Cramming too Much into a Month....

I'm not going to lie--I won't be sad to see the end of 2020.  Not even a little.  This year has felt like an eternity, but at the same time has flown by...how does that even happen?  There have been deadly and destructive wildfires across the globe, threats of war, unemployment, a pandemic, protests, impeachment trials, etc.  Our December felt just as packed as rest of the year.  What a way to end 2020--our December was full of highs and very sad lows.  

On the saddest of notes, we lost our niece, Ashley, a couple weeks ago.  It was sudden and very tragic.  We have all mourned her loss, and have felt deep sadness for Cory, Jessica and Kaylee.  We have also felt the prayers of everyone lifting and supporting us.  We took a few pictures at the viewing...

The one thing I keep thinking in this hard time is how grateful I am for the atonement.  It becomes so much more real when something like this happens.  I am so grateful to know that the Savior overcame all so that He could lift us, save us, and understand everything we face in this life.  It has brought me a lot of comfort during this time.

On another, less important, sad note, after we returned from Moab and picked our dogs up from the kennel, they both got very sick.  We got so worried I ended up taking them to the vet.  They were hacking all the time, could hardly breathe, yellow discharge coming from their noses....yuck.  Apparently it is some new infection going around in dogs here in Utah.  Well it is a bad one!  Look at poor Pepper...

You can just feel her misery!  Luckily the medication worked quickly and within a few days they were starting to feel better.  Thank goodness for vets!

One important thing I have neglected to mention in my blog is Jacob's love of mountain biking.  He started mountain biking a couple years ago but just started getting really into it this past summer.  Eric and I bought the boys nice bikes right at the start of COVID, just because we knew that things would be closed down for a while and they would need something to do.  They already liked biking but didn't have great bikes, so they were thrilled with the new Fezzaris we bought them.  Jake's favorite thing to do now is mountain bike.  He has the cuts and bruises to prove it.... (that's his friend Chase behind him)....

He loves it so much he even took this artsy pic of his bike in the fall.  Pretty sweet ride!

He loves to go with his friends, but he will go on rides alone if he has to.  He wants to join the local mountain biking team next spring so has been working out and going on rides almost every day.  I'm proud of him for all his efforts.  He is saving up to buy a (very) expensive bike he wants...but I'm hoping once he has that money he won't want to spend his life savings on one bike.....but I guess we will see!  I am glad he has a hobby he really loves.

For the past few years, we have gone to a play at the Hale Theater at Christmastime.  It is always so fun.  This year's production was Tarzan.  I loved it because I got to watch a buff half naked man run around on stage for two hours!  Kidding....kind of.  Seriously though, the production was amazing--they always do such a good job!  And it is becoming a fun tradition we all look forward to.  Of course we had to abide by COVID protocol--social distancing and masks, no food.  But we are just happy to be able to go out still after having so much shut down for so long.

Pepper is doing well, mostly.  She was doing great on our electric perimeter fence but then her collar broke and we didn't know for about a week.  So during that week she learned that the border meant nothing.  Even once we replaced the collar, she keeps leaving.  It's like she has learned that the fun she gets to have outside the fence is worth the shock.  I even have it turned up all the way!  Ugh...dogs can be so frustrating sometimes, but then they are worth it sometimes too.  Let's hope in 7 years we feel about Pepper the same way we feel about Ziggy.  Pepper looks like she will be a good little hunting dog--she points at butterflies and bugs...

And then there's Ziggy who is practically perfect in every way.  We all just love Ziggy so so so much.  We've had her for 8 years; she's a part of the family.  And you can tell she is happy and contented by the way she takes naps.....  she feels totally secure and loved!

And then of course there are times when she does this....

Naughty little doggie!  At least it was in the mud room!  She's worth it though.

The older boys have been dying for ski season to get here...and when the ski resorts opened they were chomping at the bit to go!  So Eric took them up to Park City.  They had a good time, but not much was open at the resort so didn't stay more than a few hours.  We haven't had much snow here so it's not boding well for the ski season.  More on that in a few minutes...

Here's Jake.

Jake and Tyler...

And Tyler.  

I'm glad they love to ski and bike.  I think those are great hobbies because they are ones they can do their whole lives, alone or with others.  Hopefully we will get some snow soon so that they can have a fun ski season!

Pepper is good, but still a puppy.  She always likes to eat Ziggy's food when I put it out, so sometimes I have to banish her from the room until Ziggy is done eating.  When I do, she just sits at the door like this until Ziggy comes out.  

Maggie loves face masks.  She got some for her birthday and Christmas.  And she has stolen some from me....  at least her skin will silky smooth!

Another tradition we are starting at Christmas (along with the play), is doing an escape room as a family.  We did one last Christmas and had a total blast!  We decided to do one every holiday season and this year we had even more fun.  We did "The Heist" and we made it out!  We actually did really well!  Everyone helped--Joey too!  Here we are with the loot!  I love being able to do things like this with my family.  I'm just sad I don't have more years with them--this is probably Tyler's last Christmas living at home!

So far, Ziggy has mostly just tolerated having Pepper around.  The occasional snap and growl at her when Pepper is being too annoying...but every once in a while, if you're lucky, you can see them play together.  It is such a fun sight--especially because it makes me feel like Ziggy isn't as old as she is.  I love seeing them play together--I got a great video of it, but here is just a snapshot from it--they are both in the air running.  It cracks me up.

This year we also went to Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point.  It is a huge, and I mean huge, Christmas light display.  We went a couple years ago also.  I thought it would be fun to go again and I'm glad we did.  It is really beautiful but mostly I love it because I get to go with my family, and we (mostly) all got alone for the evening.  I feel so much joy and love when I am able to spend time with my family, enjoying each other's company.  I love love love it.  

We've been skiing with everyone a few times as well.  Once again, there isn't much open at the resorts because of the lack of snow.  So we stay for a few hours and then head home.  That's ok with me though, because even though it has been a few years, I'm still not a very good skier.  I supposed I am slowly getting better, but I like to ski really slowly, and I ski the easy stuff--greens and easy blues are my jam!  Poor Eric stays with me the whole time though, even though I'm sure he wishes he could ski something more fun!  But once again, I ski because I just love spending time with my family.  The older I get the more I realize how little time I have with them.  Some people have hobbies that they love, but my hobby that I love is doing ANYTHING (even skiing) with my family.  The bonus is when we go do something and everyone is kind and gets along.  That doesn't happen every time, but man, when it does it is magical!  

Here is Joey and Maggie on the gondola--a nice needed break!

Me and Eric....

Joey...

And on the lift is Tyler, Jacob and Maggie...

And here we all are!  It's definitely a lot of work to get all set up to ski--loading the car (which Eric has down to a science), getting everyone's gear on, trying to get Jake's boots on (impossible).... and then a lot of work when you are done skiing, just reverse that.  But it's fun to be together.

We had so much fun at our escape room this year we decided to do another one on Christmas Day (since skiing was out because the reservations--you have to make because of COVID--were full).  This time we went to a different company, and it was totally different and way fun!  We had to find relics to release the sword in the stone.  The rooms were bigger, much more intricate, and there were 3 rooms.  WAY WAY more intricate than the other ones we had done.  These rooms are designed to be harder so they put an actor in with you to help you when you need it.  We definitely needed him!  But we ended up getting the sword with seconds to spare!  It was intense but in the funnest of ways.  Maggie pulled out the sword so we all had to bow down to her.....

After skiing yesterday we went to a new restaurant called Back Door Burger.  They have a peanut butter and jelly burger, and a bunch of other really unique and interesting burgers.  It was super fun!

Tyler is getting so amazing at guitar.  He loves playing now and will just learn songs on his own.  I LOVE it!  I wish Maggie and Jake would take more of an interest in piano.  But Tyler played "We Three Kings" in sacrament meeting last week.  It was incredible.  I am so proud of him!  If this video works, it is a clip of his song I made him play for me.  It sounds better in person, but you get the idea...

Joey is also taking guitar lessons now.  He learned Jingle Bells!  He is doing so well and I hope we will love it just like Tyler!  He even recorded himself playing Jingle Bells and sent it to my mom.  Cute.

Well December was full of everything, from every emotion.  We are happy to say good bye to 2020!