December

I was in charge of the Relief Society dinner this year and it wasn't very good timing.  It was the first week of finals and I was pretty stressed, and people weren't signing up to help.  It slowly came together except for decor.  But Scott is amazing and made me a manger and it all turned out pretty good, I think.  I love being married to such a handy man!

Crazy girl and her shorts.  The second she gets home from anywhere she changes into these.  She and Elizabeth have wild shenanigans every day while I'm at my internship.  Poor Livi.  

The Henlines and we were down to 2 kids each on our trip to Temple Square.  We had a good time riding the frontrunner and getting chips and salsa at Cafe Rio and seeing the candy windows.  Our family keeps shrinking!  It's exciting and heartbreaking at the same time.  And speaking of shrinking, Amber got a full-ride scholarship to SUU so she's off to Cedar next fall.  

She had a good time at the Winter Formal with Phil, an exchange student from Germany staying with the Kings.  They decorated cookies, played games, went to Brick Oven, had a chocolate fountain and played more games.  

Soran has loved her choir teacher, Mr. T.  And she loves performing with them.  

Bowling with the Henlines while we wait for Christmas.  Look how small our bunch is!

Gingerbread houses.  David joined. 

Christmas dinner with the Thompsons.  Grandpa decided he wanted to do the prime rib again this year, so we ate that with them and opened presents. Then for our family dinner we did a tepanyaki night.

Christmas crackers 2022 version!  Our crackers had mustaches this year so we donned those as well.  Missing Christian, but he is doing great things!

Ice skating with the girls over the break.  I don't really enjoy it anymore--I'm too afraid I'm going to break something.  But Amber and Soran had fun!  Xela invited us to go look at the gingerbread house in Salt Lake, it was pretty cool.  We had dinner at City Creek.

New Years Eve!  We had egg rolls and played minute to win it games and watched Hunger Games, I think.  Always a good time!

November

Dad took me out for a date to a Peruvian restaurant and then a play written by a Chinese man about the true stories of the Chinese workers who built the railroad.  It was good and I was glad he took me.

Went out with the Kings for dinner the next weekend and then when we got home we took the girls on an impromptu Y hike.  They loved it!  haha.  But they got ice cream afterward so it's okay.  The city at night was pretty amazing though.

Thanksgiving 2021!  The Pagnanis had an off year so we hosted at our house.  We invited the Bingham cousins and had 17 people.  It was crowded but nice.  We played Jackbox and Nintendo 64 games after dinner of ham and turkey.  

Amber has to find some scat for her Biotech class so we hiked up Rock Canyon but couldn't find any.  The mountains are beautiful though!

 

October

 

The day after we got back from Italy was General Conference and we took our fall drive.  The short version.  Too much homework to get done.  But it was beautiful! 

Livi loves orchestra!  Especially when she's not on the end.

We didn't go anywhere for fall break this year so we decided to try out all the hot springs we could.  We started with the best one--Fifth Water Hot springs and then did Crystal Springs and then ended at Saratoga Springs.  

I love talking to this boy!  Even when he goes crazy and says he's never reading Harry Potter again or that he's gonna learn me how to study the Book of Mormon.  It makes my heart so happy that I get to talk to him every week and hear the amazing things he's learning and doing.

Another thing I love is golfing with this guy.  It is a great end to the week.  We just walk and chat and enjoy the weather.  The sunset this night was incredible.  

Cornbellys 2021!

And finally it was Halloween!  Dad has been wanting to do a hunter/deer theme for years so we finally made it happen.  Amber and Soran did a great job on the make up and it turned out super cute.  Livi was  a deer as well except at the ward party because she just got out of a tennis match.  

And Amber went to the Halloween dance with her friends.  They did 80s theme and dinner in a big tent.  She looked super cute.

I don't think I've ever taken picture of our Halloween tradition.  When I was growing up a man in our neighborhood made donuts every year, so I decided to carry that on.  It's been fun and people say they look forward to them all year.  Mom and Dad Thompson came and hung out with us a little while that night while the kids were out wandering the neighborhood.

September

 

Went and rode the Sundance tram with these 2.  Love this tradition.

Then the next morning we got up and took Branden to breakfast up the canyon for his birthday.  It was yummy!

Lip Sync Battle 2021!  Livi was the greatest show (wo)man, Amber performed with Esther and Jimena, and Dad was a 3 Amigo.   Soran had a rough night and watched with me.  Such a fun night!

And then we were off to Italy.  Best. Trip. Ever.