2024, December 30 - 2025, January 5

We have transitioned into a new year. We hope it will be exciting and full of happy surprises. 

We had several auspicious fortunes in our Christmas Eve fortune cookies, including one that read, "Good fortune is on your side."

In that spirit, Mike opted to open his LEGO Japan postcard in hopes that good things will follow on the job search. Hallie and Tomari approve! 

Eliza loves to baby Fergus. He doesn't always feel like being babied. Here is how he rang in the New Year with Eliza. Three of us stayed home, watched TV specials, and popped crackers, and Landon and friends Zeke and Sonny went to a local park to watch fireworks. They later realized the error of their ways and got a ride to another friend's warm house before getting home shortly after midnight.

Mike stayed up a little bit with the kids before everyone eventually went to bed. He found E on the couch New Year's morning. The grownups watched the Rose Parade while the kids slept in some more. 

We had a pretty chilly day and spent it mostly indoors what with Kai being at Brittany's. Mike and Eliza needed to get out regardless. Eliza's back tire has not held air very well, so we opted for Mike to walk while Eliza rode. We managed to catch the alpenglow off the peaks to the southeast.  

Eliza showed some reluctance about getting her picture taken as Mike checked her tire. 

We saw some ponies over in the west field, so of course E had to go visit.  

Kai came back on the 2nd. Hallie, Landon and Kai played fetch out in the front yard on a dry afternoon. Such a happy tired puppy!

Ferg gets plenty of beauty sleep. 

Eliza had a riding lesson as part of a very busy Friday for Mike as he hauled people and pets all around. First, he took Kai to the groomer out in Woodland Hills before taking Eliza to her riding lesson at BUH in Mapleton. While E was at her lesson, Mike returned to get Kai (now all trim and smelling clean. Thanks, Heidi!) before rushing back to get E. He was only a few minutes late.  

E managed to get on BUH's social media for the week. 

We saw some deer as we left. 

Mike then took Landon to a (successful!) job interview at Jimmy John's and afterwards took him to and back from Jocie's house. In all, he did a typical Hallie shuttle day. 

Hallie worked close to 40 hours at Starbucks this week. She saw a pretty sunset on Friday as she left work for the day. 

Hallie's coworker Ty went on a trip to visit family, and Hallie and Eliza are helping to care for Ty's cats.  

On one of their trips to look after the cats, the girls went to Harmony in Provo, where Hallie got this sticker for her mug. 

Mike spent some more time making snowflake art among other activities related to the extended Christmas season (he highly recommends Terry Pratchett's Hogfather). He experimented with making digital paper snowflakes that have a somewhat more realistic look, whether that be somewhat more like beveled crystal or like cut layered paper. 

He tried teaching our niece Alie how to make some while tutoring on Friday. It's hard to show someone how to fold and cut paper over Google Meet! 

Making the layered ones has been interesting, and he may try going back and attempting to make actual layered paper ones at some point. 

The paper snowflakes get hung on the windows with care. He wants to figure out how to get some of his designs made into Japanese-style mino washe reusable paper window clings. Maybe he can find someone when we go on our trip. 

Mike took down the Christmas decor on Sunday, and now it's time to transition into winter mode as the days get marginally longer. We'll take all the light and cheer we can get! 

2024, December 23-29

And as quickly as it started, 2024 is winding down. 

We took some time before the inclement weather came in getting outside. As Mike and Eliza were riding, we came across a friendly pony and some moo cows. Right after Mike took these photos, Eliza noticed that her bike's back tire was going flat. Fortunately, they were close enough to home that Mike could get his minivan and load the bike in before the rain started for real. 

Hallie was finally able to prevail upon Mike to make his favorite Anna Ellsworth's molasses cookies. They turned out delicious! Eliza brought several to share with Hallie and friends at Starbucks.

He also made time to decorate this gingerbread house. Landon made sure neither the cookies nor the house lasted long.

Landon got a couple of fun gifts from Jocie, including a Star Wars-themed pillow and a picture-filled throw. 

Here is how our Tuesday morning dawned: Cold and frosty. 

Mike read that the Nordik Village at Jaker's was going to be open for free, so he convinced E to go with him to check it out. 

Here's to tasty Swedish meatballs. 

E prevailed upon Dad to get a picture with Bluey and her family. 

On the way home, we noticed that one of our neighbors had painted this fun Nightmare Before Christmas window mural on their home.  

Mike continued making digital paper snowflakes. 

As Tuesday evening was Christmas Eve, the parents let the kids open presents. 

(These are Japan-themed socks.)

Hallie's coworkers got her the one LEGO set any of us received for Christmas.

Christmas morning dawned wet. Mike kept thinking of the modified lyrics "I'm thinking of a wet Christmas, just like the ones I used to know." As a SoCal child, this weather felt much more like those days gone by.

 

We noticed lots of droplets that had formed on the twigs of the trees as we walked the dog. 

As is tradition, the kiddos sat at the foot of the bed to open their stockings. This year, they both slept in long enough that the grownups were able to get breakfast started before the children started stirring. 

Hallie's Kinder Joy toy gave her the side eye. 

As also is tradition, Mike got his picture of the children on the stairs. Some years are more of a hassle than others.

 

Kai was thrilled with his new fetch/chew toy.

 

We got a pic from Diamond and Caleb wishing us Merry Christmas too with the gifts we sent them. We miss you!

After upstairs festivities, we made our way downstairs to open more gifts. 

Hallie's gifts to Mike had a University of Utah theme, including a Starbucks "Been There" mug and UU pajamas for him and the kids. Mike put both to use right away. 

Wet conditions prevailed throughout the day.

Later, Mike got a phone call from his friend Toby, and Priscilla came over to give gifts to the family, including this Woodstock chew toy to go along with the (now chewed up) Snoopy she gave him last year. 

In the evening, we went to Gma and Gpa M's for dinner. Kai likes visiting with Marilyn.

We ended the day with Eliza doing art with the kit she received and with Landon playing on the new laptop he and E received. Everyone seemed very content. 

Art time continued on Boxing Day. Here are some templates for you to use for inspiration in cutting your own paper snowflakes. From Mike's perspective, it's just a matter of angles and lines. 

We took Kai back to his other family to spend the week there. He spent the last 21 days with us, which is something we get used to. See you next year, Kai Kai Puppy!

After a long day at work, Hallie wanted to come upstairs, but Fergus had other plans. 

Eliza got Dad to do some watercolor painting with him. She painted this bee, and he painted this mountain scene. Hallie was impressed when they sent her this photo of their efforts. 

December 27 is National Make Cut-out Snowflakes Day. Mike cut a few today, and we already had plenty more to put up in the windows. He put an album on the blog's sidebar. Just click the snowflake over there!

Eliza thought Ferg was so adorable sprawled out on her that it merited a picture. 

We got new luggage as part of our Christmas/Japan travel plans. Hallie decorated hers with some of her Dutch Bros collection. 

Hallie had a work party/training on Saturday. Part of it included practicing making new drinks, including this chocolate-strawberry blend. 

Like most of the week, we had a wet Sunday. Eliza went to look after Tucker and Val. She likes earning money. Landon applied at Jimmy John's. Fergus gave Hallie the side eye, probably because she disturbed his slumber. She found him amusing enough to take a pic. 

We got word from Diamond and Caleb that Diamond's mom Joyce passed away suddenly. They are heading to Detroit now to help with funeral arrangements.  

Thus another eventful year winds to its close. Thanks for sharing our adventures with us, and see you in 2025!