Happy breakfast bagel

Tuesday... I talked on the phone a lot to my mom and Annette. I walked and helped and Jill's class with reading groups at 2:30. The three girls had art class after school, Abby went to varsity basketball practice, and Allen didn't have anything because he had marching band the night before from 6:00 to 7:30.

After spaghetti and meatballs for dinner we got out Christmas decorations and put up five Christmas trees lights outside lights inside lots of nativities and decorations from over the years and decorated throughout the house. Before bed we registered for softball to get the $20 discount per player.

For breakfast I made Allen a happy bagel before he left for Seminary :)

Summary for November

 Last day of the month. I wrote this newsletter for the Schmidt one going out soon...

{December Newsletter}

•Ross enjoyed 2 Sacramento Kings passes this month and attended 7 home games with a member of the family-- each kid and wife twice. The kids love a date with dad like picking their dinner-out before the game.
•Andrea is loving her shorter hair. She is going to study for the CBEST and work on paperwork to become a substitute teacher for the school district. She cooked an entire Thanksgiving meal for 12 people. Menu included turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, sweet potato casserole, rolls, gravy, peas, cheeseball and 11 pies--pumpkin (2), peanut butter (2), key lime, cookie, chocolate cream, banana cream, coconut cream, cherry, and Dutch apple.
•Allen rode the band bus and attended 3 out of town and all-day Saturday band competitions in Lodi, Merced, and Fairfield. The last one ended with a banquet to honor the seniors. His band director is retiring in a few weeks. Also the band is marching in a light parade on Saturday.
•Abby has all A's and is on the high school basketball team with practices 5-6 days a week. She has practiced with both the JV and varsity teams. Over the break she babysat one tough boy from 3pm-12:30am.
•Jane and Emma participated in their final primary program. They also liked when Mom came to school and into their classroom as art docent and taught a weaving lesson. They both led their zoom parent teacher conferences and are doing so well in their last year of elementary.
•Jill ended the soccer season undefeated!! She plays halfback and is all over that field! She scored 7 goals this year. At her zoom parent conference her teacher said she got a perfect score on her recent math test without the class review. She and Jane and Emma attended a basketball camp two days of Thanksgiving break.

Also over the Thanksgiving holiday we spent three nights Monterey, stopping at Dennis the Menace Park, seeing the aquarium,
17-mile Drive & Pebble Beach (golfers in action), Point Lobos State Park, seeing hermit crabs and other sea life, sea caves, rocky shores, clifts, waves, sandy beaches--such beauty along the California coast!

Team Snap

 Monday...

✔️Prepare Sunday lessons for primary & nursery

✔️Prep December birthday cards

Blog catch-up
Frndly catch-up
✔️Call Utah State
✔️December calendar in kitchen
✔️Put away Thanksgiving decor
Find Santa Hats/caroling stuff
✔️Masks for Jill
✔️Clean out Temple bag
✔️Temple names: checked, printed cut
✔️Fix dress slip
✔️Twins clean room
✔️Wicked tickets

It was nice to have some time to myself again after a week of Thanksgiving break and a week of short days every day at the elementary school.

After Abby's JV practice we went to Walmart we had more chicken lasagna leftovers for dinner and we put away all Thanksgiving so we could get out Christmas the next day.

Abby's coach added us to TeamSnap and sent my message of how awesome Abby was at practice...

Two new elders

Saturday night I signed up to feed the missionaries (because no one had signed up and they were both brand new in the area)-- good thing we bought grapes and french bread... let's see... what could I make with that? I made two pans of chicken lasagna, a few prepped loaves of garlic bread, grapes, peas and a November Party cake with ice cream. When we came home from church I spent time working in the kitchen. Much easier than the week's before Thanksgiving feast.

Earlier at church Abby taught her YW lesson, Emma gave a talk (ten lepers and gratitude), Jane recited the 12th Article of Faith, Jill gave the prayer, Allen sat at the Sacrament table, I did singing time and nursery singing time, and Ross went to ward council for ward temple and family history plan.

The missionaries were great! Very friendly and easy to talk to. I don't remember the kids all every talking so much at a missionary dinner before. After eating we had foosball game, "concert" (one elder plays piano and one sings), and dessert.

Three November calendars for 2021 (photo needs to be rotated)... Two other calendars of the factory didn't get a November... Haha

Ellie's Endowment

Saturday morning a five of the family went down to the gym while Allen and I walked laps in the hallways. We had breakfast (they had bacon this morning!) and then left close to 10. Abby was antsy to get home to have extra time before babysitting, 3pm-midnight. We got home about 1:30. Emma lost two teeth in a row. Ross and I got food at ChickFilA on our way to the temple. Ellie S was going to get her endowment (one of my beehives) before her mission this Feb and invited me to attend her session since I was "one of (her) mentors" for all six years of the youth program. After the temple we got peppermint milkshakes, picked up some groceries (milk and french bread and produce -- no plan, just grabbing things we might need) and went home and watched the BYU football game. Super exciting!!! All BYU teams (soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball and football) ALL on Saturday and ALL won their games!

Earlier at the motel... hallway, room, view from different floors.

17 Mile Drive

 We spent Black Friday exploring 17 mile tour, Pebble Beach, Point Lobos State Reserve and the beautiful rocky coast. We saw surfers, golfers, wave, beaches, sea caves, cliffs, hermit crabs and other sea creatures. We got pizza for dinner and ate it in the hotel lobby. The pool was closed and so we spent time in the gym.