Priesthood

 Today, Nolen received the priesthood.  He just barely turned 11 but the church changed when they give boys the priesthood so Nolen got it at the first of the year.  He seems so little.  He will spend the marjority of this year as an 11 year old.  He is so responsible.  I just love this little boy so much.  He truly cares about others and their feelings.  Sometimes he isn't aware that he is being rude and when he is told, he will change what he is doing.  I love him.

Stephen's parents drove over for Nolen to get the priesthood.  Susan is spending a week with us.  It will be so fun and refreshing to have her around while we live our daily chaotic lives.  

 

Cousins

 We are so lucky to have so many people come and visit us over the holidays!  Kendra, Michael, and the kids drove over from Tennessee and we have been playing hard all week while trying to get our school work done.  We took them horse back riding and just hung out as much as possible.  Kendra and Michael were supposed to go on a cruise but it was cancelled due to covid.   So they went up to a little resort here in Santa Fe while we watched their kids.  

Sledding uphill

 We haven't received any snow here in Albuquerque.  At all.  Sort of a dry year.  But there has been some snow up in the mountains.  Kendra, Michael, and the kids drove over on Monday so we took them up the mountain to sled.  Nolen and James hit their heads pretty hard on the ice as they went down one hill, so they were ready to go home after that, but all in all it was a fun time.  

Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year!

Here's to a great 2022. 

The boys are still home schooling and loving it.  I love the freedom it allows our family.  I am so glad to shake of some of the trials of 2021 and head fresh into 2022.  I am spending today and tomorrow recovering and preparing for all the weeks ahead!

Just Like That, the Year is Over

 Well, good-bye 2021!

I feel like I lost a year or two because of all the covid issues that have come up.   We have been wearing masks and avoiding people for nearly two years now.  It is crazy to think that in 2020 the world shut down and just never really went back to normal.  This is our new normal.  Here in New Mexico we are under a mask mandate that has never ended.  Our brains are mush.  I feel like any extra stress I feel is over whelming.  I am sad to say good bye to 2021 but I am also ready for fun new adventures of 2022.  

Craig and Blair came Christmas Day to hang out with us for a few weeks.  We really didn't do anything special.  We just hung out and played games every day.  Stephen took a few days off and we finished up my floating shelves project that has been ongoing for months now.  I still have to do the finishing touches on the project but for now, it is done. 

Stephen and I are running a marathon/half marathon January 16th, so we have been running a lot of miles in December.  This year I hit 500 miles!  That is the most miles I have ever ran in a year.  It was a huge milestone for me.  

New years eve I sang with Opera Southwest and then came home, celebrated with the boys and the hoped in bed.  It was perfect.  

Happy New Year!

Christmas

 It's Christmas!  Hurray!

We are so happy to have two full weeks off from our busy lives.  It feels so good to just hang out together as a family.  I always hope to slow our lives down a bit, but it seems to hit warp speed when I am not paying attention.  

We had a very low key Christmas this year.  We waited until 10:00 to open presents.  We didn't get a lot of stuff this year because it just didn't feel right.  The boys didn't really want anything at all.  They just wanted money for their online games.  So that is what they got.  We had dinner with my parents and played games.  Such a nice relaxing day remembering the Saviors birth.