2021, December 13-19

We had a full week leading into the end of school for the calendar year, with snow, rides, a road trip, and a day with grandparents at Disneyland. 

Eliza got to ride three ponies this week. She was happy, even if the weather was cold. 

Fergus is no fan of the snow. He likes warm laps and pets. 

We finished the Santa's Visit LEGO set (this year's advent calendar) early so we could enjoy it as part of our Christmas décor. 

Hallie got to accompany a Merit School group up to This is the Place.

She even got some dancing in. 

Eliza rode like the wind. She's getting to be quite skilled! 

Snow fell in earnest mid-week. Brr! 

Of course, Landon likes that it makes snowballs. 

Miss Eliza was Santa's little helper, helping wrap presents in the office with Mom. 

And one last ride before the end of the year! 

The people in Mike's online heraldry community did a Christmas fundraiser for Doctors Without Borders, and Mike commissioned this digital beauty. Part of the fundraiser included the artists live-streaming their process, so Mike was fortunate enough to see this work from early stages through completion. 

On Friday afternoon, we hit the road toward California, stopping in St. George. Eliza enjoyed some welcome pool time. 

Hallie enjoyed some baked goods from Farmstead. 

On Saturday, we continued the rest of the way to Anaheim and our hotel. 

On Sunday morning, we got an early start with breakfast at the hotel. 

We met up with Grandma, Grandpa, and Alie at the Disneyland gate. The mask-wearing protocol seemed kind of vague as far as what to do outdoors. Indoors and on busses, they were required. 

We had lots of fun going to various activities in the park. G&G got a wheelchair that everyone used at some point in the day. While Mike, Landon, and Eliza waited for Rise of the Resistance, Hallie, Grandma, and Alie tried to make appointments for dining and other events. 

We really enjoyed Galaxy's Edge and spent quite a bit of the daytime hours over there. 

That said, we did get to the other lands and had a full day even with the heavy crowds. For better or for worse, this is not the Disneyland of our childhood.

We enjoyed the unusual food items in Batuu as part of our day. 

In the late afternoon, Mike, Landon, and Grandpa went to Savi's Workshop for the boys to make custom lightsabers, and Hallie, Eliza, Alie, and Grandma went to the Droid Depot to make a custom droid. Both kids seem very happy with their experiences. 

While we had tons of fun, it was a long day, so we called it a night near fireworks time. We were grateful for the chance to share such a memorable day together! 

These boys! 

2021, December 6-12

Snow came in to punctuate our activities this week, with more to come. 

Eliza rode a few days, each time on Juneau. She's got great form for her age.  

We hung paper snowflakes on the doors and windows. 

Fergus is no fan of the cold. 

Cold weather came in earnest starting mid-week, which meant it was chilly at Creekside. 

Eliza comforted our poor cold baby. 

Mike got this lovely sweater as a gift from his department. Eliza has decided to make it hers. Hallie is fine with that.

She has a hard time sleeping and then showed up one night made up like this. It's Christmastime, not Halloween, girl! Let's say we are tired, a lot!

We tried catching the kitty doing a blep. Too slow! Can you tell we love the cat! We are going away for the holidays, and we are finding it hard to leave him behind. No one loves him like we do.

Hallie's school has these academic Christmas trees in the library window. Maybe the idea looks better in person or in the set of three, but Hallie thought she should take a picture.

 

On Thursday, we finally got our first snow of the season. For whatever reason Hallie had anxiety hearing that the snow and cold was on the way. She does not like being cold and is afraid of falling on the ice. The weather came regardless of how Hallie was feeling.

Eliza and Dad delighted in it after getting home from his work. 

Later, she and Mom went for her third ride of the week. Note the puff of steam coming from Juneau. It's really cold. This time Hallie stayed for the whole lesson as she came prepped with hand warmers. Eliza started with a warmer jacket and got hot enough she took it off and didn't want gloves. This girl is warm blooded.

The look of a cat who doesn't like snow outside. Sometimes we catch Fergus on the window sill patiently waiting for the snow to go away. Sorry, Fergus! It has only just begun.

"Can I has grass insted?"

Eliza got her hair trimmed and the boys got their ears lowered. Landon definitely does not look like Kevin from Home Alone. No, not at all! He loved it that we and the barber told him he looked like Kevin, but he especially realized it on Sunday night, right before school.

 

Eliza and the neighbor girls constructed a couch to lounge on by the front door. 

Here is a collection of the snowflakes Mike has cut this week. 

 

Saturday started off as a hard day for Hallie and the kids. All the pictures and stories are fun, but sometimes day are hard when you deal with anxiety and depression. Unfortunately. Mike came home from taking the van for an oil change and found Hallie not in a good state but that Landon was able to fill help fill in the gaps until Mike got home. Hallie was able to pull herself together to get Eliza to her haircut. This day was filled with sorrow for Hallie as she joined in on the funeral of a friend she met so long ago. 

"I flexed and the sleeves fell off.": The real reason the Wet Bandits finally gave up. 

On Sunday, we did some Christmas cookie and gingerbread house decorating.  Hallie spent time upstairs doing lots of laundry and cleaning up before we headed off to warmer temperatures. Hallie, Eliza, and Mike enjoyed the sugar cookie kit that Hallie bought at Beehive Bazaar. It is awesome other people have great talents to share with us, and Hallie buys them for us to enjoy them.

 

Only a few more days, and then we're off on a road trip! The boys are excited to build lightsabers and Eliza is going to make her very own droid. Hallie is hoping to soak up the atmosphere. We are so excited to see extended family while we travel.

2021, November 29-December 5

We moved into the last month of 2021 wondering where the snow and cold is at. We don't have a lot of photos. It's mostly a Fergus and Eliza week with a little winter activity thrown in. 

Eliza went riding three days this week. She loves being around the horses. 

This horse is named Ghost. A young lady is leasing him and he is a great horse.

There are a lot of kids at the barn that are around Eliza's age, and she has a blast running around with them. Here the girls were supposed to be feeding the horses.

Fergus is very much a lap cat (maybe he gets cold?). He often joins us at school in the mornings. 

On December 1, we started a LEGO Santa's Visit set for our advent calendar. 

This is how much of a cuddler Ferg has become. He even warms up to Mom! He may have really wanted the ice cream Mike and Hallie were sharing.

So far, he hasn't tried to climb the tree. Well, maybe once or twice. 

Eliza had the chance to ride Juno (Juneau?), one of Trainer Sara's horses that only adults have ridden so far. We're really pleased with all her growth! We are grateful Sara trusted Eliza to ride her horse.

Like his dad, Landon has become a bit camera shy. He is doing well at school and in gym, and he has mastered a few new skills. Sadly, we don't have photos, only reports and videos which are not the greatest to post to Blogger.

On Friday, while Landon attended a friend's birthday party, the rest of us went to the Springville Holiday Festival and Santa Village down at the Civic Center Park. 

While there, the girls got henna tattoos from a student from Hallie's school, and we got ramen from the Fatty Tuna food truck. While it was a bit chilly out, it did not at all feel like December. Eerie, to be honest.