New Year's Eve

We all brainstormed ideas for what to do on New Year's Eve.

We partied it up.

We played basketball.

We built a fire and roasted hot dogs.

We went to Waterton to go swimming at Waterton Lodge. We timed it perfectly before the crowds came and had a fun time.

Hanna went to the stake dance.

Carly's idea was to have fight club. She was determined and made a tournament bracket. We had 20 seconds to fight with swim noodles and then the other family members voted who won. Austin ended up as the fight club champion.

We lit sparklers at midnight. Good-bye to 2018!

Wisdom Teeth

Jill and Hanna needed their wisdom teeth out - so what better time than Christmas break.

They couldn't eat anything after midnight. We drove to Lethbridge, and I was slightly worried that  they wouldn't do their teeth because they both had pretty bad colds. But they didn't seem too concerned so we went back so they could teach us how to take care of everything.

I started feeling a little hot and nauseous. The nurse walked me to the front and brought me some apple juice. How embarrassing. I wasn't even the one having surgery.

They came out and told me it must run in the family because Hanna almost passed out when they put her IV in.

Then I had to go back again to meet the anesthesiologist. I started to get nauseous again so I went back to the waiting room. I was not okay. I asked the receptionist if I could lay down on the floor. She said she had a special bed for me so she took me back into one of the rooms and I had to ask for a garbage can and I puked. Then I laid there the whole time they had their teeth removed and were in recovery. The doctors and nurses and receptionist kept coming to check on me.

We had to call Austin to come and get us. His parents had to bring him to Lethbridge so he could drive us home. They did head to Taber after that to visit Sarah in the hospital.

When they were both ready to go home, they brought them into my room until Austin got there. Jill was still high from the anesthetic. She was talking really loud and goofy to everyone. I told her to calm down - it was so goofy that it almost seemed like she was faking it. Hanna was just quiet and answering Jill's crazy questions - like where are my shoes? did someone take my shoes?

Jill and Hanna enjoyed some time on the couch, pain killers, and ice bags. They did swell up a little bit and did get bruises after a few days - but no complications.

I guess I am forever fired from being the medical mom.

Christmas

Did Santa Claus come?

The girls were ready bright and early to open presents.

We opened many thoughtful and appreciated gifts to each other. Jill got a curling rod and horse supplement, Hanna got college stuff, and Lucy and Carly got new bedspreads.
Then we were worn out and had a morning nap after Christmas breakfast.

I gave each person nail clippers and a hammer. You cannot find either anywhere in our house. I engraved an initial on each hammer. You might wonder why my kids would need a hammer. Well, it is because they use them when they are goat tying. They hammer a stake into the ground that holds the rope that holds the goat so they can practice. There is not a hammer to be found in this house. If you want to hang up a picture on the wall, you are out of luck. Not anymore. I have my own hammer.

We sent this sweatshirt to Karma for Christmas and she sent us this picture.

We had unusually mild weather on Christmas Day so Austin was determined to rope outside in our arena. It was -2 Celsius/34 F with no wind.  We bundled up and roped. It was fantastic and Austin's dream.

For Christmas dinner, we went to Grandma Nunn's for dinner and games.

Everyone got a new shirt or sweater for their tree gift at the end of Christmas day.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Carly planned and conducted the Christmas Eve program this year. She also spent hours getting a game ready, "Are you smarter than Rudolph?"

We did have a Rudolph sighting even though this year the number of believers was small (or zero).

Christmas Sunday

Kaylynn's Birthday

My 43rd birthday started with a delicious breakfast made by Austin.

Then I opened my gifts - knives, necklace, serving spoons, painted jar from my family and a table runner and Christmas paper plates from my mom.

I headed to work - my boss gave me a movie gift certificate.

I went to the elementary Christmas music program. Carly got to play a Christmas song with handbells with her grade 5 class. Loved it.

For our evening birthday celebration, we went to watch Lucy play basketball against Magrath. Lucy's team won by one point. Then we ran into Lethbridge and went out to dinner at Tony Roma's. Then we headed back to Magrath where Hanna's team played against Magrath - definitely not their best game ever.

It was a good December birthday!!!

December

I love December.

The Light World campaign for the church this year kicked off with December 1 day of service. We made sugar cookies to take to the Women's Shelter.

Lucy had a basketball tournament. They lost to Stirling and then beat St. Francis and Nanton so they were the consolation champs. They are fun to watch. 

Two days before Carly's Christmas choir concert, we got an email that choir would be ending for the year after the Christmas concert. The choir director, Linda Burwell, has been battling brain tumors. She had one removed last year and missed a few months of choir so Natisha Bevans filled in. Then she started this year but had another surgery after a few weeks. Lori Williams and Alonna Leavitt filled in for the rest of the practices.  Linda has been directing the choir for many years, and Hanna, Lucy and Carly have all been in her choir. She actually came to the concert and led one song even though her right arm doesn't have any movement. The concerts are always amazing, but it was really emotional knowing it was her last concert. 

Linda Burwell and the accompanist Lori Williams

Jill and her Winning Edge goat tying clinic.

Kaycee Ahlstrom, Sadie Fitzgerald, Jill Nunn, Emmalee Dubois

Carly had Whoville hair day at school. (like from the Grinch movie)

Jill and I went to watch Lucy at the jive contest at the junior high on the last day before Christmas break. Wyatt Toone asked her to be his jive partner. They made it to the second round. It was so fun. Erica Burt, the PE teacher, is really so fun.

Carly was the self-appointed Santa's helper at the Leavitt Ward Christmas party.  I had helped to arrange Santa's visit and made the treat bags for Santa to give out.  The theme for the party was Cowboy Christmas, and so I had ordered the cutest little red burlap bags to put the treats in, and then there was a mail strike in Canada and I watched the tracking every day and they arrived the day before the party. Carly and Austin filled them for me.
We were going to have the party at Royce & Marina Leavitt's barn and have sleigh rides from the church to the barn. The week before the party, their haystack behind their barn burned down. We felt terrible for them. Anyway, we ended up having the party at the church instead.