I was a little afraid of the kiln and how to start it.  But its super easy.  And we are excited to do more than bisqueware here soon.  

Miles's first Baptism

Miles had a great week.  He and his trainer taught 40 lessons and found some really great people.  They get a lot of referrals which is so great.  Elise in Italy and Jared in Pittsburgh would've loved to have that many appointments!  They also got to baptize this awesome guy Izaqui.  He lives next door to this super cool member family and Miles's trainer found him on a split last transfer.  But they didn't think he would be baptized cause he just had so many doubts.  He was convinced there couldn't be anymore revelation or prophets.  He's a bible scholar and is very interested in studying religion.  Miles said they gave him a Book of Mormon and that was all they needed to do because as soon as he started reading the spirit took over and testified to Izaqui that it was true.  He was really excited to hear how all the things fit together.  Miles explained that he was "tweaking" (love hearing him use slang words to describe spiritual experiences cause it reminds me that despite all the changes, he is still the same) when he learned that Elijah has already come.  He heard there was a caravan that takes members to the Sao Paulo and Campinas temples.  So even though he couldn't go in, he took this long bus ride (like 7 or 10 hours) to go to the visitors center.

He came home and was ready to be a member of the church.  He is such a cool guy and Miles was so excited to be a part of it all.

Izaqui had dinner with the elders and the bishop on Christmas and Miles is excited he'll have some new friends at church.  

One of Miles's Brazilian comps asked Miles what apple pie was like cause he's seen it referenced in so many movies.  So Miles made him one so he could try it!  Miles said this Brazilian has the biggest heart of anyone he knows and is just such a nice person.  He didn't have a rolling pin or a pie tin so he had to make do.  Hopefully his friend had some ice cream to go with it!

Jared and I really enjoyed hearing Miles so engaged in scriptures and the gospel.  He said a few times that growing up, you just don't really understand why we go to church or how it all fits together.  Its just something that you've always done.  And being on a mission you gain a lot of perspective.  And a big part of that is actually doing the reading and everything else and putting into practice.

We were super happy to hear how much respect he has for his mission president as well.  It is always nice to know that your kid is in good hands.  Transfers are this week and he has a feeling that he will get a Brazilian comp, which would be so great for his language skills.  He's had an amazing trainer and he's very grateful to Elder Haro who is so good at teaching the gospel and such a hard worker.  They also heard that some people they taught from their last area were baptized this week.  They were very excited to hear that.

Christmas Day

It was a very merry Christmas! We brought out the box of christmas pj bottoms.  We have a big box with most of the sizes and when needed we buy new ones!  It is always hard for me to find all the sizes for so many people, especially Jared since his need to be tall in order not to look way cropped.  So we just started using the same ones each year and packing them away after the season is over.  It also feels very practical this way.  This year we all got matching tops.  I made everyone take a photo, which was kinda blurry and not very good but that's okay!  

Christmas Eve we went to Jareds moms.  She does a Mexican dinner with enchiladas, 7 layer dips, etc.  We brought a veggie tray and some key lime pie and the cheesecake.  Then all the great grandkids did a nativity while Grandpa read Luke 2.  It was adorable and cute little Elaina wanted Soleil to sit in the 8 inch doll manger.  Soleil was a busy girl on Christmas Eve and didn't get her naps and she was so tired!  But Janelle is an old pro Mary and she knew how to handle it.  

Grandma and Grandpa are the classic grandparents.  The same decorations have been used all through at least four decades.  And it is always fun to see the ones our kids loved when they were little.  There is a Santa and Mrs Claus that used to move so I volunteered one of the engineers in the fam to fix it. Either that or we will have Miles do it when he gets back. 

Grandma and Grandpa have been growing sprouts and salad greens in their basement for a few years now. They eat a lot of greens.  Its pretty cool to see it all set up!  Grandpa is a master gardener but unfortunately their yard doesn't have the best sun and also huge pine trees that acidify the soil.  Se he brought his garden indoors and can enjoy it all year long.  We joke a little about their "grow operation" but truly its very cool.

When we got home, Elise and I worked on our gingerbread houses a little more.  Monet and Carson were traveling home from Nashville with his family, and so got there pretty late.  But we were all excited to hear about their fun trip!

Jared was worried for a few days that he didn't get enough stocking stuffers.  I had divided up all the stuff into bags so he could be easily reassured that there were plenty.  But he still looked concerned haha.  When he finally got each one filled and there was still a whole big gift bag full of stuff for each person that wouldn't fit, he realized he was okay.

He loves to do the stockings.  It is his favorite part of Christmas. The kids all love to see the random weird stuff he puts in there.  This year Simone got a "warhead pickle"  which is basically a packaged pickle in a bag that is super sour.  He also gave us all pickle shots. Ew. The kids loved it.  One year he gave me a cricket protein bar and I just couldn't eat it.  He found some really cool auction thing this year like these extra cool knives for all the boys.  He bought cute socks for the girls.  I was impressed he knew about Temu before anyone else in the fam!

I loved what he got me!  I decided I want to use my china more so I just needed a few more pieces.  And he found one in my same pattern on auction that is this super beautiful soup tureen with a huge tray.  Its hard to tell the scale in the photo but it is large! On eBay it is hundreds of dollars but he got such a good deal!  I was so excited because I've been admiring that one.  He also got me some cute Anthropologie napkins that I wanted. 

Christmas morning we all went to grandma's again and made the big breakfast.  We each brought pre made things.  I bring the OJ,  baked french toast by pioneer woman and a frittata.  And then at Grandmas we all help make the bacon, hash browns, sausage, eggs, and cheese toast.  My kids love that breakfast.  This is all followed by opening gifts from grandma and grandpa and they open ours to them during which there is a wrapping paper ball war.  

How cute is Soleil in her red jammies that our friend Jen gave her?  So adorable!

So cute how they follow us out and wave goodbye every time we leave.

This year we did a nicer dinner and a roast.  In the past we just let the kids eat the crap in their stockings for dinner and they were real happy with that.  But I like the idea of changing it up now that we are getting older and mac and cheese isn't so exciting.  It was pretty and I got to use my new 12 days of Christmas napkins.

We all have been playing perpetual commotion a lot lately but we need a new family game cause we are all getting tired of losing to Monet and Simone.

Tis the Season

We had a fun Christmas!  The holidays aren't quite the same without Miles cracking jokes, teasing everyone, and pulling out some amazing gift giving.  But it was fun to have all the first things with Soleil too.  I feel guilty having fun when he's not here, and then posting about it!  But he's really staying busy on his mission and he likes to hear what we are doing at home, so that is good!

Highlights:

We had our annual hotel sleepover in Salt Lake.  We went to Red Iguana, watched games and build the Office lego set, watched the Office, shopped, had some great pizza at Settebello, saw Wonka, got new sweatshirts for everyone to go with our pj pants, ate dinner at Caffe Molise, and basically stuffed ourselves sick.  Two restaurant meals in one day is too much honestly.  I think we may switch it up and do something different next year!  We started doing this hotel sleepover when our kids were teens because at home they just wanted to leave and go be with friends.  So it was our way to capture them for a couple days haha.  We would see the lights at Temple Square (now under construction) and do our sibling gift shopping.  Now its probably tricky with babies and work schedules etc so we might need to modify next year.  But we loved it and it always feels great to have everyone close.  Our weekend ended with Savannahs beautiful wedding!

My grandma used to say I looked like a Kewpie doll, but I think Soleil does too

Savannahs beautiful second dress!  She looked so pretty and I was so impressed that she planned her whole wedding while working, going to school, taking care of a toddler and being super sick with morning sickness.  She's amazing.  I didn't get a good seat for photos cause we had to sneak in a couple minutes late.  I had vertigo in between setting up and coming back for the wedding.  
Took my meds and was happy to at least make it, even if late!  

We went with Elise and Ethan to watch Soleil meet Santa at the Outlets.  She was so adorable and just wanted to touch the beard.  Soon she got a pouty face and Elise swooped in and rescued her before she started crying.  

I've always wanted to make gingerbread houses from scratch.  We did it one year when I was young and I always remembered that and how fascinating it was and so exciting that we actually baked something with real sugar in it.  I felt like I was making the house from Hansel and Gretel.  So last year I bought the Judy's Gingerbread PDF with recipes and frosting. 

I think we got the gist of it and I'm sure we can improve next year!  I really wanted candy windows so we did the crushed up jolly ranchers.  I think we will just keep a lot of the candy etc for next year.  It wasn't very expensive and was fun to have more of a variety to decorate the houses with than what just comes in the kits.  It definitely took awhile to bake all the gingerbread for everyone.  I really enjoyed the process and so did Elise.  

Next year I'm going to buy some isomalt for the windows so they can be clear.  And our little bases were basic.  So we can level up on that as well!

lets be real, the Golden Grahams for breakfast after this was what they were more excited about

It was our last Christmas Sing at the elementary school.  We brought Soleil along since she really enjoyed the Halloween Parade.  She likes seeing kids and they love her!