Christmas Fun!

 White Christmas play at Tuacahn!  It was SO GREAT!

A walk through the beautiful lights at the Desert Garden!  

Last day of the 2023 school year/Christmas Party Fun!

Ferf's Graduation/Pinning Ceremony

 On Tuesday, December 12th, Ferf graduated from her Bachelors Science of Nursing program and had her Pinning Ceremony!  It's been a very long haul for her going to school through the thick and thin of a pretty nasty divorce.  She's amazing!  She has a final test to take and then she will be a registered nurse.  That raise her pay from the LPN wages that she's receiving now.  She has already chosen a job from several that she was offered.  She's working at a home health establishment that gives her better pay and better hours than working at the hospital.  So happy that the schooling is finally done and she can get on with life.  I can't believe she was able to do all she was doing during such a challenging time.  What a blessing this is for her.  We are so very proud of her for all of her diligence and hard work to do this and move forward in her life.  She got to choose who would "pin her" and she gave that honor to one of her running lady friends who has been there so supportively for her through the whole mess of her divorce and her getting her degree!  We are so thankful for these two wonderful ladies and for many others of her ward/neighbors who have helped and supported her through all of this.  YEAH FERF!

December Birthdays...almost lost in the shuffle

When Brynnli was down for Thanksgiving we just gave her her birthday present then and also Venmoed her some birthday money as well.  She turned 24. We love you Brynnli!  Not much celebrating went on for this one.  Just kind of got smashed in with the Thanksgiving visit.

Paul's birthday - he got a new suit because his old ones don't fit too well since he's lost a lot of weight doing the Fast, Feast, repeat lifestyle that we've been doing for several months now.  It was nice that he found one on Black Friday for a great price at Christensen's. He would never really tell me anything he wanted other than a new suit (he got a new shirt and socks too). He did get a new phone as well,  which he is learning to like. We did go out to Burger Theory (his choice) for his birthday dinner.  The kids called him and he loved that.  Ferf and kids brought over lots of good loot from everyone as well. They got him lots of dinner gift cards to nice places and a magnetic phone charger.  So, he turned 71, and almost had to go to a meeting for the new bishopric he's serving in now that night.  He's the 1st counselor in the Single Adult Ward.  (I'm a wife of the counselor and feeling very lost with nothing at all specific to do.  I guess that's how I felt when we first started in the YSA ward, but I had more opportunity to serve as a ward "Clerkette" than I will with bishopric type work.  We went to a ward family history activity and started meeting people, but that's the size of it for me right now.  Had to get released from the Primary Presidency in our home ward after about 3 weeks of service to do this.  Everyone says my job is to "just love them." Have to figure out who to sit by since Paul will be on the stand. Not loving it too much as yet, but I hope I will soon love it as much as I came to love our time in the YSA Ward that we served in before.)  We still had leftover pie from Thanksgiving, so he didn't even want/get cheesecake for his birthday and didn't even blow out any candles. Happy Birthday Paul!  We love you even without making much of a fuss about it.  

Kaia had her first birthday in Hawaii on vacation with Mom, Dad and big brother Jem.  She was kind of sick unfortunately, and the rest of us just plain couldn't be there for it.  We love you Kaia.  You're such a cutie.  This is the only picture I have to put for a birthday picture for you. We ended up giving you your birthday present with your Christmas present!  Life gets crazy!  Happy #1 Kaia!  We love you!

Gaige's Birthday came along and it was a big one, #18!  Again, there wasn't a lot of fuss made.  He got things he liked from his family, we ate cake and ice cream with them that night and gave him fancy socks and Oreos!  He and Kennis were having a crazy night!  He had sinus surgery a few days before, but was on the mend.  Happy Birthday Gaige!  We love you and think you're an awesome guy!  

During all of this time we were so busy with Thanksgiving, Anna Lou moving, Bean's problems, helping with the Ward Christmas Party, going to Ferf's nursing school graduation, and having Jay, Madi and Clara for company when they came down for some violin performances (they also did a little private concert for Grandma), that it seemed like we were just getting through it all as well as we could.