December went by way too fast. Can't believe it's 2017. My goal this year is to have a healthier year. I have been sick way too much. Got some great advice to help boost my immune system so I am trying them all! I also want to lose more weight and read 100 books again! Our family goals are to read our scriptures more and help Memphis get ready to be baptized. We also want to get our basement done! Our contractor comes on Wednesday to start the refinishing. Excited for that! We are trying to plan trips to Washington, Bear Lake, and Lego Land! And Memphis wants to do machine pitch baseball and Kayzee wants to do dance this year. It's going to be a great year!!!
Here is what when on during December in our little family...
Danny went hunting again the first weekend down in Blanding trying again to get his elk. I didn't want to go again so that Saturday I took the kids shopping and out to lunch. Always fun to spend time with my kids!
DANNY FINALLY GOT HIS ELK!!!! I had to park outside for about 2 weeks while he let it hang in the garage and got it all cut up. We have had elk steak and burger already and of course some jerky. YUM! We are set for meat for the year. YAY!
Danny had his work Christmas party at a bowling alley again with free Costa Vida. We had a fun weekend all planned out just for the two of us celebrating the day we met on the 10th but I started feeling sick. This night I got a really high fever and couldn't eat or drink because it was so painful to swallow. And the glands in my neck were so swollen they looked like golf balls in my neck. So painful to sleep on. And so frustrating because I had just gotten over being sick! Totally ruined our fun weekend and I missed my Christmas work party too.
I kept telling myself this but I did end up missing a lot of school and school went way late this year. our last day was the 22nd!
Here is what I wrote about my experience being sick this time around...
You know it's bad when you walk into the Instacare and the secretary, nurses, and dr instantly recognize you and ask what I am doing there AGAIN. Third trip in a month. They asked me what I do for a living and I said teach elementary school. They said oh so it's your first year that is why you are sick so much. Ha ha nope it's my 12th year!!! Must not have a good immune system cause I am sick all the time. The drs were arguing over which antibiotic to put me on this time cause they are running out of options I have been on too many. This one I have to take 1 pill every 5 hours for ten days. Guess I have to start setting a million alarms and waking up in the middle of the night. LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE that's for sure 
😷
🤒Hey at least I will get my 100 books read for sure 
Memphis and Kayzee had fun helping Daddy grind up the elk to make burger...
I was quarantined to my room for 5 days because of my fever and contagious bacterial infection. Danny was so great at keeping the house clean, dishes done, entertaining the kids, and taking care of me. When the kids could finally come in my room and I finally felt well enough to move the kids came in to make me laugh and wanted to do face swapping with their dolls...so funny!
On December 10th we celebrated 9 years since the day we met. Here is a pic of us right after we met. It's been a crazy 9 years but we still love each other:)
Danny's brother and his wife got us all Jazz tickets and Danny's sister watched all the kids so off we went. It was a fun night!
On December 15th my Nephew James was born. I am so excited for my sister Annalyn and her husband Curtis and their new adventure as parents. Hopefully I can go see them up in Washington in April.
One Saturday we went to Top Golf with Danny's brother, his wife, and their son Max and found out Santa was there.
Kids got free elf hats and we got hot chocolate and cookies.
My kids would not go near Santa. Don't know why.
It was just a little cold, they have nice heaters but we had fun!
Once we finish our basement the TV is going down there and the front room of our house is going to become my library! A wall of books is going up and I am excited.
I cut off 6 inches and went darker for Christmas. Don't like it but it will grow right?!
We had our Christmas Sing at our school. Love that Memphis and Kayzee go to my school so I can see them. We had one song at the end that the whole school sang all together and we had a big dance party. I had fun dancing and singing with my kids on our last day of school.
Me, the art teacher, the music teacher, and the librarian. Love my team!!!
Freedom Elementary faculty and staff...Merry Christmas!
We really wanted to take the kids to see Christmas Lights and we found out about Christmas in Color at the Provo Marina. So worth the cost! You drive around and they set up light displays and tunnels and all the lights are programmed to music. So cool! The kids loved it and the loved getting to stand up and look at the lights through our sun roof!
I took the kids to the mall right before Christmas to buy some last minute gifts and they had a virtual reality store in the mall. Memphis is obsessed so I let him try it. He would be there all day if I let him. Memphis attracted quite an audience with his commentary and reactions to everything going on around him. Love this boy of mine...
Kayzee tried it too. Here she is petting a dog!
Well, I did it. I read 100 books this year! I only tried it because someone said I couldn't do it. I read 50 in 2015 so I doubled my books read. It was hard but I was sick a lot so I read a lot. I always read 3 different books at the same time. One in my car on audio so I can listen when in the car. One on my phone so anytime I am waiting or have a break at school I am reading and I have an actual book by the side of my bed. I read until I fall asleep every night. Gonna try for 100 books again because I have too many books I want to read so I need to get through as many as I can because there will always be more right?!
We started a new tradition for Christmas Eve. We decided we wanted to go to a family movie. The night before I went online to buy tickets and they were sold out everywhere except for the expensive VIP lounge of course so we decided to splurge and try it out. They have recliners that are heated. They provide warm blankets upon request and you can order food and they will bring it to you. We saw Moana and had a great time so we will definitely do it again next year!
In the afternoon on Christmas Eve after the movie we decided to be lazy. While the kids played quietly together Danny took a nap and I read. Perfect day!
Christmas Eve we do my family tradition I have done since I was little and have Christmas Eve dinner by candlelight. This is my kids favorite part of Christmas Eve.
We open one present before we go to bed and it has always been the present from my Grandma Astle but since she passed away my mom is continuing the tradition. New Christmas Jammies!
Another Tradition...I always make my Grandma Thorpe's famous mud pie. YUM!
I hate living so far away from my parents and sisters and brother but I love that we can text each other and send pictures...Here is my sister Alicia and her family in California! Max is getting so big!
Here is her twin, my sister Annalyn and their new baby James in Washington! Christmas Baby!
Our tree Christmas Eve!
Santa came in the form or our wonderful neighbors! I had these two big gifts hidden in our basement at the beginning of December. Memphis and Kayzee were searching for a ball and found them. Don't know why but they told me they found them. That night I took them over to our neighbors for them to hide them for us and I showed Memphis and Kayzee the next day that they were gone. I told them Santa's elves came and took them back because they were snooping around and I told them Santa would only bring them back if he knew they were being good at school and at home. They both cried but that trick worked! They were so good the rest of the month and our neighbors were great Santa's helping us out.
Waiting for mom and dad to take pictures and wake up. We made them wait till 7 am to get out of bed.
Favorite part waking up to a white Christmas!
Seeing what Santa brought for the first time!
Love Kayzee's expressions...
Kayzee got spoiled of course...
Memphis too!
Merry Christmas Danny!
Thanks everyone for the gifts!
Kayzee and her Barbie Dream house she has been wanting forever...
Memphis built this Jokerland Carnival Circus Batman Lego Set right away. He loves Legos.
During our Christmas Break we had a nice surprise and Danny's sister and her family came and stayed at our house one night. Memphis and Kayzee were so excited to have a sleepover with their cousins! We took them to Kangaroo Zoo to get some energy out.
One day Kayzee went to her friend's house to play so I went on a date with Memphis. We went to the arcade and he got 1000 tickets!
We also went out to lunch. Love my cute date.
Baby James is growing and getting cuter every day!
I was so happy to feel better during Christmas but I am sick again! Seriously. 3 months of being sick now. So miserable. So annoying. Spent New Years with the ones I love the most...and went to bed early. Hopefully I get better before school starts again on Tuesday and hopefully my immune system boosters I am going to try work so I don't get sick again for a very long time! Happy New Year and hope you all have a wonderful 2017. We are so appreciative of all our friends and family that make our lives brighter and we send you our love!
