A December to Remember

This has been a fun month- here's some things that happened.

This dog doesn't realize he is perfectly capable of getting into the car by himself.  He assumes this position and waits for someone to give him a boost.

Even though it is cold, we still run most days.  Last year the running ladies decided that anything over 20 fahrenheit was running weather.  This year we've happily gone out when it was 12 or 15.  Sometimes I come home with a snow-hawk. 

 

I was making rolls when my dad came over- he thinks I have an addictive personality or perhaps a sick need to open a bakery, but it was neither.  It was for church.

In case you wonder what I do all day.

Our home renovations continue.  I'm beyond thrilled to have my new desk in.

We're getting skeptical.

"I'm pretty sure that one was just a helper," she said.

"Bring me an American Girl doll or Rudolph gets it."

#running problems

Kiki developed a serious addiction to cookie butter whilst in Arizona.  Thank goodness for Aunt Tiffany- she sent her a very special care package! This should hold us over until Easter, at least.

This is a cute face but it's also the face he makes when he eats an entire plate of frosted sugar cookies in the 6 minutes I was gone taking the girls to school.

 

Kate turned 10! I made her a pie AND a cake.

Official birthday portraits with mom and dad. 
I can't believe she is TEN!
Sidebar- the skirt I'm wearing is TWELVE.

About my newly minted ten year old: She is a sweet, kind girl.  She's been earning excellent grades this year and loves school.  She is a good sister- it's 85% getting along and 15% fights to the death.  She thinks she's too grown-up for kids menus anymore.  She is still taking piano and gymnastics.  She loves playing with her friends and sleeping over at Grandma's.  I can't believe how grown up she seems sometimes, but then she stills needs cuddled and loved at night.  She reads a ton!  We love you, Kate!

 



No one loves our new, big window more than this guy.
Neighborhood watch, yo.

Bruce has been able to spend more time at home this month- sometimes when he works from home, this happens for a little minute.

My ice skating buddy.

Thanksgiving Fun

Oh, he knows how it works around here.
Every morning, I teach piano and Bruce makes breakfast.
He's way nicer than I would be- if one wants pancakes and one wants eggs then he delivers on both counts.
Then 60% of it gets wasted and this dog hangs out waiting for me to scrape plates once the girls are in school.

Maggie has been growing her hair out and wants me to do it in different cute ways.
She said, "Do you know how to do any hair that ISN'T a mohawk?"

This dog can sleep in any position.

 We went to Arizona for Thanksgiving.  The whole lot of us are pretty good travelers.

We ran into quite a bit of snow but we made it safely.

We stopped in Paige for a very quick dinner- just something we could bring back to the car and eat while we drove.  Kiki had a corn dog, I chose a chicken sandwich, Kate ordered a half rack of ribs.

What a fiasco.  I'm going to be a little more specific with her next time.

Grandpa Hatch and some of his granddaughters.
Sophie, Kate, Elan, and Maggie.
We ate a huge Italian dinner a few days before Thanksgiving just to stretch out our stomachs.

James, Ruth, and Lauren.

These cute cousins played nonstop for days.
They would disappear into Grandma's playroom and emerge only for meals.

Tiffany and I were in charge of the pies- 13 of them.
We just couldn't stop ourselves!
Her kitchen payed the price.

Thanksgiving day with the Haws gals- Lauren, Ellyse, and Elan.

Our beautiful pies- coconut cream, pumpkin, key lime, cranberry icebox, apple, cherry, banana cream, pecan, french silk, pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake with ganache, and I don't remember what else.  But I ate them all.

More cousin bonding.
Sophie, come visit us!

Of course we visited Oregano's! It's one of our favorite places and we never miss going there.  Rob and Kristi were able to meet us for a quick lunch.

Fortunately, the drive home was much better weather than the one down.  We are always so happy to see Bruce's family and celebrate the holidays.

Ladies Trip to Tahoe

My first college roommate turned 40 recently, and we gathered first in San Francisco and then traveled to Tahoe to celebrate together for the weekend. 

Sarah and I- just 22 years of friendship is all. 

The Golden Gate Bridge

My morning run along the shores of Lake Tahoe.  It was cold but I was prepared for a couple of good runs- 6 miles the first morning and 9 miles the second morning.  The second run was notable in that it is the VERY FIRST time I have had GI trouble on a run- fortunately I was able to sneak into the construction site of a luxury home and avail myself of the honey bucket. 

Tricia, Sarah, and I.
 

Hiking along the shore.
Me, Micah, Tricia, and Sarah.

It was a fun weekend! Tricia and Sarah have known each other since high school, and Micah and Sarah are friends from her neighborhood.  It was a good time to be together with friends from different phases of her life and celebrate her.  

Happy Haunting!

Boeufy wishes this was only a costume! It's a for real outfit though- anytime the temperature drops below freezing, he must wear his vest if he wants to come running.

These were the easiest pumpkins we have ever (not) carved.
Some fabric, some paint, and one little hole for the binky was all it took.
Also, no one dry heaved.

It's funny how one dog can totally ruin a sleepover.
"You guys didn't make this bed for me? Weird."

 

Here's my little "haunters."
Kiki went as a vampire and Kate was a mime.
We teased Kate that she'd have to ACTUALLY KNOCK if she wanted any candy at all.

I borrowed Dan's hair for my costume.

He's a vicious predator!
Only of his own toenails, though.

Happenings and Anecdotes

I can not stay awake through a whole movie at home, and frequently can't stay awake during theater movies either.  LaBoeuf is my perfect movie companion- we weren't even through the opening credits when he rolled onto his back and started snoring. 

My dear dad delivered to Janet and me TWO HUGE coolers full of apples.  We were absolutely thrilled with our windfall and immediately started making applesauce.  It took about ten days to work our way through them, but in the end we had almost 100 quarts of applesauce. 

I just want to say a word about home canning- I LOVE IT.  It makes me feel like a pioneer.  It seems like such a miracle (albeit an extremely labor intensive one) that we can transform fresh food into food that I can stock my shelves with all winter long.  I love how my kitchen smells when I can, I think the colors of the food are beautiful, and I love seeing my shelves fill up with locally grown fruit and veggies.  Probably my very favorite part, though, is that at least one month a year, I see my friend Janet every day. 
 

My friend Jen was in town from DC and is shortly on her way to Hong Kong for the next few years, so when my sister-in-law Emilee and I had the chance to meet for lunch we jumped on it. 

Jen and Emilee are cute young moms with babies, and I'm all of a sudden that old lady whose kids are in school all day and only has regular cups and toys that are choking hazards.

My dad, the girls, and I snuck away to Pocatello for the night.  My kids love to see those Sheltons!

Hey, You.
Yeah, kid, you.
Stop growing up immediately.

Now that the Shelton's have Russell, the softest bunny ever born, Kiki has another pet on her wish list.

I think Beefy is enough mammals for one house.  He sure is a cuddly one.

We had big plans for Fall Break, but thanks to our recent government shutdown, our plans (a long weekend in Arches) were cancelled.  We decided that a good alternative would be to do fun things around town for the break.  We went swimming, and to movies, and to the dinosaur museum.  On the last day of the break, I took the girls up to the Gateway to see the planetarium. 

I also had time for some crafting on the break- LaBoeuf's Halloween costume.

LaChief.

I love his expression in this- all serious and angry.
I slept with one eye open for at least a week.

The highlight of the break was a trip to Build a Bear Workshop- when I told the girls we were going they were so cute and excited.  Kate seems so grown up sometimes that I get pretty thrilled when "little girl" things still appeal to her.

I bought this book- it's a book about how our mistakes can be turned into something beautiful.

After I read it, I said, "That is one of my favorites!"

Maggie replied, "Because you HATE IT when we waste paper."

 

Maggie came home from library day at school with "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul:Volume III."  I've not ever felt that my children weren't properly supervised at school, but I can't help but feeling that someone in the library was laying down on the job.  "Plus I got a bookmark," she told me, "so we don't miss one single page."  I've read her inspirational tales of friendship, physical hardships, you name it, and I feel like I've been a real good sport about the whole thing, but I hit my limits last night when Kiki's bedtime request was "the one about the cheerleader."