Six kids sleeping as we drove home from Iowa all day and night. It took 19.5 hours. We left at 7:30am and got here at 3am the following day.
Tuesday: We heard it was cold while we were away and our house was 50 degrees inside but we got beautiful weather when we got back. 60's and 70's every day. We had lots of raking to do!
It's hard to see but there are sticks and branches all over the grass. Must have been a good storm while we were gone.
The girls and I went to a RS/YW/Primary craft night and had a lot of fun doing something social.
Wednesday: Getting the Christmas decorations out!
When Feliz Navidad comes on it's a tradition to do this train and sing, "Feliz snobby duck" as Kylie and Madalyn used to do when they were little. When the leader calls out "Snobby duck!" everyone turns around and the train goes the other way until the littlest one calls out snobby duck. So glad the tradition is carrying on. :) They march all over the house.
Making Christmas countdowns. Some year I'll make a real one out of felt or something.
Andy looked so cute when I tucked in Samuel.
Thursday: Brushing teeth for a big trip to the dentist. It's an hour away, took 2 hours there, and an hour home so we were gone 4 hours.
Waiting in the waiting room.
Looking at trees. Someday I'll get a new phone that doesn't have such bad lighting problems.
I wanted this skinny one to fit in our tiny living room.
Alexis wanted this one and since it's her last year with us I let her pick. Thomas easily carried it to the car with one hand while holding Talea on his shoulders. It turned out to be the perfect tree.
Unwrapping it at home.
The perfect little tree!
Bringing it in. Every year the kids carry it in like this with the little ones in front.
Haven't gotten a tree on a 70 degree day in years! Not since we used to live in North Carolina.
So good to be back in the warm South.
We knocked out the post so that we could put the little chair here and put the tree where the chair was.
Yay for no post! I really need to fix all the stuff I've knocked out but don't know if that will happen before Christmas.
While the 6 kids were at rehearsal Tilly and I went to Main Street open house. We sang carols with our ward in front of a store and then followed the marching band down the street a few blocks to the tree lighting ceremony.
I'm not sure why it's not an evergreen when there are plenty of evergreens here. Still, we had a lot of fun and it was fun to attend a community event.
When we got home we decorated the tree until late because we'd run out of time before rehearsal.
Doing another round of "Snobby duck" when the song came on while decorating.
Coming down the stairs.
Friday: Having the elders over for waffles for lunch. It's fun having visitors out here.
While they were here we got out our Christmas lights in hopes that they would help us but they had to go to an appointment. But never fear, Kait took over and did them all! She did a great job. She put some on the shed roof (where there's an outlet and timer) and strung them to the house roof.
I got Thomas to cut tree limbs with the pole saw while he was up there. Kait and Kenna put icicle lights on the house and the 3 little kids played camping all day.
Dragging cut branches to the burn pile.
Lexi and I raked while 3 kids were on the roof and the 3 little ones were camping in the yard.
So tender seeing them walk around arm in arm. I was trying to take a picture of our 7 big leaf piles to send to Kylie and Madalyn. This is the view from our front porch.
The lower roof didn't look good so they took them down and moved them to the upper roof. It ended up taking a couple hours but we're proud to have lights up now. I didn't care about them in Utah because it wasn't my house. Something about owning a house makes you want to decorate it and have more pride in it than a rental.
While hiking in the woods and slipping down a leafy hill I got the idea to go sledding! I got the kids and a thick mat and we had a blast!
Nice soft warm landing.
Leaves all raked up.
After they were in bed Samuel and Makenna got up and wanted to pull out their teeth together.
Almost out.
They both pulled them out within seconds of each other.
Yay! Two front teeth out!
Saturday: Playing guitars at a friend's house. They invited us over for lunch and to see the renovations they've done on their hunting cabin turned house so I could get some ideas for my own renovations.
I missed getting a picture of the trampoline full of kids, mine and theirs.
This used to be all cinder block basement and now it's Lauren's room.
These wood pieces were from a tree they cut down and milled at their own mill and are now drying. That's how they did all the floors and walls and ceilings in their house which I think is really cool.
Piling into their truck to get a tour of their 350 acres.
A big pile of dirt from the foundation the Wait's are digging to build a new house.
The pit that was super fun to play in.
The view from when I climbed up the dirt pile and looked down into the pit.
I could turn 360 degrees around on the pile and always have a view of the mountains. It's going to be a great place for their new home.
Kendric let the kids drive the excavator. Andy was ecstatic. He really wants to drive tractors or garbage trucks.
Pulling out some roots in the new road they'd made.
Even Tilly got a turn.
Bethani Wait and Tilly.
Someone asked for a picture of our kitchen, dining room, living room and entry way so here they are as they look today. It will be fun to see how much changes we do to them in the coming months and years.
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