Winter Break

We had a great time at the Pace family party the day after Christmas.   The kids immediately took off with their sleds and spent a good portion of the afternoon playing in the snow.

We also sang to Jane as she blew out the candle on the Oreo cheesecake.

On Wed. we took Emily up to Nona's for a sewing lesson and Suzanne was there and invited us to go with her and Papa to the free Zoo day.

We had some lovely down time.  My girls enjoyed countless hours playing with their calico critters.

We also got a lot of snow so the day after New Year's  we took advantage of Bart being home and left Spencer napping while Bart prepared for Sundance and enjoyed some sledding time.

New Year's Resolution

As a family we decided to go out to eat courteous of my Grandpa Morrell's very generous Christmas gift of $50.    Our family hardly ever goes out to eat and this experience reminded me why.  We picked Red Robin thinking it might be a little less crazy and kid friendly.  Well about 10 minutes into sitting down we had rearranged the seating arrangement twice.  Emily wanted to sit by Jane so they could goof off and Jane wanted to sit by Spencer and threw a Jane tantrum when she couldn't. Bart moved in between the girls trying to settle them down.   The wait for our food was forever and the longer we waited the more wild my kids became.    Bart, who had the better view of everyone around us, said "Everyone keeps staring at us this is embarrasing ".    I respond with  my New Year's Resolution is to never go out to eat as a family again.

The food finally came as our stress levels were at an all time high.  Aaron who has become a grapefruit lover and has always loved oranges sees my lemon on the side of my plate and says "Mom can I have that I just love those."    I sense he thinks it's either an orange or grapefruit wedge so I play along.    He takes a bit bite out of it and pulls the funniest faces.  Both Bart and I bust out laughing and Aaron joins along.

 Pretty soon the girls were taking turns trying a lemon and we ended the night enjoying each other.   The best moment when Aaron took the first bite didn't get captured on film but here is a couple good pictures of Jane trying a lemon.

Thanks Aaron for always knowing how to lighten the mood in our family!!!

Precious Gifts

A couple of months ago I dig out a simplified hymn book I got in college to have Emily start practicing some hymns so she could start accompanying the activity day girls.  This envelope with $20 bucks falls out of the book and onto the floor.  

I picked it up and and overwhelming feeling of love from my Grandma Morrell filled my heart.  It was as if she was sending her love from Heaven through this lost gift.    My Grandma was always a very thoughtful gift giver.  I remember once on Christmas as a child wanting a cabbage patch doll play pen.  On Christmas Eve I still remember my grandparents bringing this large wrapped box in the house that was just for me.    I couldn't wait to open it and I think it was my first present I opened the next morning.  The box was empty but hiding behind a chair or something was the cabbage patch doll play pen assembled given from my Grandma and Grandpa Morrell.  Through my teenage and into my  college years my Grandma gave us all the latest church book and I loved them.  As she aged it turned into money but she was still always thoughtful and generous with that.     Looking back it wasn't about what the present was but more about the love behind each and every gift.    I'm grateful for the plan of salvation to have a certainty that her love still exists on the other side of the veil.    

This Christmas I opened this gift thinking it was from my Sister.

 Inside the card was a handwritten note from my 95 year old Grandma.  I set it aside to keep it and copy it to my blog but somehow I think it ended up being scooped up with all the trash.    Gratefully Sarah saved hers and copied it but it was the same except the names on it.

My grandma is by far the best cook I know.  She spends her life cooking and quilting for others.  She recently broke her leg and as we visited her in a rehab center she was still hand sewing ornaments for others.  I'm glad I have this bowl to remember what brought joy into her life.  

Christmas 2016

On Christmas Eve we started the festivities with Papa taking us all out to the movie "Sing".  Then we headed back to Nona and Papa for  Pizza and Pajamas.  The kids were really looking forward to this tradition. 

The older kids

The Wolf Pack (as Suzanne calls them) all dressed up as Elves on the Shelf

The babies

Christmas was wonderful as always.  The best moment for me was when I asked Aaron and Emily what their favorite present was they both said "The picture Jane gave us of her drawing of our family"

It ended with Papa bringing out the 12 days of Christmas game that all the kids love to play with him. 

All the stockings were hung

 My mom is amazing at putting together the 12 days of Christmas for all of her kids each year.  This year as we opened the 2 day of Christmas and saw this adorable ornament with all our names on it I got this overwhelming sense of completeness.

I get the same feeling each time I look at my mantel with all of the stockings hung.  When we bought this house there was 6 nails already in the mantel.  That first Christmas all but one nail was being used and at that time I knew there was somebody missing.  Now I look at all the nails filled and my heart is full knowing my family is complete!  (It's also nice knowing I will never make another one of these tedious stockings)

Life is so good loving these 4 kids each day!!

Holiday Happenings

Here are a few things my kids have been up to this Holiday Season

My kids made gingerbread men from a mix the Roberson's gave us

We didn't make it in time for the Candy Cane hunt at the Draper Park but we were able to catch Santa and Mrs. Claus and then roast some marshmallows.

Aaron's Preschool put on a Christmas Program.  

Emily's Orchestra had their annual Christmas Concert.  Emily played a solo and loved every minute of it. 

Girls Weekend

This year my family lucked out and was able to get enough tickets to the Mo tab concert to take all the girls 8 years and older.  Originally Ally was going to fly in but her schedule changed and she had to cancel and then Raquel found out her step son was having a b day party and she couldn't come.


But the rest of my sisters their daughters and my mom were able to come.  We all met up at my house and then took the trax downtown.    Our first stop was the Grand America Hotel where we went on a scavenger hunt of the windows guessing what country it represented.  In the middle of the Hotel was this giant gingerbread house made out of like 2000 eggs.

Then we went to eat at the little America and saw all of their Santa Claus decor around the motel.    We then hopped back on trax and spend some time shopping around City Creek Center, ate some fabulous Farr's ice cream and then wandered around temple square looking at the lights and Christus.

We had fabulous seats for the Choir's concert.  Emily liked the dancers dressed up like a camel and Jane said she loved the last song when the dancers held up Stars.  I liked it when 3 organist played We three kings together.

The girls as always had a great time together and I always love being with my mom and sisters.  Hopefully this will become a family tradition.