With Debbie the only kid home, Elise took pity and invited all of us to celebrate with her family. I love Christmas Eve on Sunday and we got to enjoy attending sacrament meeting and having a day that was not work or shopping but lots of family time.
We enjoyed a delicious meal of roast and potatoes . . .
Played card games,
Came home to a quiet house while Debbie slept with the kids in their fort. We got called back for Christmas morning by 6:15. So many excited kids and now Debbie is last. Then Jack, Nellie, Josh, Lucy, and Rae.
My baby still enjoying my lap. I am so grateful to share all this fun with some of my favorite people.
Rae and Debbie
A bounty of gifts.
And this sweet family coming to enjoy time with us, or a change to take a nap. They are so cute.
Fall Formal was girls choice. Debbie took Kyle Steinfeld and had a group with Anjolee Jones, Willow Adamson, Carrie Everet, and Janey Christensen. For their activity they celebrated a year of holidays. Then they dressed up for the dance, did pictures in the lot on our block, came to our house for bacon and waffles and headed off to the dance.
odd shape Christmas gift wrapping
New Years with pots and pans
Fixing the table after it fell apart
Halloween was celebrated by carving pumpkins.
They also had an Easter egg hunt provided by Angie Gerber, 4th of July egg toss, and a Thanksgiving dinner of turkey sandwiches with potato chips.
Valentines was cutting out hearts and heart attacking Renae Noel next door.
For homecoming this year, Debbie attended with Jace Nielson from Ephraim. He had a mountain bike race so attending the race was the activity for the day and then they headed off to a friends house for steak dinner and then walked to the wild acre farm event place in Ephraim Janey Christenson, Debbie's good friend, went with Jackson and they both got ready at our house.
Jackson and Jace waiting for Janey and Debbie to get ready
Jace and Debbie
The day before the dance was a parade and the football game. We won!
Started the day with biscuits and gravy for breakfast, and then a basket of presents. The rest of the day seemed to involve supporting and keeping up with Debbie and her responsibilities. Lots of Miss Manti responsibilities and an encore performance.
Debbie performed with encore and bellisma and then ran to be in a parade in Mt Pleasant. She hurried back to do the dunking booth.
Meanwhile we enjoyed fun at the park with races, egg toss and firemen water fun.
Elder Simeon was in class for half the day and then got to join the fun in his missionary clothes. He sure loves the fire fighters and they love him. He got to help here and attend the BBQ with them but had to be in bed before the fireworks. Other years he has been able to help set them off.
Back home for our annual BBQ. I didn't get very many pictures but I am sure grateful for the support and friendship of family. Peter and Rachel came down from Santaquin to spend the day. Natalie's and Elise's families joined us and the next generation had a water fight.
Miss Manti float with Anjolee Jones, Alexis Christensen and Debbie. They are so beautiful and willing to serve. Lucy continues to be a part of the celebration as Debbie's little miss. She loved the parade.
I love freedom and liberty and the joy and privilege that is ours to live in the United States of America. I am proud to be an American. I am proud of my country's founding by righteous men who were divinely guided to recognize man's God given rights and provided a way to protect those rights. I pray that we may be blessed with leaders and citizens who value and stand for truth and right, who with gratitude seek to protect our freedoms through education, voting, and serving to defend our freedom.
Peter and Rachel moved to Santaquin. Peter is learning all about orchards, fruit, and business. It is a lot of fun for him. Today we all got to go up to their new home, enjoy dinner (Hawaiian haystacks) and tour the orchards. We learned about apples and cherries. The trees were in bloom and it was all so beautiful Pictures are in random order.
Milt, Debbie, Simeon and me
I have spent the last year with two teeth missing on the side. Simeon is trying to help me keep it a secret. New teeth coming in May.
We found a working train track but also a loose pin
