Ho-De-Hum

Nothing super awesome has happened lately.  Just living life.  Cora had YW and Excellence this past week.  I thought she did a really great job presenting the value project she had done.  Hers was the Good Works Boredom Buster that she worked on this summer.  Leah and Blake have been getting along better.  Dave has his car running again, for the moment, we will see how long this time.  It seems a little funny, if we have nice weather for him to work on the house we have no vehicles to drive.  His truck is down right now also.  If the weather is freezing and blowing then the car is running etc.  Sometimes I really don't know about this decision we made. Cora has started basketball and Leah will be starting soon.  Christmas shopping is almost done.  In previous years we have all taken an FHE night and gone out to have the kids do their shopping for each other.  Dave or I would take one and then the other would entertain or get ideas for the one shopping, we tried to hide the items in the cart under coats and sneakily pay for them.  But as they are more grown up they didn't want/need things from Toy R Us, they don't play toys much now and it was getting harder to hide it.  Anyways this year I have been taking one at a time and we have shopped and then gotten a treat of their choice afterwards.  I think a new tradition has been born.  I have really enjoyed the one on one time with my kids and sitting down with the treat after and talking with them has been priceless. I hope what they remember most is spending the time together.  We went to our first Pronghorn game last night.  They have upped the prices quite a bit so we may not get to go very much, which is sad.  Everyone really enjoys going. We made sure to get the girls game also this time.  Cora really enjoyed that since she knew a lot of them from basketball camp.  We took pistachios, jerky and water and it was a really fun time.  The boys had a great game.  I love close games where we win at the end.  Perfect ones to watch.  Tomorrow we have Prelude to Christmas.  Dave and the kids are participating in that and I have been put in charge of the refreshments.  Can't wait until it is over. Christmas is coming so fast.  I thought I had planned well and was so prepared.  But then Leah said she need a white elephant for school and one for activity days, and Cora's friends have all been reading the Book Thief and want me to make them pancakes,  they will open the Secret Santa gifts they have been planning for months then I will drive them all to the movie.  Blah, Blah Etc Etc. Then there is work parties and ward parties and I want to spend time with my family.  Every year I am still amazed that this peaceful, giving, loving, family oriented, celebration of Christ's birth, is so crazy, busy, stressful. I feel the need to simplify more every year.  But I do enjoy it and am looking forward to it.