Christmas 2015

Another wonderfully busy Christmas season here at home.  The month of December was FILLED with traveling for Chris, piano recitals, music/play rehearsals, and performances.  I was sure glad when the week of Christmas finally hit because everything slowed way down:)  

We of course had our "Elf on the Shelf" visit us this year.  This was my favorite thing he did--it's one of our Halloween spiders who came back for a quick visit:)

Everyone got their Christmas Eve jimmies--even the dogs got sweaters:)

Christmas morning, Chris and I actually had to wake everyone up!!!  To be honest, we wanted everyone up, presents opened, so that we could make the first Star Wars movie time of the day!  And we accomplished our mission:)  

This shirt is SOOO true!!!
Ethan was cracking up:)

Max has been wanting real puppets for a while now.

Tatum was excited to get a new 4-Square ball
AND a new volleyball.
She spends a lot of time outside playing with these:)

So another Christmas has come and gone!  Everyone was happy and Star Wars was AWESOME!  2016...BRING IT!!!

Max's first BIG LEAD!!!

We had an INSANE week at our home the first week of December!  Chris was preparing to leave for the Pearl Harbor Parade in Hawaii and I had 4 piano recitals coming up.  I had been promising Max that he could audition for another play soon and so I quickly ran to the AYT website and saw they had auditions for Peter Pan and Wendy.  The bulk of the auditions were on Saturday, Dec. 5th but I was so relieved to see that I could get both Max and Tatum in for an early audition that Wednesday--because Saturday was Chris out of town/piano recitals/final softball game day.

So they were out late that Wednesday night.  Max and Tatum both had a great time at the audition.  Tatum kept saying over and over, "Max is going to get Peter Pan--he was SOO funny in his auditions."  I  knew there were over 100 kids trying out for this play and they were only taking 43.  So I did not know what his chances really were.  Max was worried that they wouldn't remember him from Wednesday to Saturday--I was honesty a little worried too but it was the best I could do.

Sunday night...cast list night!  The only thing we knew was that it would be posted by 9 pm.  Well Carlie and I were in stake music rehearsal that night.  We were running past each other as we were switching off places at the pianos when Carlie says in a hushed whisper, "MOM!  MAX GOT PETER PAN!!!"  I asked, "How do you know???"  She said, "ALL my friends keep texting me!!!"

So apparently we were the LAST to know that he got Pan!  As soon as I had a minute in the rehearsal, I quickly scanned the cast list for Tatum's name and sadly, it was not there.  I was SOOO sad to have to tell her but not a tear was shed!  She was SOOO excited for Max and just kept telling us over and over, "I TOLD YOU HE WOULD GET PETER PAN!!!"  So I'm really proud of both of my youngest.  Max for being Max and Tatum for keeping her chin up--ALL 4 of my kids have had the experience of NOT making a play and while it's hard for them, it's 100 times harder on me.  But I know it is so good for them to learn this early on.

Way to go Max, YOU CAN FLY!!!

Thanksgiving 2015--Peurto Penasco, Mexico

We had so much fun a couple years ago going to Mexico for Thanksgiving that we decided to do it again this year.  And once again...SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!

Being in Mexico is like a step back in time.  It's really great because we had no working TV or computer and our phone service was sketchy at best so we really had to make our own fun--which amazingly always ends up being the best time:)  We found a few random card games that had been left in the condo by other tenants and they ended up being so much fun that these games are now on my kids Christmas lists:)  We spent most of our time right out our back door on the beach gathering seashells, playing frisbee and softball, and swimming--just the boys and Tatum, way too cold for Carlie, Grandma, and myself:)

First of all, we just LOVE the vibrant colors the homes are that we rent here.  Here is Max hamming it up in front of our "Crucifix Wall"--which kept us super safe at night:)

Tatum has a HUGE obsession with seashells.  As soon as we hit the beach Tatum shouts, "LOOK FOR MORE PRETTY SEASHELLS!!!"  We jokingly call it the "Tatum Seashell Sweat Shoppe" as we are all put to work to do her bidding.  The problem is that ALL the shells are "pretty" to Tatum.  We literally came home with bag and bags of seashells--we learned that there are very few beaches that you are allowed to take as many seashells as you want, and this is one of the few.  And boy did we take A LOT.  (But we've made some REALLY cute crafts out of them:)

By the end of the 3 days this ENTIRE table AND it's benches
were covered in seashells that we brought home!

The view from our condo

SHELLS! SHELLS! SHELLS!

Fun at the beach!!!

We are SOOO NOT selfie people and this is why:)

Max is always the one who gets buried!
Here he is as a mermaid--he LOVED having "Boobs!"

BREATH-TAKING sunsets!!!

And we of course have to do some in-town shopping!  Always fun to do some price-haggling!

We also had some good friends that were down in Rocky Pointe also for the weekend and so we met up with them for a super yummy bbq one night--seriously SOOO MUCH fun!  Their condo had a shuffle board table--something we had never played before but learned and had a blast.  It was just such a fun/laid back evening that ended with ukulele playing and singing around a fire pit.  That's what I personally liked most about being in Mexico--NO hustle and bustle.  It was so great to see lots of other american families down there doing exactly what we were doing--NOTHING productive, just good old-fashioned fun and games.  I would definitely do this every year if possible--get as far away as I can from Black-Friday shopping/holiday bustle, etc.  Just LOVED our time here.  Definitely one of my most favorite Thanksgivings ever.

Here are a few of our seashell crafts that we made.  We still have TONS of seashells left so we've got plenty more Pintrest ideas to create:)

It's hard to see the tiny shells inside the ornament.
This has been my favorite project!!!

"K" for Knoop
One of their Christmas gifts:)

Just another day...

My dogs LOVE the piano--and especially when Ethan plays:

Ethan's Eagle Court of Honor!!!

Last AWESOME thing of our weekend...Ethan's Eagle Court of Honor!!!

We were super excited to share this night with 2 other boys in our ward--Alex & Jameson.  I adore all 3 of these boys--Ethan of course, but all 3 are currently piano students of mine.  And I just love their moms too.  It made planning this night tons easier having others to help.

I am super proud of this boy of mine:

Such HANDSOME boys!!!

Ethan's Display Table

Papa Frank & Ethan

Ethan gave his "Mentor Pin" to Bro. Ross in our ward
who was a big help to him at scout camp.

Proud dad

STINKER BOY!!!  Let your momma kiss you!!!

STUD!

He has WAY more patches now:)

Halloween 2015

And to finish out our Halloween, TRICK OR TREATING!!!

All of my kids went different directions tonight which meant I got to stay home--which was really nice because I was EXHAUSTED and still had to make treats for Ethan's Court of Honor that would be happening the next day:)

So here are all my kiddos in their trick-or-treating groups:

Carlie went with Lois to a "Teen Halloween" Party

Max went out with his neighborhood friends--the Thurmans:)

Max was Michael Meyers--he took this role VERY seriously...
he didn't talk (just like in the movies), and he moved
very slowly and stiffly and breathed heavy:)
He came home early just to scare people on our front porch:)

Tatum went out with her neighborhood friends (& Grandpa Frank)
Sophia & Elaine

My husband did Tatum's make-up.
He feels like he's missed his life's calling
as a make-up artist for "The Walking Dead"

Ethan & Cordry were so funny this year.
They had a grand plan and they carried it out.
They started the night as a judge and the Terminator
but then came home, dressed in different costumes
and hit the same houses not once, but TWO more times:)
Crazy boys:)