Christmas In California

We spent Christmas this year visiting Grandma, Grandpa, and Jamie in California (and of course enjoying the warm weather and sunshine!) 

First up was the tide pools! There was an extra low tide while we were there which made for perfect tide pool hunting. 

And the sunset while were were leaving the beach was perfect! A very fun and unique way to spend Christmas Eve. 

Of course Christmas morning was full of excitement for these cuties. After opening gifts from Santa, we headed to church then up to Cherry Valley to visit Grandpa-Great. 

Santa brought the kids a membership to the Aquarium, so the day after Christmas we headed there for a visit. Sadly half-way through Eliza started feeling yucky and spiked a fever. The two of us left to go sit on the beach for a bit while the other kids finished up with Michael. 

After Eliza, the kids started dropping like flies with high fevers and just feeling yucky! So we spent the next few days taking whichever kids weren't sick to outdoor places with few people while the sick kids rested at the house. Being sick on vacation is no fun, and sadly all five kids got it. We haven't had an illness hit that hard in years. Luckily after about 36 hours of fever each they were feeling much better. 

Hazel and Lenora enjoyed touring the temple with Michael. 

One day sweet Jamie watched sick kids and sent us on a date with Teri and Tony for a ride around the bay. We were able to see so many areas I had no idea existed and had a great time! 

As kids started recovering we were able to squeeze in some outside play and visits to the beach (though never all together). 

Did Lenora end up soaked even though she swore she wasn't going to get wet? Why yes, yes she did. 

With Eliza, Lenora, and Orson we saw a whole flock of pelicans fishing right by the shore. They loved watching them dive to catch fish. 

Jamie took Lenora on a breakfast date for her birthday and the girls out to the park. 

One night Michael and his parents got to go see a Mighty Ducks game. The Ducks even won! 

By our last day, Eliza, Lenora, and Orson had been well long enough for a return trip to the aquarium this time with Grandma, Grandpa, and Jamie. We were all glad Eliza got to go enjoy it. While they were gone, I took Conrad and Hazel, who were on the up and up but not completely better, to the beach. 

That night the kids enjoyed a movie night with Grandma and Grandpa while we snuck away for dinner. 

While the trip didn't go exactly according to plan, we still had a great time. It was wonderful to visit family and miraculously none of the adults got sick! 

December Highlights

December was a whirlwind! With Michael's new calling in the Stake Presidency, the already busy month was extra full. But, it was still wonderful, and we were still able to enjoy the Christmas season plus lots of other fun and exciting adventures along the way including: 

Conrad preparing to join the drum-line...

Michael officiating at the wedding of our dear friend Jennifer and her wonderful husband Cesar. 

Cross-stitching! I decided to cross-stitch each of the kids a Christmas ornament (I'm still not done, but they're getting close). Eliza enjoyed learning too and made this cute parrot for her gymnastics coach. 

Enjoying some beautiful snowy weather and sledding! 

For the girl's book club this month the younger girls read Pippi Longstocking and dressed up as the cutest Pippis! 

The older girls read Show Me a Sign and learned some signs/fingerspelling and a bit more about Deaf culture. 

Both Eliza and Lenora had their Jingle All the Way gymnastics shows but I somehow only have a picture of Eliza's team. 

Grandpa came to stay with us for over a week! The kids loved having him here, and he was so sweet completing little projects for us during his visit. He was also able to be here when Michael was called/set apart which was wonderful. While he was here he started a super hard puzzle with Lenora. It took us another week or two after he left to finally finish it. 

Hazel's choir performed parts of the Messiah. It was beautiful! Conrad wasn't super in to it though and was asleep within the first five minutes. 

Orson became a "black belt" in karate

Michael took some of the kids shooting one beautiful, cold Saturday morning. They had a great time and were only partially frozen when they got home. 

Our ward Christmas party was lovely and the kids signed a few songs.

I caught Conrad dancing with his cute little friend Arrow at Jennifer's wedding reception. He was SO adorable dancing all around. He even spun her a few times. Look out world! 

The kids and I celebrated the Winter Solstice with a candle-lit dinner. We did this last year and it's becoming a fun little tradition. Michael was at church, but hopefully he can join us next year. 

We had a wonderful day with Gram celebrating her birthday and Christmas before we left for California. Eliza made her favorite cake of course! 

Since we were going to be traveling to California for Christmas, the kids got to open their presents from us a few days early. The boys LOVED the Lincoln Logs and army men! 

By far the best part of our December though was our daily advent scripture. We've done this for years now, and each year it is wonderful and so special. This year we studied different names of Christ. As we studied a new name each day and reflected on that aspect of our Savior, we truly were filled with wonder and awe for Him. As the month went on, the kids struggled to settle on a favorite name. They liked this one, no that one, no this other one. Truly, our Savior has too many incredible names and characteristics to ever settle on a favorite. But we're all so thankful for each and every one of our Savior's qualities. 

"My earnest desire is that you will come to know Jesus by His many names and that you will become like Him as you exemplify His divine attributes in your life." 

- Elder Johnathan S. Schmitt

Lots of New, just not New York

Michael served his mission in Rochester New York, and we've wanted to visit since we were married. The first time it seemed like a real possibility was for our 10 year anniversary while we were living in Iowa. We planned to take a road trip up to NY with a few stops along the way. But, we ended up moving from IA to KY that summer and there simply wasn't time or money for the trip. 

Our next plan was for our 12th anniversary while living in KY. But, we also ended up moving that summer from KY to UT so again the trip didn't happen. 

We considered the next summer - then COVID hit. You get the picture - the NY trip kept not working out. 

Well, this fall we finally decided we were going to make it happen when we found a killer deal on flights from SLC to Buffalo. We booked the tickets, made plans for Michael's dad to come stay with the kids, and started planning our adventures. It was finally going to happen! 

BUT... one Sunday Michael came home with a question for me from the Stake President. "Would we consider postponing our trip to New York so that we would be in town for Stake Conference weekend?" We would be getting a new Stake President and the visiting general authority would like to interview all the Bishops. The Stake President felt strongly that Michael should be there for the weekend. 

We looked into possibilities, but postponing the trip was unrealistic. Ticket prices had jumped too much to just switch to a flight later in December or January and affordable tickets were too close to baby's arrival for me to travel. So we did some soul searching and seriously praying. But hated to do it, but we couldn't deny the impression that we really needed to cancel the trip. 

The weekend of Stake Conference arrived. Michael had an interview Saturday afternoon with Elder Schmidt (General Authority Seventy) and Elder Smith (Area Authority Seventy). That evening he received a text asking if we could both meet with them again after the adult session. At nearly 9pm Saturday evening he was called as the 2nd Counselor in our new Stake Presidency. We were then asked to return to the church the following morning at 7:30am for training with Elder Schmidt and Smith, the new Stake Presidency, and their wives. Talk about a whirlwind of a timeline! 

When they extended the calling and the training the following morning were incredible, emotional, and spiritual experiences that are difficult to articulate. We felt tremendously loved and seen by these two men we had barely met. We felt the care and concern of the general authorities and the prophet for this church and our stake. We felt the immense love of our Savior for us and for all of His children. There was so much we learned, and so much we still need to digest and ponder. Much more than I can put in to words in this post. Truly they were remarkable meetings that gave us peace during an overwhelming time.

The past month since his calling, all three of these new Stake Presidency members have been pulling double-duty as they continue to serve as Bishops in their respective wards until new Bishops can be approved and called. It has been a bit crazy! But