The Beginnings of December

I love being able to volunteer in my kids classes. This week I was working on reading recognition with the students. 

We didnt have time to build the gingerbread house from Grandma Jan so it was one of the first things the kids requested to do when we got home. 

They're so good to share these days.

Tyce helped me remove the lights last year so I figured he'd like to help this year.

There's only about 1/3 of it that is just too tall for him but he hung up all the rest!

It's so nice to have help with this! 

Makayla's lesson for FHE was on the birth of our Savior.

Kaly is getting really good at playing while we sing.

Tyce was in charge of the game. He'd written scenarios on the backs of the fishes and we had to decide if it was kind or not kind.

More of Makayla's lesson.

We made delicious snowmen for our treat. 

The kids were totally ok about this idea.

Random picture of my kids sleeping. At the end of the bed. 

Aunt Heather sent the kids their very own advent calendar. 

I LOVE sending Christmas cards. I love hearing from my friends. I love hearing updates. I love getting to see beautiful family photos. I always underestimate how long it'll take me. It took me about 2 movies to stuff, stamp, address and close each envelope. With Makayla's help at the end because she loves putting on the stamps and return labels. 

This dude built a fort. 

Chore bucks reward: Staying up past bedtime. Makayla invited her brother (who also had enough to pay) so we could all play a game together.

Tyce came home from school with this giant plate of cookies. Whoah! Fun! This is his teachers thank you gift to the parents who help out each week. The kids were certainly pleased. :)

I only got one picture the entire night of Tarl's family work Christmas party. They hold it at the local fun center and we get pizza and wings and the kids get to play arcade games, mini golf, and laser tag. Tyce was especially excited because you have to be 7 to do laser tag so last year he couldn't. So they played a bunch.

Tarl had to work but was able to stop by and eat a little bit with us. I was a bit nervous because, just as I'd expected we ran in and got a table, the kids put their coats down and went to play so I was sitting along for a while. It's hard to socialize alone when everyone else is with their families. But Tarl stopped by and I finally got the courage to talk to some familiar faces and it turned out great. I got to visit and have a good time. 

Tyce singing with his 1st grade class for their Christmas program. Everyone had one special thing to do and Tyce got to play a little beat stick for the song Up On The House Top. We were towards the back and he was up on the front row so we really didnt get to see him much cause we're a family of shorties.

Kaly 's choir class had a winter concert at the Stephens Performing Arts Center here in town. It's a big beautiful concert venue buliding so she was pretty darn excited to get to sing there.

Thanksgiving Trip to Utah

For the first time in many years Tarl was able to come to Utah with us for more than 24 hours. :) Though it still felt packed. There is always so much to do and not enough time to play and visit everyone and everything else we'd like to fit it.

These two are best buds.

Decorating our table toppers.

Grandma Jan and Kaly 

 

Heather and Kaly were pro's by the end.

They turned out so cute! What a fun idea.

In Jan's family they dress up for the Thanksgiving meal. I just couldn't get enough of my handsome boy. 

Tyce and Makayla cuddling up for the movie.

We went down to Utah County to visit Grandma Ruth after our yummy Thanksgiving dinner. She got moved into a new facility about a month or two earlier and it's beautiful. Feels very home-y, clean, and nice.

Heather is so great to grandma. She made her her very own pecan pie without the pecans (since she can't chew them). It was so cute to watch her enjoy her first little slice of her favorite pie. 

The next day we stopped by my Grandpa Duffin's place. It takes so long to sort through things after somenoe passes. As I'm finding out so much since I've lost 3 in the last 1.5 years.  My dad had put aside a handful of things that he thought Tarl would get a kick out of, vintage art supplies and tools. I found a few things I wanted like a bust of Brigham Young, and a few knick knacks. The kids all got to choose a few things to take home too.

But the mostly played while we searched. 

(I didn't take this but I wanted to document how cool it was!)

The Marriage Certificate of B. Cecil Gates and Gweneth Gibbs signed by Joseph F. Smith.

B. Cecil Gates was my Grandma Ruth Gates Duffin's father. He was also the son of Jacob F and Susa Young Gates and Susa was the daughter of Brigham Young. 

If you're wondering, Brigham Young is my great great great grandpa.

Tyce found this cool hat that he got to take home. He had my dad try it on too. I'm not certain but my best guess, I think this was the hat he wore around the construction sites at BYU? 

We also stopped by my moms grave. My friend shared an interesting thought last week as she was preparing for her mother to pass on in the next few days. After reading her thoughts I was sharing with Tarl what I came away with and wanted to note it here. I have faith in Jesus Christ. I have faith in the plan of Happiness. I have faith in my temple covenants. I have faith in my testimony. But it still hurts. And it's still painful. And it's still difficult. So while I'm sad at times, or tearful or sometimes I just want to do nothing for days it doesn't mean I don't believe and it doesn't mean I have lost trust in God. It just means it hurts. 

Tarl Advancement

You guys guess what!

Tarl brought home all this extra gear from work.

Cause he just made the SWAT team!

Way to go sweetie!! We're all so proud of you!

For the last year or so several different guys have been asking him to join, think about, try out for SWAT. He wanted to get a few more years experience under his belt but recently they had two openings and the timing sort of felt right. So he trained a bit harder for a few weeks, prayed about it, and we discussed the pros and cons and decided he should test. He also had to get 3 recommendations from supervisors (which I had a good time reading). 

Four guys tested, four guys passed (they had a decent group, the sergeant said he only knows of 1 other time in 19 years that everyone that tested passed). 

So they went into interviews for all four and only selected two for the team. 

And Tarl made it!

If you're interested the PT test includes:

 1.5 mile run in 13:29 minutes

300 meter sprint in 58 seconds

38 pushups

39 situps in 60 seconds

17.5 verticle jump

6 pulls ups

8 dips

bench press 3/4 of body weight + 10 pounds for 5 reps

**And fun fact. He has to do this every 6 months.

Tarl has attended his first two training's this week and I'm already pretty impressed with the team. And I love seeing Tarl interested in using his skills to help and make this team more efficient. And he's excited to get advanced training. It'll be a change for him, and our family but right now we're celebrating a lot because he's pretty darn amazing and we're all really proud!!

News in November

Just a snapshot of one of our mornings. Playing legos, making lunches, enjoying time together. I've been really impressed with my kids the last couple of months being responsible and getting up and ready. It really makes a huge difference having our mornings run smoothly.

My little helpers.

Tyce was on a quest to earn chore bucks. Normally every job is 1 but this was a bit bigger project, and took longer so I think he ended up earning 7 or 8. 

And he remembered from last year stomping in the leaves so he asked to do it again.

And then Makayla found out and wanted to join. And I let them because I remember my dad sticking me in the garbage can in his giant cowboy boots to stomp down leaves.

FHE was making thankful turkey hands for our centerpiece.

Another morning snippet. Makayla doesn't like getting her hair done so I was documenting both that and Tyce because he did that puzzle all by himself.

These three make me heart SO happy!

Kaly's bookseller (book report). She had to give a 5-7 minute presentation with 3 props. She had a powerpoint, poster and treats (frogs like in the book).  She put a lot of time into this and I'm really proud of her! She did it all on her own. 

Off to school one morning.

My little heart breaker.

He requested this picture. 

We took the kids on a family date night to the movies. We really wanted to make sure they knew how much we appreciated them lately. They've been doing so good with our family scripture reading, trying to go out of their way to help around the house and be kind to each other. We really have some pretty great kids!

Taking our turn helping to clean the church. The girls were good helpers.

We all pitched in and helped. I was on bathroom duty. These guys might have had more fun. ;)

For FHE we pulled out our bell poles and practiced Christmas carols. We got a little creative with our set up, perhaps we'll have to invest in a little something better. (Kaly was there I just couldn't fit her in the picture.)

This lovely Thursday morning it was 1 degree when the kids went to school so this was Makayla's attempt to bundle up. She wanted her jacket on backwards so her face would have a mask. Yes we do own scarfs. :) But this is more fun.

By the time they got home from school it was pretty white everywhere. Tyce wanted to earn more chore bucks so he asked if he could shovel. The kid did a dang good job! 

Why not have a little fun while you work? Every time he'd get to the end of a row he'd flail and fall over and be crazy. He's a funny kid.

Luckily for the kids they had Friday off of school for end of trimester teacher recording day so it felt like a snow day. The girls had this snow man built before 8:30!

They played in the snow almost the entire day. They came in to get warm a couple of times but they'd suit right back up and go out for more.

Then on Saturday we had a lovely lazy day. Lounged around in the morning then went over to Grandma & Grandpa Lambsons for sledding with the Barkers. Afterwards we came home and snuggled by the fire.

Sundays get sort of interesting around here when the kids are trying to find something to do.

Tyce made a snowman with snow corn with his dinner. 

Played by the fire for FHE.

For FHE we wrote our names on these Christmas ornaments for temporary place holders for our sign.

And we wrote thankful leaves to decorate our wall. I was going to make a giant tree but we decided to just hang them up instead.