Every year lately I have felt this responsibility as the mother to kind of protect the kids time and our families activities, particularly during the Christmas season. My favorite things are reading Christmas stories and coloring by the tree at night--and if we're not careful there are so many late nights doing other things.
Well it happened this last week. Aubrie babysat 4 of the last 6 nights while we/Ryan and I were gone. It was a really fun week though :)
Monday we had FHE and talked about the Light the World campaign the church is doing this year and how we could participate as a family by reading our scriptures and finishing the Book of Mormon this week since we were a few chapters away (hasn't happened;() and going through the drive thru at a fast food place and paying for the car behind us (we did it at In n Out and it is always so much fun to see people's reactions and the kids are hanging over the backseat waving as we drive away--:), and Aubrie brought/donated canned goods for a good drive the youth participated in--two of the days this week were to feed the hungry and to read scriptures.
Tuesday night Ryan had won two lower bowl Jazz tickets in a raffle at work so he and I decided to go together. I love going anywhere with Ryan. And "Bear" the mascot was in prime form and i was laughing I was crying so hard when he came over by us and was spray painting this bald man's head. Mascots are just hilarious.
Wednesday was Ryan's work party at the Olympic Oval and Instructure just goes all out. They rented out the place and had a really nice catered dinner and bar. Then they had caricature artists and raffles (amazing prizes--TV, $450 worth of restaurant gift cards, season tickets to Hale Center theater, etc), and we could ice skate, play ice hockey or do curling. It was so much fun! And it turned out that Holly Fairbanks from Oakwood was there because her husband just took a job with Instructure. When we left they gave us both Cotopaxi waterbottles as a gift.
Thursday, the oldest three kids and Ryan and I had tickets from Uncle Joe to go and see the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert with Ronaldo Villazon as the guest singer. Anna Durphee watched the younger two kids so that we could all go. Ronaldo is an internationally famous tenor and he is incredible. At the beginning of the show I was a little worried about the kids attention span but it was such a great show. They loved it! and I did too. The organ solo is always so good and the story of the Match Girl and then ending with Angels in the Realm of Glory (WOW!!!!), I could've listened to them sing that over and over. We all had chills. ROnaldo's voice was perfect for that song and Mack Willberg's arrangement of it....just wow.
Friday was the Bishopric Christmas party and white elephant exchange. We were the youngest couple by 15 years at least. It was so fun to hear all these seasoned veterans at life and the things they laughed at and how they interacted with each other. It was like being a kid and watching adults and seeing them in a social setting and realizing they have great senses of humor and they are sarcastic with each other etc. It was a really fun night and a delicious dinner. I brought 2 of Lori's pecan tortes and they were a hit.
Saturday we had designated as a family ski day and I had decided not ot go and stay home with Clara and then Ryan talked me into going since we had free tickets from his work. I am SO glad I went. It's such a fun thing to do as a family. It was super snowy the whole day and cars were stuck all over the place and driving super snow so it took awhile to get there and park (Ryan has mad snow driving skills). But once we were skiing, it came back to me for the most part and it was so fun. Ryan took clara and rented skis and started working with her, I went to Majestic with Hallie and Blake after doing the bunny hill a few times to warm up, and Robbie and Aubrie skiied together and had some crazy crashes--one had them both almost in tears because they couldn't get their skis back on and were stuck way up the hill--they both decided to pray without the other knowing and right after where able to get them back on and skiing--it was fresh snow and deep so it was pretty crazy day. We left Brighton and went to Cafe Rio for dinner and just talked about the day (which is such a rarity for everyone to just all talk together) and then came home, cleaned up, showered and watched How the Grinch stole Christmas together. It was a highlight day for me. So magical. and its such a rarity that I totally appreciate them. :)
And today was an awesome testimony meeting and great lessons. I love our ward and the angels that go around doing so much good. Because we have so many elderly or retired people in our ward, they just are constantly looking for good to do!
