Christmas Eve

I'm upstairs in my room while the kids are here and Corey's dad and sister with her family. Started at 6, I was up here until 7, then was down from 7-7:45 cleaning, I didn't eat. I went to Walmart to buy sour cream cause Abi said we needed it, then on an impulse I bought a package of Teriyaki beef jerky in the checkout lane and ate that on the way home. Apparently I'm feeling stressed or something. I might be anti social, or I'm just struggling to feel the Christmas spirit. I can hardly feel or hear Christ, feels like Santa just takes over everything. I did bring up some candles that I'm hoping we can light later after we turn off all the lights and we read some scriptures. I'm not smiling or faking it very well. Is it better to hide then to be around everyone with a resigned expression? Resigned, waiting for time to pass, for Christmas to be done, enduring, putting up with... what? Traditions? I reserved the church and thought it would be fun to go play games over there, but that got shot down. I don't know if I've ever had Christmas cheer. I usually get the Christmas grumps. 8:10pm. Mel and Christian have arrived. K, I guess I better go back down. 

10 pm. Corey is at his dad's packing up the sleigh to bring back home. I'm going to get up around 1 or 2 to set it out. So I better go to bed. The family gathering was nice. I went down and they were watching a video of Wride Christmases through the years that Hyrum made. 

He did a good job. 5 year old Corey at the beginning: "Where is my pile???!" He looks so much like Peter! After that video, we watched the Nate Bargatze's Christmas Nativity Scene, funny! "How much glitter and glue, angel?" "All of it." We then read Luke 2 and then watched the Light the World video of "A Silent Night Surprise in Times Square". That all felt good. Last video, The Christ Child: A Nativity Story. That one is so so good. Brought tears to my eyes. I'm so grateful that I've been blessed with so many beautiful babies. I've loved seeing them grow into children and adults, but there's something so amazing about welcoming a new soul into your life. Jesus was no different. He needed a body just like all of us do. Only his birth was exceptional because it meant we could all have everlasting life, and we could all receive resurrected bodies. He was perfect in his mortal life, gave his life for us, and rose from the dead. Without Easter, there would be no Christmas. Corey and I listened to a follow him podcast recently, the Christmas one, and in it Hank Smith shared that when he was younger, he thought it was easy for Jesus to be good because he was a God. But actually, because Jesus was a God, that meant his life could be hard. Hard enough for him to understand and know all our sorrows and suffering. He was able to endure more than any human could. This past year I compared it in my mind to doing a ninja warrior course for the 3000 miles across Antarctica, in -74 degree temperatures in the black of winter. It would not be possible for us, but because of who Jesus was, he had control to keep himself alive and make himself endure what was impossible for man. I'm grateful for him. Sigh, I'm glad we paused to remember him tonight. 

10:45 - Corey's home. So here's how today went: I woke up at 6:30 and went to Momentum, but it was closed. Holiday hours today 10 - 6. So then I went home. Kids all needed to go to the store for more gifts. Abi took SNODPK to Dollar Tree and Walmart while Corey and I went climbing. But first we went to Savers, which is right next to Momentum in Millcreek. After some top rope, Corey went to wrap the stuff we got at Savers and I stayed to do a few boulder problems and sit in the sauna. Then we went to Beka's to get some stuff she and Matt made for the kids with their 3D printer. Then home, finish making chili, Abi cooked rolls, veggies, and pork ribs. I ran to Walmart at 5 for paper bowls and sour cream. Back at 6, people arriving, I went to breath in my room. Nancy got this photo of Peter enjoying his ribs, lol ~

The kids are still wrapping gifts. Abi and Lily's room is the current elves workshop.

I read a few scriptures, but we did a good job with all the family here, so I did a little bit on my own then called it good. 

I don't know how people ever read by candlelight. I couldn't see a thing. Mary liked the candles though!

Oh she's so smiley!! Joseph and Eliza got here yesterday. They're staying until Mel's wedding, so we all get lots of Mary time.

Today the high temperature was 61! Thus, there is no snow this Christmas. Tomorrow the high is forecast to be 54 , low of 45, pretty crazy. We are going to Wayne's at 2. 11pm now, good night. I'm getting up early. 

Little Mel & Christian

Well we're half way through December and as of this moment (5:35 pm on Saturday Dec 13th) I've only published one blog post this month. Doh, the month is racing away from me again. I have been being productive though, but mostly doing the not exciting things, such as being on top of laundry. As for the state of the laundry room... yikes. I'm working on one corner at a time. First corner is our bedroom, and I'm doing a good job keeping our door locked so that it stays clean. I've been reading Simple Abundance and she's had a few things during the fall months (Oct & Nov) that have helped me look at our home and each room and drawer with intention for what things should be used for. As for our bedroom, I've moved out the tv, which Corey and I never watch, and also moved out the pink chair, so now I can use my desk in here cause I don't have the noise of kid movies on the tv next to me. Amazing. So here I am at my desk and I'm working on making photos of Mel and Christian for the wedding celebration (the side by side pictures that I did for Ethan & Bella and Joseph & Eliza.) So far they're turning out cute!

I guess that's easy when you have two cute little people in each photo.

Aww, it's so fun to remember our little Mel! 

And to see a little Christian! Both of them on their 1 year birthday.

Those cute little babies are all grown up and getting married. To quote Fiddler on the Roof ~ Sunrise, sunset, Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play? don't remember growing older, when did they? I'm going to go keep at it while I can. Abi and Lily are both at the Skyline Winter's Dance tonight. Sophi and Natalie are with Corey and Katharine over at Wayne's house. ODP are here - O watching football highlights and DP are playing with the remote control car. It's loud. I think I'll go close my door. Going to keep working on these side by side photos. <3

Owen was invited to Breakfast with Santa by his friend Liam. So nice of him! Owen had a great time with his friends Eli, Liam, and Afton, and Liam's little sister.

They got to see the Grinch too!

Now it's 10 pm on Saturday night. I've been up here working in pictures at the computer. Corey and the kids got back around 8pm. Corey kept working in his office, and Natalie got Peter and Katharine engrossed in a game of Cinderella.

(Somehow Natalie fit into the pink ballet costume she wore 4 years ago, impressive!) There is music playing, Katharine runs away from the ball, they are cute and we're smiling at them, then when their game is done, Natalie asks Corey "Can we watch Cinderella?" Corey says "No, it's 10pm." Natalie tells Katharine the sad news: "Dad says we can't watch it." Katharine says to Natalie "Let me try..." and she  goes and asks Corey the same question, haha! Of course we thought that was adorable that Katharine thought she had some stronger influence over her father, and of course she was correct, so Corey turned it on for a little bit. We didn't let them watch the whole thing, but we did put it on. Super cute Katharine, we love her and yes, she has us wrapped around her finger! 

Melodie is 25!

Happy Birthday to the wonderful Melodie! 

Tonight she and Christian went to the same concert that they went to last year for their first date, aww! (mentioned at end here). I entered to get tickets but was not selected. Christian's family had 6 extra, so we borrowed 4 of them and Corey and I were going to go too, and we had Daniel and Peter tag along. (Abi was at a Lyceum concert, Lily Sophi and Natalie had a book club with neighborhood friends, and they took Katharine with them). It was so crowded downtown that we were late, so Corey dropped us off and then went to park. We got in ok and got a seat at the front by the projectors, which were blowing warm air, but it wasn't too hot, just nice and cozy. I was texting Corey to let him know where we ended up, trying to avoid a repeat of 2018. It was around 8:40 when he was at the doors, but he was not allowed in cause the seats were all taken (it was general admission then standby, so it was all full). We could have tried to have Peter sit on my lap, but security wouldn't let him in, so he watched from the tabernacle, then waited for us in the car after, so we had a speedier exit than most. 

So this Christmas concert is a big deal. It's an annual event by The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, held last night, tonight, and tomorrow too. This year the guest performers were Broadway stars Stephanie J. Block & Sebastian Arcelus, and the message focused on themes of hope and the Apollo 11 mission. It was good. Peter was a little bored, so I rubbed his back. Daniel LOVED the sing along part. We sang Jingle Bells, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, and Silent Night. After the concert was done, 4 people around us told him how much they loved hearing him sing. A girl behind us said it was the highlight of the evening for her, and she couldn't sing cause she was too moved to tears by Daniel. So that was some people behind us, and then there was a couple right next to Daniel who also told him he sang amazing and that he has a God given gift. I got a pic of Daniel's silouhette as he gave a standing ovation.

His hair was a bit crazy as you can see by the volume of his silhouette. He just let it airdry after taking a shower after school, which I told him to do to get all the baby powder out of it from being Albert Einstein at the 3rd grade Wax Museum today. 

I was laughing at how I pulled this look off. Daniel's natural hair volume plus hair glue with baby powder and hairspray to try and seal it in. The mustache was made with a little white paint, then using hair glue again to try and make a few trimmings from the duster stick to his lip. haha...

When he went downstairs to show Mel and Christian his finished look, they laughed at how he was sneezing - a combination from the powder in his nose plus the duster cotton tickling from his upper lip. Ready to go to school!

He really wanted to stick out his tongue, but his teacher told him he couldn't. So I got a pic of that from home. Corey, Katharine and I went over to the museum. 

Such interesting statues.  

Daniel didn't take being "wax" very seriously and he was moving around a lot, including changing his facial expression...

Hey! Get that tongue back in!

I'm biased but I think he was the best Einstein there. 

Another year done at the wax museum. Past years:

2012 - Hyrum as Abraham Lincoln
2014 - Wes as Norman Rockwell   
Feb 2017 - Abi as Helen Keller
Dec 2017 - Lily as Amelia Earhart, 
Jan 2021 - Sophi as Sally Ride
Dec 2021 - Natalie as Ruby Bridges
2023 - Owen as John Glenn

Mel and Christian came and saw Daniel, so that was fun. Mel walked through the hall to see the grizzly drawing she did back in 2012. It is still hanging proudly on the wall. 

Mel and Christian are such a great couple, and I love how they are so supportive of the younger kids and do so many nice things for our whole family! M&C stayed up here after helping us last night with the little music program we did for our neighbor. It was fun to hang out will Mel on her birthday! She might have hung out with Katharine more than me. Mel played Uno with K and Mel won twice, thus bringing Katharine to tears, haha. I didn't have my phone with me at the time or I would have gotten a photo of that, little K sulking at the coffee table, so cute. Mel, you have to let her win, always! K recovered from the trauma. Mel and Christian treated us all to homemade pizzas for dinner tonight in a little portable pizza oven that he put up in the backyard. Um, wow. Peter had two friends over who got to make their own pizzas - 

And then when the dough was starting to be cooked, Sophi and Natalie came home with half a dozen friends, doh! They had stayed after school for a ballroom rehearsal, then showed up around 6. Mel and Christian had enough to feed all of them too, but when they walked in I was thinking "Hey Mel! Happy birthday! To celebrate, why don't you make dinner for us and all the kids' friends!" They weren't planning on that big of a crowd, but there was more than enough to go around. Just loaves and fishes miracles happening, helped by the magic of Mel and Christian!

27 Years Ago

December 2nd is a special date for me. It is a date that was the end goal in my mind during the year 1998 when I was serving a mission for the Lord in Arizona. The Lord comes first in my life, and I stayed focused as I did the Lord's work, but I also counted down to December when my service would be complete and I would return home. December 2nd is the date I took a short flight from Phoenix Arizona to Salt Lake City, coming back from my mission and got to see Corey again after 3 1/2 years apart! Someone caught a photo for us that day - from my scrapbook (way back in the 1900's and the days before blogging)...

Together again, yay! That day was a dream come true and the beginning of our life together. A short 2 months later we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple, eternally bound, never to be separated. So, yeah, that's what I think of every December 2nd. And I also think of Shannon. I love her too. Just realized she passed away when she was 50, and I'm almost 50! What would I do if I knew my time was drawing to a close? I will try to live like that today. One of my biking songs is "When I Die" by Kyle Hume, I like it. So far, I do think I'm proud of who I've become here on the ground. Also in that photo above is my Snow college roommate Diana who was so nice to come to see me, as well as our high school friend Dave.

So today is Tuesday, which is my temple day. On my way to the Jordan River Temple at 4:30 am, initiatories at 5, leaving a little before 6 am. I sent a polo to the Hibbert Gospel channel, then took a photo to send to my family for their "daily shot of the temple". 

Corey was on his way to the temple at 6, I went bouldering, and he shared a really nice message with the kids sharing his testimony of the temple. I'll come back and transcribe some of it later. 

Mel called me today and we went over some wedding stuff. She's picked out her color palate, pretty!

And she's also settled on a venue. We signed and paid for that today. Mel decided on The Activity Barn at Wheeler Farm. She and Abi went to see that on yesterday and they said it will be good. I didn't know how we would pay for the things we did for Ethan and Bella's Wedding, OR Joseph and Eliza's, but somehow we did and we are still alive almost two years later. How shall we pay for Mel's? Probably the same way - by going forward with faith. Similar to something I read today... The Liahona (LDS Church magazine) had a supplement with it's November issue: a memoriam of President Russell M. Nelson's life. He passed away on September 27, 2025 at the age of 101. I read some of it this morning and there was one part I really liked on page 5-6.

"When Elder Spencer W. Kimball called and set Dr. Nelson apart as a stake president in 1964, Elder Kimball joked “Everybody we’ve interviewed around here says you might be all right, but you don’t have the time. Do you have the time?" "I don’t know about that," Russell replied, "but I have the faith!"

Corey and I have never had money set aside for hospital bills when we've had another child, but somehow they've all been paid. So to steal President Nelson's response - Do we have the money to pay for a wedding? We don't know about that, but we have the faith. Wait... that quote didn't end with a period, but exclamation point! "I have the faith!"

Ice Skating & Engagement Pictures

Tonight we went ice skating here at Park City! This is my first time skating up here. 

The kids have come before, to the Resort Center Ice Skating Rink. I can't find it recorded here on the blog though. I didn't go skating that time but I do remember seeing videos of it. I searched my youtube but couldn't find videos there, hmm. They are most likely lost on a phone or computer somewhere, so good luck finding them. I was probably at the hotel room with an infant. Thus it was not documented here. But tonight was really fun and great. We had 12 tickets and spent time on Sunday fitting everyone up in the skates. We brought up all the skates we had and were able to fit up most of our group, and save $10 each (tickets were $25 for skating pass plus rental, or $15 for the pass if you brought your own skates). Corey had us all try them on and we were able to bring up all 12 of our pairs of skates. We went to the car to grab skates, then walked over to the rink.

Abi helped K get laced up.

It doesn't get much cuter than a little kid in snow clothes and skates (or skis)

Daniel let his attendants serve him. 

We had fun on the ice. Many of us used these skating aid things (similar to this). I used it for probably half of the time. I enjoyed going fast when I knew I wouldn't fall on my behind. I didn't take a break at all. K wasn't very good. She tried a little bit, but mostly her legs were wet noodles, even if she was able to hold onto the walker thing. Corey tried to help her, but she was still useless.

So then Corey carried her. I wouldn't trust myself to that, but Corey's had more experience skating. He played a little bit of ice hockey back in the day, and did a few stick and puck sessions with Wes. Kids taking a break - Corey brought hot cocoa, so they liked that. 

Everyone warming up. 

Little Alvie Bear is already snuggly and warm. 

After about an hour I felt like I had my legs under me and I was channeling my inner Bonnie Blair. I even crossed my legs over. Corey tried to help me go backwards too. 

Mel and Christian did this thing where she skated underneath his legs, impressive. Christian is taller than Corey, but Corey and I tried it too and we did it too, oh yeah! What other tricks do you got?? We'll have a contest! The girls got some insta worthy pics for "the gram". 

When the kids were done skating, Bella and Ethan got some skates and the girls watched Alvie and Kat. 

So that was a good activity tonight. Good job Corey for making that happen. Other than that, we've been playing around the hotel - doing some Twister - 

... hot tubbing... 

Sophi and Natalie getting ice cream in the Mine...

This morning, Corey and I drove down to SL and went climbing early, and then picked up Joseph, Eliza, and Mary at 9:30 from the airport. It was just a 4 hour direct flight from Columbus. Joseph said it felt like cheating to be able to cross all that land so quickly, when it took the pioneers months! Mary liked the Biscoff cookies served on the Delta flight. She made a yummy mess of herself with it, but she's so cute! So who could be upset?

She really is such a smiley happy baby! After getting them, we went by home to pick up Katharine and Peter's floaties, which we forgot, and my swimsuit, and a few other things, doh - we'll just gone for 3 days, and you'd think with all the junk we loaded up yesterday that we'd be set, but nope, we had to go back to get more (also forgot the salad stuff I needed for one of our contributions to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.) The kids took K swimming without floaties but were glad that we brought them up. 

That pic is from when Abi took her. I went to the pool with K after we were back with my swimsuit, but she always wants to move to a different spot. We'll be in one tub, then she'll want to move to another, and she even made me go into the big pool with her, which was not freezing, but cold enough that it took some bravery from me to leave the hot tubs and face the lukewarm temp, brr! The kids all went to the hot tub together, and Mary and Alive had a splash battle (battle 1 and battle 2). I missed that pool session cause I left to go with Mel and Christian to get some engagement photos taken by Nancy. I was the official chauffer, jacket holder, and bag carrier. We left with an hour of daylight and drove over to Deer Valley in search of some pine tree backgrounds.

She took a few hundred pics there, and then we were going to go up to Empire pass, but it was closed. We found a place to pull over close to Mid Mountain and took a few more there before the light was gone. 

With a handsome couple like this we know the pics are gonna turn out great!

Now the boys are all playing a game of Risk but it's been a full day for us so we'll let them stay up late if they want but I'm going to head to bed! 

Venue Searching then Up to Park City

Hello. Today the majority of my time was spent checking out venues for Mel's reception. Abi didn't have a flute lesson today, so I had the car, and she and I left at 10 and drove by Wildflower Event center. I wasn't impressed by my drive by - it's just in a strip mall. Meh, then I drove by the Midvale Cactus and tropicals, didn't love the parking or surroundings there. Then the Ivy House... that looked like it was closed - had a chain link fence around it. Then the Sugarhouse Cactus and Tropicals, I did like that one - easy access from the freeway, easy parking, and then we got back in the car and headed to Red Butte Garden to meet Mel and Aimee for a 12 appointment tour of the Orangerie. 

We really liked that one. It is usually $5000, but Saturdays in January are only $2500, yay. That is doable, the only catch is you have to use one of their caterers... We were able to stay and sit at one of the tables there and we called and emailed a few of them to try and get an idea of what that price would be for light refreshments. Didn't make too much progress with that, but they let us put a hold on the venue for one week for free, yay. So we'll try to do some work and figure out things before next Tuesday.

Katharine making her contribution as we tried to crunch numbers. 

Many decisions to be made, but the venue is one of the priorities, cause we have to have that one figured out so we can put it on the announcements. After Red Butte, Katharine and I went to Costco in SL to get some groceries for the next few days - we are up at Park City for Thanksgiving. Abi drove up with the kids, Corey and I drove together. We brought ice skates, coats, hats, and a bunch of other things that filled up the back of our two cars. It will be a fun week though with plenty of food, SpongeBob...

... and grandbabies!!! Alvie!!!

Joseph and Eliza and Mary are flying out and will be here in the morning, yay!! Fun fun for everyone.