New Year's Eve!

 Well we spent the entire week just trying to get well.  Edward tested positive for covid on Christmas Eve, so that changed a lot of our plans.  Susan was planning to spend the week between Christmas and New Year's eve together but because we were all so sick, she stayed home.  We were very sad.  So we spent the week just sitting around.  I worked on Stephen's new wall unit all week and tried to make his office something beautiful.  

For New Year's eve, Edward went to his first youth dance.  He had a blast!  Nolen and I went to shoot off fireworks with Craig and Blair.  We set off one big one and I was too nervous to even take a photo of it! Stephen came home from work around midnight.  We counted down to midnight and all went to bed.  

Happy New Year!

Christmas

 We had a very mellow Christmas.  Mostly due to covid.  I am glad we made it nearly three years with out getting sick but it was our time.  We were so sad to spend the holidays sick but we made the most of it.  I wanted to surprise Stephen with an new office wall unit.  I recruited Sharla, John, and my dad to help put it on the wall.  It was tough but we did it and Stephen was really surprised.  The boys opened a present Christmas Eve while Stephen worked, then we woke up and had a small Christmas celebration early Sunday morning before we headed off to church for the Christmas program I put together.  

Christmas Season Fun

 Well this whole week didn't quite go the way I had planned because we have all been sick.  I have had the worst sore throat of my life. A few weeks ago, I submitted a song to the missionaries for their facebook page.  They got back to me right before Christmas.  I sang, "The First Noel" and did the best I could manage.  

 

I took the boys ice skating so that we could try to do some fun things for the holiday season, but we all felt a little sick.  I coughed the entire time.  The boys did have fun hanging out with their friends and actually got a bit better at ice skating.  Oh, and I got better, too!

My older sister, Sharla and her fiance, John drove here Friday night to spend Christmas with us, but she woke up sick and tested positive for covid!  I just couldn't believe it!  We did hang out but she headed back early so that she didn't get my mom sick. 

Christmas Recital

 I feel so blessed that both my sister, Kendra, and my best friend, Veronica, drove from Tennessee and Arizona, respectively, to be a part of my recital.  Their children were phenomenal!  It was great to have them be a part of something I love so much.  I have been teaching their children online for a two years and it finally lined up that they could come and participate.  With the chaos of the season and day, I completely forgot the hot chocolate packages for the hot chocolate bar.  Oh boy!  That was an epic fail on my behalf.

 

 After the recital, we all went out to the movies and laughed and laughed. Wednesday morning, I wanted to make everyone breakfast since we didn't get to hang out much because of the covid epidemic at my house.  All the kids came over and the shelf near the computer fell off the wall!  It was insane!  Luckily, my dad could come over and help me rehang the shelf that afternoon.