Christmas 2025

 

Family Newsletter 2025

 

Jesus Dinner 2025

Jesus Dinner 2025!

(One of my favorite events of the year!)

The Corries and Brittney graced us with their presence.  We had gyros, figs, dates, pomegranates, crackers and cheese, olives, etc.  It was quite the spread.  Even though Jesus wouldn't have eaten gyros, he would have had the flatbread and veggies that went on it.

Cuzzies!

Watching the Nativity

Service Project:  writing Christmas cards as part of the Angel Card Project.

The kids made ornaments to go inside them.

There was a list of people who needed extra love this time of year and we got to pick a person or two off the list to send a card to.

After writing the cards and making the ornaments, we played the Dreidel Game then our company left.

 

Thanksgiving and more...

In November, we took Gavin to a model train convention in SLC.  He loved it!

For Thanksgiving, we traveled down to St. George and spent it with Chris and Ann and their two boys.  They have a time share down there and it was fun to just hang out and relax with them.

They took us to Crabby Daddy's Seafood Shack - or something like that.  We all ate a crab boil - a big bag of crawfish, shrimp, lobster and crab legs dumped in front of us on a platter.  Needless to say, I had to rush to the potty a few time afterward!! LOL!

We stayed 3 days in St. George and every morning, Matt and I went for a walk together.  It made me want to move down there - nice and warm.  While on a walk, I snapped a pic of the time share we stayed in - it's a castle, people!!!  7 large bedrooms all with their own bath...  lots of things to keep the kids busy - hot tub, pool, pool table, ping pong, video games, tv, puzzles, games, etc.

I have also been thinking a lot about Jesus - what he was/is like, what it will be like when I meet Him again, His love for me, etc, etc.  I wanted to paint a picture of him for a long time now.  But I always shied away from it because I knew I wouldn't get it right.  But I decided to stop thinking that way and to just DO it.  I tried a new medium I'd never used before - gouche - and learned a few things along the way... It's definitely not perfect.  But as I was painting it, I realized it's better if it's NOT perfect.  Perfection is more in the process than in the finished product.  I could try and try and try and it still wouldn't be perfect, but guess what IS perfect?  The TRYING part!  It's the same with anything else we do - reading our scriptures, praying, attending church, etc. And that's what Jesus meant when he said, "Be ye therefore PERFECT, even as I am."

He just wants us to keep trying.

Ask the Christmas Season approaches, Laynie sang at the Ward Christmas Breakfast.  The kids put on a sweet little Nativity and sang The Nativity Song.  Laynie was a shepherd.  She didn't want to be at first, but came to terms with it!  lol!

Halloween 2025

The morning of Halloween, I went to see Laynie walk in the costume parade.  I think this was my last time doing that... Part of me wants to cry and the other part celebrate!  ha ha!  Laynie chose to be a Ty Beanie Baby.  So we ordered her a comfy sweat suit and loosely sewed some ears on it.  Laynie made her Ty tag that she wore around her neck.  

This girl starts thinking about what she wants to be for Halloween months before.  I usually just nod and say that's great because I know it will change multiple times.  She had her heart set on being a dragon at one point.  I suggested following after her mother and dressing up as an OLD LADY.  (That's what I was for 5th AND 6th grades.)  But she refrained.

Afterward, I took Laynie and her friend, Ryder, around to all the different carnival booths at their school.  I love that Lakeview Academy does this.  It's a lot of work, but lots of memories are made.

Here the girls are with their 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Lee - whom we love!

Nurse Mille.  Because she is named after my grandma, Hazel Mildred Cahoon, it seemed fitting that she, like Hazel, was a nurse.

Clara, Laynie, Abbey and Quinn

These girls started out together trick or treating, but didn't stick together.  This happened last year too...

And we also had The Millett Family over for Halloween night.  While at the parade, I got talking with a mother behind me.  She asked what my 8th grader was doing for Halloween and I said, taking his sister around.  She then asked if her 8th grader could join in.  Apparently, his friend group bailed on him last minute.  So I said sure and why not bring your whole family?  So we four adults played a dice game while the kids trick or treated around the neighborhood then they came back, swapped their candy, then we all ended the evening by going to Justin and Joni's Haunted House to end the night.  It was one of the best Halloweens we've had.  <3

 

Whoo Whoo for Forty-Twoooooooo

Matt turned 42 on the 29th of October.  We went out to eat with his parents that weekend. but also celebrated him in little ways throughout the week.  I had to drive carpool for Laynie's clogging on his actual birthday so while the girls were dancing, Gavin and I took Matt shopping in Springville.

We also gave him a few gifts:

Ooooo.... whatever could they be???

His favorite kind of HOT SAUCE?

Scout shorts?

A window shade for his truck?

And a spider/web for his outdoor decorating?

Yes, yes, yes and YES!

 

Gum Drop Buttons

Laynie really wanted to do the school play this year - Shrek Jr.  So she tried out and got the part of GINGY!!!!  (Just what her little heart desired.)

We had to make a cookie to celebrate.  I was so proud of her.  She had worked on her audition song for at least a couple months - taking feedback from others and perfecting it.  Then over our Fall Break, she memorized the lines of Gingy and was able to perform them as well.

Sir Gavin's gingerbread creation.  ;)

Not my GUM DROP BUTTONS!!!