Thoughts on 2018 and change

I decided that in 2018 I wanted to change something about the way I workout or just my activity level.  Well I ran it by my friend Theresa and she just so happened to be doing a challenge where you count points and compete to see who gets the most.  I am not really interested in weight loss, but decided to join anyway.  I have been at it two weeks and I really like it.  I have been eating 5 fruits or vegetables a day and that has been a major life change.  I always save the fruit for the kids, and now I eat it all and so do they so I have had to buy more often, which I am alright with because its good for us.  I probably ate about 2 a day before.  Also I have to drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Man alive I spend a lot of time in the bathroom.  I also did not do this before and I feel really proud of myself that I have been doing it so well.  I also workout 5 days a week, which has been hard to squeeze in some days, but if it's always on my mind then I make room in my day for it.

Anyway this all has be thinking about change.  I really don't like it, in fact I dig in my heels often to avoid change.  So far in 2018 they have changed who visit teaches me (my previous ones came for 15 years) and who my Visiting teaching partner is and who I visit (I loved the last ones and really felt like we were getting through to the two inactive sisters).  I am adjusting, not easily or happily, but I am adjusting.  Then yesterday my sweet Cameron cut off all of his long beautiful hair.  I suppose I was more attached to it then he was, because wow it hurt a bit.  He looks so handsome, but so different and it just makes me a little sad.  He is my baby and he is growing up so big and I loved his hair.  I am adjusting, not easily or happily, but I am adjusting.

Also I decided to buy my mom's car since she got a new one and gave me a killer deal.  I have had the same cars for 7 and 10 years, and this will also be different.  Not a big adjustment, but change nonetheless.

I am feeling more independent of my children and feeling like a new stage of life is coming at me fast.  I will keep on trucking and adjusting, but it will hurt a little.  Maybe 2018 is my year of change and trying to be more easy going, or maybe I will dig in my heels a little harder and tell the next 346 days of this year that I have had enough change and please let me stay where I am comfortable.  It could be an interesting year.

Holiday Fun

There was a Harry Potter exhibit at the mall in Salt Lake City that Tara took us all to see.  It was fun we played games, watched a wand presentation, and all went out to lunch after. 

As part of Christmas the boys got a set of golf clubs.  We went to hit a bucket of balls at Toads up the road over the vacation.

I love this picture of all of us.  It shows all of our quirks perfectly.

Cooking with Mama.  We made poppy seed bread all together one evening and even whipped out our aprons for the task.

Grandma Julie has been taking the boys to the temple fairly regularly to do Baptisms for the dead.  So handsome.

We had a sleepover with cousins on New Years Eve.

Shane wanted a new dresser, so I talked him into paining the old one.  It turned out so nice and brightened up the room a lot.  I love it.

The tree at the rental was leaning so far that we decided to take out half of it.  We were in the middle and our awesome neighbor Kelly Hipwell came over with his tractor to help us put it on the trailer.

                                                  Best cousins Cameron and Dresden

My three boys doing some service at Bella's.  They loved being monkeys and climbing up there dusting and taking down some flowers that were old and dirty. 

Christmas Day

After much coaxing we convinced Grandpa Brent to sleep over and enjoy our 4 A.M. Christmas festivities.  Our boys are die hard early risers and we are done in about 1 hour and me and Shane go back to sleep on the couch.  Exhausting but full of wonderful memories.

Braxton bought me this awesome bonnet because Shane and I are going to be a Ma and Pa on the pioneer trek this year.  I feel like we were the only couple excited about this adventure, and I truly am.  I love working with the youth and to have Shane at my side is the best.

Dakota is going to Japan to spend 2 1/2 weeks with Justin so he asked for money and Braxton asked for a helmet for Lacrosse that will not be ordered until February, so he also got cash.  Cam got a new bike and all the boys got these super cool air chairs for the beach or camping, or for the house as Brax uses his.

The dynamics of Christmas are changing a bit as we no longer have little ones.  We still have Cameron who is a believer and makes everything so exciting, although I believe we may have one more year or we may of just had our last.  It will be a sad day when the magic leaves, but seeing as we rarely give our children gifts (Birthdays and Christmas), I believe they will always be excited for Christmas.  I would also like to record how expensive it is now that they are all big.  The gifts cost hundreds of dollars instead of 20 or 30.  It is mind blowing how much life costs and being the cheap skate that I am it pains me a little, or a lot, each year.

Crazy fun December

Brent decided to continue the tradition of his holiday party the first Saturday in December.  We ate and played games and it was so fun.  We played pie face and Great grandma and Brent both played, the kids laughed so hard!

This quote remindes me of Shane so much.  I read it in a book while volunteering at the 4th grade, and I sent it to him.  It goes along with the Einstein one that I love "its not that I am smarter, its just that I stay with problems longer".  That is my awesome Shane to a T.  He does not give up.

Grandma Becky gave Cam a subscription to the Highlights magazine for Christmas.  He loves it and it provides hours of entertainment.

My boy at a Jr. High dance.  Man when did he get so big and so handsome.  He had a blast, dancing with a lot of girls and messing around with his buddies.  This is his best friend Gavin Hill holding the dog, they are inseparable.

We snuck over to Brent's and put up his tree for him.  He needed a little push this year to get into the spirit and it made him very happy.

Bones (Cam's nickname) got slaughtered at soccer and broke his glasses, it was quite painful.

Plain City had a light up the town night during December.  It was so much fun and a lot of people put in a lot of work.  We ate donuts and hot cocoa, saw Santa, sang carols and put an ornament on the tree. 

Facer famliy fiesta with the annual pinata.  I love love this tradition, it is one passed from my Grandma and I love that all 11 of my moms grand kids get to do it every year.

Braxton's Eagle

Braxton earned his Eagle scout award.  He worked hard and made 13 blankets for Primary Children's hospital and donated them to the teenage boys that are receiving care at that hospital.  He had so much love and support there that night to congratulate him on his hard work.  Kiley helped make all the decorations and it turned out so cute. 

Brax and his cousin Marley.

Broc, Mauri, Braxton, Marley, and Kathy

This is the eagles nest.  He and two other boys received their eagles this night so we had a ton of great men who had earned their eagle rank to sit in the nest.  Such great men that all these boys can look up to.

Braxton was even forced to give us each a hug that night, a rare occasion at our home.

He got to give someone a mentor pin who helped himoin his project or in scouting in general.  He chose aunt Lisa Cox who helped him with the blankets getting some funding as well as helping him sew and cut and sew and cut.  She is such a great example of being selfless and we love her so much.

All of Geana's side of the family who came to support Brax.

All of Shane's side who came to support Brax.

The cute cookies that aunt Tara and aunt Kiley made for the big party.

It was a very special night and I was so happy for Braxton and proud of all of his hard work.  A lot of people were congratulating me on my eagle, but truly this is one of a few things Brax has been motivated and loved doing.  He wanted to receive it when he was 14, but we did the ceremony shortly after his 15th birthday.  He came up with the quilt idea on his own and spent hours upon hours tying quilts. He loved it.  The paperwork was his least favorite part, but a necessary evil I suppose. We had a couple of special days driving to Salt Lake to the hospital and I will always remember those special moments in the hospital when with tears in my eyes we realized that 13 young boys will be so happy to be warm with a quilt that we tied.  Primary Children's Hospital saved Braxton's life 15 years ago and will forever hold a special place in my heart.  He is a strong, valiant young man and I am so proud of the man he is turning into.