Christmas

The last day of school before Christmas break. Martha came home with us and she and the boys put together her gingerbread house that she had received as a gift from a classmate. 

 Poppi came for Christmas with his 3 dogs. He arrived on the day we hosted the annual Thorsted ugly sweater, waffle, white elephant party. It was a huge crowd as usual. Dad participated which was fun. Earlier that day the kids helped me pick out white elephant gifts at the Provo Riverwoods candy store (which also turned into a new Christmas dress for Liv and a new lonely ghost beanie for Carter). We found sour cream and onion candy canes and baft soda.

 Saturday Dad and I got a hike in up Dry canyon. It was a little muddy but lovely. Sunday, we all went to the one hour music Christmas sacrament meeting at church. The primary sang I got a little tearful thinking about how that was my boys last time ever singing with the primary. Then, Carter and I sang with the ward choir and he played the bells for one number which he was nervous about, but he did great. Dad made us a lovely prime rib dinner. We then read the Christmas story in Luke 2 and then opened family gifts: Dad got the traditional calendar we make every year- this year Liv made it. He gave us all silver coins. Lynn sent amazon gift cards for all the kids which they were excited about. D and I gave the boys white shirts and racketball rackets/balls/goggles because they have been playing racketball at the gym. Liv got tickets to Six and all the kids got splash summit passes for the summer. Derek got a dry erase clipboard with a basketball court on it for use coaching the boys’ basketball game and I got some snow tracks to hike in. Christmas morning Santa came we discovered that hardly anything was a surprise because all the kids has checked out amazon orders and Camden has brought ladders into our closet to climb up and check what was in all the boxes at the top of the closet. In addition to our families stockings--Stockings were set out for Poppi, Kylie, Jordan, Dean and Ruby, Jessie, Buford, and Kota. The dogs got balls, and toys and treats. The boys got soaps, and dental flossers, bathroom spray, chapstick and and listerine mouth paper. The girls got socks, chapstick, hair ties, eye masks, and make-up wipes. I got airpods, a new toaster and a bunch of dark chocolate and herbal tea. D got some cologne and air pods. Liv got airpods (all she really wanted and she has had them in her ears ever since) and Nike socks. Camden got an electric distortion foot pedal for his guitar. Carter got some new Air Force One Nike shoes. Both boys got Nike socks as well. All the kids got a Pop a Shot which is super load, super fun, and making holes in my wall downstairs. And after all that was discovered we let the kids know that their big present of the year was a family trip in just a few weeks to Orlando Florida (Disneyworld and Universal Studios) with the Watkins family! We are all looking forward to that. Christmas morning we had Steve, and Steph and Jon and Chase over for breakfast. Derek made stuff on the blackstone and Steph brought her famous sweet rolls which all got eaten. Chase loved the Pop a Shot and helped put it together and played it forever with the boys. That afternoon, Liv, Poppi and I picked up Kylie, Jordan and Dean at the airport. We had our traditional crab and clams dinner. And then I made molten lava cakes for everyone for dessert.

The kids taught Kylie and Jordan how to play the Mind. Tuesday Jordan went to the gym with the kids and then somehow they ended up at the Nike Outlet where he got each of them a pair of shoes and a pretzel to share from Annie’s Pretzels. Then, the met Derek at the indoor golf simulator. Ky and Dad and I went on a hike with dogs. We had fondu dinner that night and then Liv and went to see Elf at Hale in Sandy. I had to work Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday after work I met up with my college roomates- Debbie and Becky for lunch. It turned into a 3 hour lunch, but it was fun to catch up with them. 

 Ashely was supposed to join us but her Dad unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack in his sleep and she had to fly to Chicago to be with her mom and help with funeral preparations. Jordan took the kids to the Provo Beach resort that day. And everyone worked together to smoke ribs for dinner. Then that evening everyone except Kylie and I went to see the new Willy Wonka Movie. Ky and I stayed home with sleeping dean and watched a hallmark movie while I finished all my chart notes from the work day. Thursday after work, I met Kylie and Liv for mani pedis, then we all loaded into cars for a very cold hike by Deer Creek Lake. That night Poppi made a great bean soup for us all. Then, then next morning Dad took off for Arizona and I took Ky and Jordan to the airport to fly to AZ early in the morning. We had a great time celebrating with them, but I am not sad to have a few less dogs in my house.