This November was such a joy. I mean... right off the bat, a lifetime dream of mine came true. Ev, Dane Kenzie and I got to see Billy Joel perform in Las Vegas!!!!! I've wanted to go to a Billy Joel concert my whole life and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. Especially loved spending time with my adult and practically-adult kids and Kenzie who is always in a good mood and helps keep everyone on best behavior. We ate yummy food, shopped, toured Madame Toussad's Wax Museum and walked until our feet practically fell off. It was truly a very joyful trip and one I will always remember.
On top of this, we celebrated Evelyn's 20th birthday!!! If you can believe it. I have a 20 year old! She has grown so much and I am very proud of the young adult woman she has become. Working hard in nursing school, finding her own apartment in Provo for January 2025 when clinicals start, meeting new friends, working out constantly, taking care of our pets and driving Grant to the beach at least a couple times a week. She is an amazing gal and I have absolutely LOVED having her home these past few months and will miss her dearly when she takes off soon. For her birthday, she requested Five Guys burgers with the family and Wicked on opening night! We had the very very best time celebrating our darling girl. Love you Evelyn!~
Thanksgiving was a special day as it always is. Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house was delicious. We played the game of things, ate turkey and mashed potatoes and creamed corn and Anna's home made Mac and cheese! We took naps and laughed and caught up with each other. It was wonderful in every way.
Honestly, the entire week off of school was a blast. Grant spent his time surfing and practicing soccer. He went almost every day to the beach with Kai. He spent one day helping his buddies from school with a service project of buying Christmas gifts for the elderly in a local nursing home and then wrapping them up. The kids spent their own money and it was very sweet. Grant traveled to Phoenix for soccer and is leaving in a couple days for North Carolina. He tried out for the Poway HIgh's soccer team and made the JV team, one of only a couple freshmen. Proud of all his hard work and sacrifice.
Dane spent the week doing all sorts of things with Kenzie. These two have so many ideas up their sleeve... it's cute to watch. From baking chocolate brownie pies, to tying fleece blankets, to putting together legos to journaling and art. They are always up to something fun. I loved having the two of them help decorate for Christmas. They put all the ornaments on our special family tree and as they did so, Kenzie wanted to hear about each and every ornament's history and meaning. It was very sweet. This was a hard month for Dane because he tried out for the varsity soccer team and didn't make it. Of course he was prepared for this outcome as last year he chose not to play JV and they told him it would be an issue for the upcoming year if he made that choice. But it was heartbreaking nonetheless. He is an excellent soccer player, but at the end of the day, he is so much more than that. I hate that he had to feel pain and heartbreak but I have faith that he'll learn and grow from these hard things he goes through.
Anna was in heaven all week as her best friend from Idaho (Ruby Wery) came to town and the two spent SO much time laughing, being silly, staying up all night and enjoying each other's company. They are like two little peas in a pod. We invited all the Girl Scout girls over one day- and that was so fun as they hadn't really hung out since end of 5th grade when Ruby left! So happy Anna had that time with Ruby. Of course every moment aside from these days with Ruby, Anna spent with her 7th grade besties. They went to movies together, football games, learned TikTok dances, sang in a talent show at church and generally just spent as much time as possible together. I thought it was cute because Anna came home from reading Ether in church a few weeks ago. She was asked to write down special things about someone in her life on paper rocks and present those rocks to the person one day at a time. Anna chose Kenzie. It was very sweet.
Enjoyed our Christmas party with the friends early this year because of traveling plans for a few of the gals. We knew it would be a tight squeeze. So much fun to make homemade pizzas and eat lots of yummy charcuterie board treats along with Nikki's famous cookies. We split up into teams and competed in TikTok challenges. It was very very fun. Love our neighbors!
Blake and I have kept plenty busy with the counseling practice closing this month. We are now the official owners (along with the Kuletos) of Transcend Behavioral Health. So exciting! And SO much work! We met all the therapists and have started staff meetings and payroll and writing inservice and marketing plans and holiday parties. It's a big endeavor but thankfully the Kuletos are handling most of the details and just giving us assignments as we go along. We are excited. I'm working on the training meetings for parents and group curriculum for the pediatric side of the practice.
Enjoyed celebrating two of my favorite people on earth this month: Sameen and Elizabeth! Sameen turned 40 so we rented a little beach cottage and spent a day and a half shopping, eating, walking along the beach and staying up way too late- laughing and catching up. And then for Elizabeth's birthday- we got together for an evening of appetizers and hot tubbing. It was so much fun. I can't say enough how grateful I am for both of these friends who mean the world to me.
Finished the stake Emotional Resilience course with the middle schoolers and made them a cute little candy gram as a parting gift. I miss it already! But thankfully I still have morning skills meeting to keep me busy- which it does indeed and I love it. I've been called back into young women but this time as an advisor! Working on YW Christmas gifts, a bishopric beach campout THIS weekend, and organizing a combined YM/YW "chopped" activity. Busy but a fun calling, especially when your entire family is in the youth program! Once I finish the ward Christmas party next weekend- I'll be in a good place. Unfortunately we don't have an Activity leader at the moment so it's my job I guess! ha! We are going to do a gingerbread house theme and it will be really cute. I've already recruited many young women and young men and primary kids to sing in the little program. I'm excited.
Oh- one funny story. We have a RS dinner club that meets once a month. November was my month to host and the theme was "thanksgiving sides". I thought about having a turkey breast or chicken even? But the ladies assured me- no, no.... it will be great with just lots of sides. Well, as luck would have it, every lady that waltzed in that evening had some form of sweet potatoes (including me).... mashed, roasted, casserole, garlic and honey, plain-- you name it! There was nothing BUT sweet potatoes. I panicked for a moment, but then thought- oh well! It's actually quite funny-- memorable at the very least--and it was definitely delicious.
