Ethel M.

Every year we go to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory Cactus Garden.  It is always fun to see the lights.  I am so happy that this activity is still free.  Many holiday activities in this city are not free, so I am glad Ethel M still keeps this going.  It is so pretty.  Every year it is a bit more crowded, but it is still worth it.  Don was getting frustrated with the Christmas tree, so it was good to get him out of the house and have him take a break.  We walked through the factory, but they were not making candy that night.  Then we got to the end, and there were no free samples.  They just ran out.  Give me a break, it's a chocolate factory, I am sure there is more chocolate in the back!!!  The line for Santa was super long, so the kids told me that it was ok, they didn't need to see Santa.  Sad day.  I have hit that phase of my life.  They are all too old for Santa.  Well, lets just see what they get for Christmas!!!

After the gardens, we went out to eat.  Oh my gosh, my stomach is dying.  No food please!!!  On the way home this Christmas Carol came on.  Very sweet!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

My holiday started out with getting these really pretty flowers.  My mom sent them to me.  They were perfect for my holiday center piece.  Then Zachery surprised us by coming home early.  We are super excited to have him home!

Then on Thanksgiving morning we decided to run a 5K.  It has been a long time since I have done this.  Ian wanted to run his first 5K, so we decided to do the one we always do. Unfortunately the running club that puts on Catch the Gobbler is no longer around.  So I kept looking and found a 5K at the same park but different running team. Let me tell you, it wasn't that great.  Nobody was there.  (This might explain the results of the race!) It was pretty lame, but it was Ian's first 5K, so why not.  Poor Ian, trained and trained for this race and then he got the flu!  I couldn't believe it.  Poor kid.  He was so disappointed.  He even had to stay home from school.  Thanksgiving came and he felt better, so off to the race we went.

Julie from our ward ran it too.  She was late getting there and the race had already started.  As I was running I thought, "Man, she better not pass me!"  Sure enough she did!  She is an awesome runner!

Ian finished and then got sick.  Like I said, I think if he was feeling better he would of done better.  For his first race, he did pretty good.

Aubrey did not train at all!  She said it was the worse thing she ever did!  Just remember, she didn't train!

Aubrey didn't train, but she came in first in her division!!!  We laughed and laughed about this.  Yes, there was one other runner in her division.

I came in 2nd for my division and Ian came in 4th.

When we got home, the kids took showers and feel asleep.  I put on the Macy's parade and started cooking.  It was a quiet day, but good.  Our thankful tree is still around.  I love it.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a ton to be thankful for!

After dinner we went to see Mockingjay and then went home to eat pie.  We love pie!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Dance Open House

Even though Aubrey dances for the high school team, she still takes classes outside of the team.  She takes ballet at Nevada Ballet.  When we first tried to sign up for classes there, they kind of gave us a hard time.  She took from there last year, but they kind of changed the program.  We were a little worried.  Then, she took a trial class from the teacher she had last year and there was no doubt.  She was invited back.  Not only that, she was invited to take a pointe class in January.  We are excited about that.  Right now she takes a half an hour extra pointe class.  She loves it.  We are not able to watch her dance at the studio.  It is one of the rules.  She goes down a hallway and we wait in the lobby.  Twice a year they let us watch her.  Unfortunately I had to go and do an activity with the young women (service project), so only Don went and saw her.  She is really improving.

One of the skills we wanted her to keep up with is tap.  Bunker was also having their open house, so I was able to go to that one.  She loves tap.  She loves the teacher.  So, it is an awesome class.  Taking pictures of tap never looks good, so I took some video.  I love the first one.  It shows Aubrey dancing next to her dance teacher.

Service Project With The Young Women

I serve in the Young Women Organization at church.  I am the second counselor.  (The Young Women (often referred to as Young Women's or Young Woman's) is a youth organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The purpose of the Young Women organization is to help each young woman be worthy to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple.)  I serve with the 12 year olds.  They are called the Beehives.  It was our month to plan an activity.  We decided to do a serve project.  Of course I went to my favorite organization, Three Square.  (Three Square sources food, raises funds, and relies on volunteers to help supply our Program Partners with the food and services they need to provide wholesome food directly to hungry people in hundreds of neighborhood locations in all four counties. Three Square has over 1,100 Program Partners including nonprofits, schools, shelters, meal programs, SNAP outreach sites, etc.)  We didn't have all of our girls and that is because we had to go early.  It was the most physical thing I have ever done at Three Square.  We had to sanitize bins that are used to bring meals to other organizations.  Then we had to stack them.  The girls never complained.  It wasn't easy, but they killed it.  I received this email after I got home:

 

We want to thank you for recruiting such a great team of volunteers from Grand Canyon Ward Young Women Organization to assist in our Evening Sort-a-Thon.  Your team members helped us sort and sanitize enough bins to distribute 12,000 Kid’s Cafe meals to children who are less fortunate in our community!  It was a pleasure to have you all join us at Three Square!  If you would, please pass this email along to your team members as well. 

 

Three Square currently provides more than 30 million pounds of food and grocery product – the equivalent of more than 25 million meals – per year to nearly 600 Program Partners including non-profit and faith-based organizations, schools and feeding sites throughout Southern Nevada.   We appreciate all of our wonderful Three Square volunteers that help make this possible!

 

It was an awesome night!!!  I hope to take the girls back!

 

Asking Out Your G.R. Date And The Shenanigans That Follow!

We had this rule as a family, you can't go to a dance with the same date two times in a row.  Yeah, we tried that with the boys, and it never worked.  They always find a way around it.  After talking to Zach this weekend, he totally laughed when we talked about this rule!  He told us it was the stupidest rule! So, after much discussion we told Aubrey it was ok for her to go Girls Reverse with the same boy she went to homecoming with.  I guess she kind of likes him!  This boy loves Sponge Bob.  We have never seen the show.  It just looks so stupid so I never let my kids watch it.  Aubrey has never seen it, but she decided to get Alex a Sponge Bob piñata and put a note on it that said, "Break the piñata to see who wants to go to G.R. with you."  Then we filled it with a ton of candy.  First Aubrey had fun taking a ton of pictures of him (Sponge Bob).

First he had dinner with us.

He got in trouble.

He watched T.V. with the kids.

He had to take a nap.

Well, you know!

Sponge Bob went for a drive!

Aubrey did his nails.

He helped Aubrey with her homework.

Took a selfie.

Then he had to get ready to go.

I guess Alex loved it!  He loved all the candy, and I am sure he is happy Aubrey's Dad let the two dance rule go.  He answered Aubrey by including her favorite movie.  Very cute.  This boy knows how to work it!