January 2023

    We got a new van, a Chrysler Pacifica 2021 (it was the van we had been renting) and we launched Caleb's rocket he got for Christmas and lost it in the neighborhood, we finally found it!  

Travis and I went on a dave and buster's date, just the two of us.  It was a lot of fun, and we brought home prizes for the little boys.  

No one wanted Austin to go back to school, the little boys needed one final group hug before they would let her leave for the airport.  

                The boys enjoyed climbing at a park over Christmas break

                                    Gideon wasn't feeling good, he had an ear infection.  

                Gideon took his hot chocolate and turned it into a hot chocolate popsicle.  

            We had an ice storm and the trampoline was covered in ice, the boys loved playing in it.  
 We enjoyed the rest of Christmas break, and then school started again for everyone.  Travis and I were donating plasma, Travis used his funds to buy the kids Christmas gifts.  I just started in January, telling Travis I would give it a try.  I didn't enjoy it at all, I managed to continue donating almost twice a week for the month of January, but finally had to stop, when the last time I went they hit a nerve and my arm was painful and sore for about a month and a half, so I am no longer willing to donate plasma, I just had too many problems with it.  I used my money to pay for chiropractor care, and my neck had been hurting a lot, and was having headaches.  I also got my hair cut by a professional, instead of just trimming it myself.  Caleb and Samuel got to go on a YM campout, and although it was cold, they seemed to have fun.  Caleb was ordained a deacon and got to start passing the sacrament at church on Sundays, and go to Young Mens, instead of primary.  

December 2022

                                                        Betsy is having fun pulling Gideon around

                                                        Malachi is super excited that he got to ride a horse

                                            Travis' promotion ceremony to Major

                     This is the cake I made for Travis' promotion to Major, he cut it with a sword.  Now all the kids think they should be able to cut cakes with a sword.  

Caleb had his Christmas band concert

We enjoyed putting together a puzzle over Christmas break

Malachi and his class did a nativity re-enactment.

Betsy rear-ended a car and crashed, the air bags went off, and the car was totaled.  She went to the chiropractor for some neck pain, but other than that was fine.  

The boys made a blanket fort to sleep in (don't worry I didn't actually let them sleep up there)

We found two very interesting vegetables in our garden.  We called the one on the left parsnip man, and the one on the right radish butt.  

These boys love jumping on the trampoline together

We got one final harvest from our garden before it got too cold.  

Malachi had fun having his friend Elle over to play.  

It was nice to have Austin home for Christmas break.  She had fun playing with Samuel's hair, and trying to put it in a pony tail.  

                                            Travis with his commander, at his promotion ceremony. 

December is always a super full month, with kids' concerts, activities, my piano recital, church programs, and Christmas traditions.  We tried to focus a lot on the savior and introduced a new tradition of lighting a white candle and reading about a different name of Christ's each night.  We had a wooden circle that would hold all 25 candles and at the base of each candle was a name of Chirst.  It helped us remember to focus on Jesus Christ during the Christmas season.  We did the 12 days of Christmas, and don't think the family ever caught us.  It was fun to be sneaky, and we learned Samuel is a great get-a-way driver.  A lot of nights Caleb and Samuel did the delivery.  We made lots of cookies and delivered them to lots of people in the neighborhood and ward.  We made gingerbread houses and played lots of games.  Christmas was full of delicious food and the opening of presents, 
 

November 2022

Making Rolls for Thanksgiving

Samuel got his Driver's License

Made an apple pie for Thanksgiving

Travis and Betsy playing jenga at there axe throwing activity

Malachi and Gideon loving the rain!

Austin with her friends after going to the temple in Rexburg

Thanksgiving Turkey hands!

Betsy bought a truck from an auction on Ft. Hood (it doesn't run)

Gideon really enjoyed getting an ice cream cone from chick-fil-a after his surgery putting tubes in his ears and removing one that was still stuck

Malachi was happy to get gloves

 In November Samuel turned 16!  He went with some friends to the trampoline park on his birthday, and enjoyed that.  The next day he took his driver's test and passed with flying colors, he is so happy to have his driver's license.  That night he had friends over for a party playing games and having fun.  Travis took Betsy on a wounded warrior (he got into it when he went to Germany to get a lump in his testicles checked out (it was all good)) they went axe throwing and played giant Jenga and had a good time.  The week before school got out Gideon had surgery to get a tube that was stuck in his ear out, and then put new ones in.  He did really well getting ready for and during the surgery.  When he came out of anesthesia he didn't believe me that the surgery had already happened, until I showed him the blood coming from his ears.  We stopped and got an ice cream cone afterwards from chick-fil-a and that made him really happy.  For Thanksgiving dinner we invited some chaplain families (Croaks, Clements, Lewis?)We made 9 pies, mashed potatoes, ham, stuffing, Jello, Italian sodas, green salad, and our turkey cookie name tags.  Everything was delicious and we had a good time with friends, except for one of the families was sick, and threw up while they were here, and everyone got sick during the next few days.