Baptisms and Birthdays

 Sean and his MA Tara like to decorate for the holidays!  He always sends me pictures. He also had these really nice posters made by Granger for his rooms to help his patients know what kinds of services he can provide. 

I get to help in Lizzie's class 2 times a month and its always so fun to see her in her element. Its also fun because I get to see Brett on his way to PE while I am in the hall with kindergarteners. Brett continues to have a hard time with school. The kids are just mean and negative use bad language all the time. He feels like he doesn't fit in. Its so hard because he know he doesn't actually want to fit in with the other kids, but he is still lonely. 

Lizzie was really really nervous to get her second covid shot, I had to hold her down, but after she got the shot she was all smiles and was really glad to have gotten the shot. I felt terrible, but I am so grateful for vaccinations and the extra layer of protection from sickness. Brett and Alana were troopers and got their shots with no problem. 

Lizzie got to bring home Happy the elephant again from her class. Bringing home the class pet is a huge highlight of any 5 year old life! 

This is his high chair and some magna tile food. 

My sister got us a fun digital advent calendar. 

Every year we do a gingerbread party. When it started we did it with our residency friends. Last year because of covid we decided to to just do it as the five of us. This year it wasn't going to work out to do it with residency friends so we invited the Ellis family to join us. They canceled last minute and it was really hard, but we still made some fun houses and had a good time. 

We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple to take some baptism pictures for Alana. We found her dress on Amazon and I was so proud of her for wearing it. Clothes are still really hard for her. She has been very excited to be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

Alana was baptized the day before Sean and my birthday. Grandma and Grandpa Z, Mimi, Neil and Rebecca, Kaden, Lexi, Brian and Jill, Xander, Lucy, the Ellis family all came. The baptism program was beautiful and short. We had an opening prayer and song and then he baptism, then her confirmation and a few words from the Bishop. She chose Brett and Kaden as her witnesses and Grandpa Z said the opening prayer, Mimi played the piano, and I said the closing prayer. We had a little breakfast at our house after and then Sean, Neil, and Mom P went to help Brian and Jill move into their new house. It was hard to not have Papa there with us and I think we all missed him a lot. He was always so so proud to see his children and grandchildren make covenants. Alana said he was there though and I have no doubt he was smiling down on us. 

We got Alana some nice scriptures and my mom and dad got her a journal. She wrote about her baptism day in her journal. She is getting so grown up and is such a remarkable young lady. She has been reading her scriptures most nights just on her own and continues to be a wonderful friend to her siblings and helper around the house. 

Sean and I turned 35 on a Sunday. We had our primary program that day and it went pretty well especially considering we changed primary presidency, primary chorister, and bishopric all in the last few months of the year. I look forward to doing it in September or October next year. My mom and dad came for the primary program and then came to our house and made us a nice dinner. We ate, set up my childhood train set in the front room, ate cake, and opened presents. 

My mom brought the kids some Russian nesting dolls that they loved!

Sean got a new game from Eric that he was really excited about!

Sean got me a nail polish set I really wanted and the girls and I did our nails. 

One morning it was really icy and I was able to get the kids to school ok, but on my way back I got stuck on the hill. I finally got out, but it made me nervous for snow driving. Then one night we got a huge snow storm and I was so grateful that they called a snow day. Sean and I got up early and shoveled the side walk so he could get out and go to work. It was so much snow!

Sean finished Oreo's stocking. It turned out so so cute. He worked really hard on it because the dog in the kit was tan and he re did it black. The kit also had the Santa holding a cat, but he replaced the cate with a bone. 

I took the kids and Oreo sledding on our snow day. 

Alana got to make a candy train in her class and I got to go help. 

The girls and I snuggling one night at karate. 

Lizzie was so so excited for the last day before winter break. All the kids got to wear their pajamas and they all learned some great songs for the sing along at school. 

We made oreo truffles. And tons of other cookies. I also made more than 20 mini loaves of wheat bread for our neighbors which I delivered with honey butter =) 

Here is one of the many notes that Lizzie left around our house for Santa =)