NaNoWriMo

Maysen participated in the NaNoWriMo challenge.  That stands for National Novel Writing Month.  The goal was to write a 50,000 word novel in one month.  Maysen spent a lot of time working on this.  She titled her story Courtesy of Number 124.  She hasn't finished her story completely, but she reached her 50,000 word mark!  Awesome!

Maysen

We took the kids to the Festival of Trees today.  I absolutely love this festival.  I went while they were in school and was able to look around more.  I also made up a scavenger hunt while I was there.  This evening we met up with their cousins and split up into teams.  Stockton was all business.  I don't think he even looked at a tree.  He didn't even notice the upside down tree!  I think Jorja had the most fun.  She felt so grown up being on her own with Jacob and Weston.  Mike was on a team with Preston.  Preston loved it!  He told me many times, "Thank you for making this game for us."  Super sweet.  I love this time of year!

Little Peacock Tree

 Little Mario Tree

Drowning

I feel like I am drowning.  Drowning in everything I need to do and everything I want to do.  I am behind in every aspect of my life.  Behind on my blog, behind on my e-mail, behind on my cleaning, behind on the Parry Post, behind on my Christmas shopping, behind on the Christmas gifts I was hoping to make, behind on reading to the kids, behind on getting things ready for the wedding . . . the list goes on and on.  I have no idea how everything is going to get done.  I guess I'll just go minute by minute and celebrate small victories.  Like scripture reading, that is one thing that we have stayed on top of.  Yay me!

Principal's Pride

Jorja was nominated for the Principal's Pride award this month.  The character trait was responsibility.  She was really excited about this. Mike was on call, so he was able to come to the little ceremony they had in the library.  She was so happy to have him there!  Two of Jill Jensen's kids also got the award.  I  mean Jill Glazier's kids.  (Each teacher nominates one student from their class).  This was the perfect character trait for Jorja to be recognized for.  She is such a responsible little girl!  She basically raises herself.  Gotta love my Jorgie Porge!

Jorja

 Jorja and Stephanie

 Jorja getting her certificate from Principal Robinson

Where's Waldo?

We had a combined activity at the mall tonight.  Various members of our ward were randomly walking the mall, the kids were supposed to find them.  You are at a disadvantage if you don't know a lot of the members yet!  The kids had a great time.  We had so many people come to this activity!

The Valentines

 Brother Antonelli

 Brother Boud

 Zoe and her dad . . . she didn't even recognize him!

 The Heatons

 The Waldos

Mike did a similar activity when we were in Georgia.  He did a Mission Impossible theme.  Everyone got clue books of who they were looking for.  I think that would have helped me kids a little.  They still had a really good time.  

Stockton was walking down the mall and I was walking with Zoe about 5 feet behind him.  A girl handed Stockton a slip of paper.  Stockton said, "I don't want that!" and dropped the paper on the floor.  I picked it up.  It was a phone number.  I asked Stockton what she said.  He said she handed him a paper and said, "Call me maybe."  I was going to write her phone number on the blog, but I lost the slip of paper.  Weird.  

Cyber Monday

Mike is on call this week, so normally he would get to stay home today. Apparently today is supposed to be a big sells day.  Mike had to go in. That was okay though, overstock usually makes days like this really fun.  Mike has been pretty happy about how overstock has preformed this season.  I'm so happy that he loves his job!

Bishop Davis

Our bishop in Georgia died the day before Thanksgiving.  His viewing is today and his funeral is tomorrow.  My heart breaks for his family and for our old ward.  I'm pretty sure he died of a heart attack.  So crazy! I think he was only 62 years old.  What a hard thing to deal with right before Thanksgiving.

Soup and Gingerbread

Mike's family came over today for soup.  We also had gingerbread houses for them to decorate.  It is times like these that I miss my house in Georgia.  It was a little crowded, but we managed.

Brandon, Spencer, Amy

Tage, Miah

 Miah, Tage

 Tage, Maysen

 Weston, Brandon, Spencer, Amy, (Maysen & Tage's heads)

 George - haha!  Mona and Sherry

 Maysen, Jorja

I wish I would have gotten a picture of the completed gingerbread houses before everyone left.  Oh well.  I can only do so much.  I was super stressed all day.  I got really frustrated right before people started arriving.  I noticed I only had 4 pounds of powdered sugar.  I still needed to make the frosting tubes.  There was no way that was going to be enough.  I had just come back from a mad dash to the store to get more chicken broth for my tomato soup.  (I had used a can in the turkey soup because I ended up being short on the broth there).  I called my dad in a panic and begged him to run to the store and buy me four bags of powdered sugar.  Luckily he was able to do that.  (Thanks Dad!)  I then started working on the wassail.  I had most of it simmering for several hours.  Now I just needed to add the three juices.  Orange juice, check.  Lemonade, check.  Pineapple juice, where's the pineapple juice? I could not find it anywhere.  I knew I had bought it, I just couldn't find it.  I looked and looked.  I spent a lot of time in the garage blinking away tears.  I was so embarrassed.  The wassail didn't taste right, I didn't get the tomato soup made, I didn't get the frosting bags finished. I tried so hard to have everything perfect.  It doesn't help that I feel inadequate around Mike's family.  I feel that a few of them think that Mike married down.  When I'm not perfect, it is just humiliating to me when I am around them.  Don't get me wrong, not all of them make me feel this way.  I didn't start really feeling this way until Sharen died. Then many things happened that kind of broke my spirit.  I miss Sharen.

Chocolate Factory Take 2

Mike's sister, Lisa, was incredibly awesome today.  She got up early and made the centers for the chocolates.  Then she spent four hours with us teaching the kids how to make them.  They loved it!  Especially Lincoln! Jorja was very happy about this as well.  The first thing Lisa had us do is stir the centers.  Everyone got a turn.  She had two different batches. One we made into orange and the other into mint.

Ella, Lincoln and Jorja stirring

 Lincoln and Jorja

 Lincoln

 Jorja

 Ella, Lincoln

 Ella

 Jorja - the marshmallow has now been added

 Preston

 Lincoln, Melissa, Stockton

 Maysen

 Preston

 Stockton

Next we had to roll the centers into a big long snake, cut them and then roll them into balls.

Lincoln, Stockton, Jorja

 Ella

 Once the centers were rolled, the kids got to put bums on them

Lincoln, Jorja

 Ella

 Stockton, Preston, Melissa, Ella

 I love this picture of Melissa with her pregnant belly!

Melissa, (Jorja), Preston, Ella

 Preston, Ella, Lincoln

 Jorja, Preston, Ella, Lincoln

 Lisa and Melissa were AMAZING with these kids!!!

Lincoln, Lisa, Melissa, Ella, Preston, Jorja

 Jorja

 Preston

Now the fun part!  Time to dip the chocolates!  I never guessed this is how it was done.  It was fun to have all that chocolate in my hand. Most of the kids liked it.  Stockton does not like to get his hands messy. He didn't enjoy the sensation . . . even with dark chocolate.  Too bad I didn't get a picture of him.  My hands were covered in chocolate!

Melissa and Lisa  

 Lisa and Lincoln

While waiting for their turn, the kids jumped on the trampoline.  When they came in we had them wash their hands and then we went over their clothes with a lint roller.

Stockton doing a backflip

 Lincoln

 Lisa and Lincoln

 Lincoln

 Lisa and Maysen

 Preston

 Preston and Lisa

 Preston licked the chocolate off his entire hand.

 Taylor

 Jorja

 Taylor

 Stephanie

 So much harder than it looks!

This activity was so much fun!  Plus we got to take home so many chocolates!  They were delicious!  Thank you Lisa for spending one of your precious days off with us!  We felt very important and loved. Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!