Merry Christmas (2023) and a Happy New Year!!!

 As much as I tried to get this by Christmas Eve or Christmas, life stays busy and it just doesn't always happen. So, Happy New Year!!! I'm so torn on digital greeting cards vs. mailing them out. I like receiving cards and I enjoy sending them out, but it seems to get harder and harder. Oh well, maybe we'll alternate. Sad news is Trisha's phone died so she lost a lot of pictures and contacts. Thankfully, her brother and his wife salvaged this picture (a little photoshopping). Trisha found matching jammies for the dogs as well. Matt was thrilled! hahaha

I think we'll start from December and work backwards:

December is a special time for a few reasons. Dec 10th is Brielle's bday and she turned 15. She has been chomping at the bit to do driver's ed. She made sure to have her first lesson, with her dad, on her bday. She had a band concert and played the flute (first chair in her band) and then she played a flute duet on Christmas Eve at church.

                                                                                        

Brenlee had a dance recital (four times over three days) and the opening night, Bryce gave Bryndal a glass plate and she fell with it and sliced open her hand. I had to drop Brenlee at her recital and head to urgent care. They were nice to evaluate it and suggested the ER b/c of her age. Tx Children's Urgent care suggested the same thing. Matt took her in and she got three stitches. A weekish later, Brenlee ran into a pole at the ninja gym and got a concussion. We made another urgent care visit to have her checked out, after she threw up a second time. She had to have brain rest for a week and take it easy. 

December 20th we celebrated 18 years of marriage. If you've ever seen Shrek 2 where they have kids crawling all over them and they're exhausted. That pretty much sums up our anniversary. We had pizza with the kids and decided to do an official anniversary date later. We're thankful for 18 years of growing and stretching and we have many more to go. Marriage is a blessing and our kids are the bonus. 

Dec. 25th we enjoyed Christmas at home and had the ASL missionaries over for dinner. It was fun to have them and a good friend, Rachel, come join us. We're truly blessed to rub shoulders with so many wonderful people. Their visits are never long enough for the kids because they always want to play one more game. hahaha We sure love Christmas and Christ is the best.gift.ever! We love having a bday party to celebrate Him.One of our favorite parts of each day was reading a different name of Christ and a scripture to go along with it. Bryndal's favorite part was unwrapping a book each day. I had to fight her over the manger. hahaha

We decided to host a "Light the World" Christmas party and it was so much fun. I think we'll make it an annual event. We have done an "Egg-cited about Easter" activity in years past and I think we'll make this a new December tradition. We had a few stations set up.

• Meals on wheels: decorate paper bags for them to use to pass out meals   
• Blessing bags: collect and bag items to hand out to the homeless. If you have an old purse, save it b/c they're great to pass out to women. If you have a drawstring backpack or any backpack, those work great too.
• Gratitude Box: wrap and place snacks and drinks in a box for  Amazon, postal workers etc  
• RTD ribbons: we pass these out with flyers on RTD awareness day (Nov 15th) and this was a great way to help us with that effort.

Yesterday, Trisha got to go see her deaf friend, Rachel, give a talk. She held the pages for the interpreter during the talk and has such an appreciation for interpreters, especially when interpreting for someone that signs super fast, like Rachel. hahaha In March Rachel was rebaptized and it's been exciting to see her progress. In her talk she shared that there weren't ASL missionaries to give her the discussions before she was baptized for the first time. Apparently there was a window where they didn't have them in her area of Utah. It blew everyone's mind. However, this time, she was taught by a missionary that she knows her family. She was able to answer her questions and give her the support she needed. I think sometimes in life we ask, why did the Lord allow that to happen. We really don't know why she sort of fell through the cracks when it came to learning the gospel without ASL missionaries. We do know that it was a tender mercy that she's had overwhelming support this second time around. Heavenly Father allows us to struggle sometimes. It's hard but He has a plan. We just have to trust. 

We had the opportunity to go see a long time friend from the Single's ward days (Desirea) and her husband, John, (and family) for New Year's Eve. The kids were a bit reluctant b/c they didn't know anyone and because they wanted to do our traditions. It's fun to invite friends to events but it's also fun to go try out their activities too. So glad we went. They make different types of pizzas and then do lots of games. Most of the kids finally warmed up and seemed to enjoy themselves. I told them we can do some of our things later. We did make it back home to catch some fireworks. Our neighborhood does some amazing fireworks...they don't disappoint. As we closed the door on 2023 and welcome 2024, we're excited for a New Year. While we love new beginnings and goals, we also have to remember that we don't need to wait for a new year to start a goal. Each day is a fresh start and we're thankful for the reset. 

November: highlights

• BYU vs TCU vball game: Brielle has been wanting to go to a live game to see Whitney Bower play her senior year. They won the game which made the experience all the sweeter. We also go to see Trisha's childhood best friend, Mary. 
• Families Feeding Families: the kids youth group (and families) got to help as the clean up crew for the Families Feeding Families. It was a fun experience and one we hope to do again.    
• RTD Awareness Day (Nov 15): RTD is a rare genetic disorder. It impacts 1 in a million but we like to say "One in a Minion". see www.cureRTD.org for more details.
• Thanksgiving with Trisha's brother and family.

October

• Halloween: Matt took the kids while Brielle and I watched a movie. :) The younger two girls loved to dress up in different costumes all month long.
• Trunk or Treat: Matt and Brayden went to a football game in Austin with Matt's brother, Michael. Trisha took the kids to two trunk or treats with extra kids. Phew! but so much fun!!! (see why the movie on Halloween night?)
• Dia de Los Muertos event at the museum
• Prek dress up for Bryndal. Nice BYU cheerleader costume!
• Bryce got gold for his Special Olympic swimming. He had some fans. Thanks Rachel and JB for coming to support him!
• Music Makers Halloween carnival                   
• Bryndal's 3rd bday on Oct 19
• Solar Eclipse           
• Bucket of Chalk (ninja comp in Colorado). Brayden said for his bday he wanted to go to the competition. We made a family trip out of it. Our niece, Amber, got married the same weekend so we divided and conquered. She married Lincoln in the temple and Matt was able to attend. Brielle stayed with me for Bucket of Chalk. Brayden met lots of ninjas and was blessed to go out early with his friend, John, to get acclimated, and then we drove up at the end of the week. 
• We flew from Colorado to Utah and got to see family. We went to some more ninja gyms (Impact, The Grip and The Ninja Playground.) We saw my bils (Jacob and Ben's) farm. We went to the temple open house in St. George with Papa & Grandma Nelson. They had special permission to come home from their mission in New Zealand for our niece (their granddaughter's) wedding. We stayed with Trisha's cousin, Stacy.    

September

• Brayden turned 17 on the 19th. He loves watermelon so we had watermelon wedges at the ninja gym.       
• Combined ninja party bday at Iron Sports with the cousins. 

August

• Matt turned 49 on the 12th. We joined him for a work lunch and then had friends over to celebrate.
• School started: Brayden's a junior, Brielle, a freshman, Bryce a 7th grader, Brenlee a 4th grader and Bryndal started a Mommy preschool and playgroup.
• We started watching Baby Marshall. Bryndal wasn't too sure at first but fell in love with him. She was sad when his family moved in November. Brayden was accepted to BYUI's concurrent enrollment program. Brielle tried out for volleyball but when she didn't make it, she found out marching band isn't as bad as she thought it would be.      
• Matt and Trisha's Super date to Astros Game.
• Ruby's vet visit because someone put a rubber band around her foot.

July

• Texas was crazy HOT this summer and we thought we were going to melt.     
• Project Talk: Brayden volunteered at the camp through the Texas Hearing Institute. 
• Our cute niece, Amber, got engaged to Lincoln.    
• Trisha struggled to keep the garden alive. Between the extreme heat and bugs...the struggle was real. She managed to make some salsa. 
• Brayden flew by himself and went to FSY ASL.
• Fourth of July with the Lash family. Brayden looks like a beast playing soccer. He loves to go play soccer with the ninjas when he gets a chance. 
• Brielle FSY (for the strength of youth) during the 4th of July week.   

   

June

• Summer Reading Challenge started.
• Happy Father's Day to Matt!!! Bryndal is obsessed with her daddy and loves when he comes home from work. Sometimes she'll ask if we can go to his work. She loves to go in the car with him whenever she gets the chance.
• Brenlee a dance and cheer camp. Also she did a volleyball camp through the school. Trisha prefers the camps over a season bc they get a taste of the sport versus a full season. 
• Brayden finished his 50 mow challenge with the Raising Men lawncare service.
• American Ninja Warrior watch parties
• We watched Trisha's brother's youngest son, Zachary, while their family went to New York. Brenlee is the best mother's helper. They played so well together. We went to the library, a splash pad, gymnastics open gym and hung out in the backyard. A little side note, we collapsed the sandbox and put all the sand in the mermaid garden. A better use of space.     
• Youth temple trip. Here's a funny story from my facebook: 

Yesterday Bryce had a temple trip but literally waited till the last min to do his laundry. I tried to help him out by air drying them but apparently Heavenly Father believes in natural consequences too—it started raining on our way. they did get mostly dry and then it poured as we pulled into the parking lot. Hopefully Mr. Bryce has learned his lesson about procrastinating.

May

• Brielle graduated from middle school. She had the opportunity to apply for the National Junior's Honor Society but she didn't. She's smart but her anxiety takes the reins sometimes.  
• Zoo with the ASL sister missionaries
• Brenlee's dance recital...Hiphop.
• Brielle gets braces.
• Matt and Boys to an Astros game courtesy of Hatching for Health.
• Brielle's band concert-she played the flute and the piccolo
• Mother's Day....love my tribe of five! We happened to find a parking lot under water and the kids played in it.
• Korean Night with the Hepworth family. Their son, Tyler, was called to serve in Korea
• Brayden went to a church sponsored Prom. Brielle went to a dance and I did her hair. Our stake and surrounding stakes are really good about having youth dances. The kids love to go. Brayden struggles to hear and Brielle doesn't like big crowds but she does like dancing with boys. hahaha They both have hard things but they do it anyway.
• Brielle played club volleyball and that was rough. It was a big time commitment and cost an arm and a leg. Matt's company did a sponsorship which was helpful but even still, ouch! It was a good experience for her and for us but we told Brenlee if she wants to do club, she can do the homeschool league. It's much more affordable.
• May the 4th be with you! Fun to dress up all Star Wars.
• Tiny (ballerina) ninja

April

• Combined bday party with the cousins. Sometimes our schedules get crazy so we have to lump a few bdays together. It works! better late than never.
• Hatching for Health interview
• Children's museum-love to watch life through the eyes of a child.   
• 50th bday celebration for my friend, Carrie.
• Crawfish boil at Matt's work
• Bryce was gifted a trike bike.
• Brayden in the homeschool play, the Tempest by Shakespeare.
• Bryndal's field trip to the farm.
• Easter with the Barrier cousins and ASL missionaries. Trisha found a bunny hopping around the neighborhood and brought it home for everyone to enjoy but did find the owners.
• Trek: this is a pioneer experience that both kids have done before; however, this time was more of a real pioneer experience as the weather was wet and cold.            
• General Conference and annual mulching with the missionaries.
• Brenlee leveled up in gymnastics
• April fools is Braydens jam. Trisha did a little phone trick on Matt. :)
• Brayden's the FSY ASL poster child. He made the church news.

March

• Trisha turned 44 on the 17th.! No better way to celebrate than a fruit rainbow and Clean Juice. Trisha and the younger four went to Weatherford to see her friend, Mary, and camped on her property.
• Brenlee turned 9 on the 11th.
• Brielle had a band concert.
• Bryce had a special olympic game while Matt was out of town (Vegas) with his brother, Michael, at a BYU game.

February

• Bryce made a new friend, Ethan, at Special Olympic basketball. His volleyball team took silver at state.
• Valentine boxes
• Bryce turned 12 on the 10th. We had a party at the school park. The weather was perfect!!! Missionaries over for bdays is a fun tradition.
• Brenlee's art classes with Ms. Shara
• Brielle's solo and ensemble. I love that parents are welcome and encouraged to go. Her nerves were in full force but she got 1's on both.

January

• Bryce was able to go to the temple for the first time. Every time he goes, there's a special spirit and someone is always touched to see Brayden baptize him using ASL. There's usually a bit of confusion on whether he needs to voice the prayer or sign it or both.
• We welcomed 2023 and felt like the car was either cozy coupe or crazy coupe.
• We rung in the new year...literally, with bells and activities. We started a jar of good things to add through the year and will read next year. We try to share something good that happened to us when we have dinner. I love this idea of collecting memories through the year.