December Little Things

Since my niece is trying to help me get this blog printed for a family record (slowly but surely!) I’m trying to get back to my “little things” posts. Plus, also I love to look back on a month.

I figured I may as well start where I am for now…with December all wrapped up.

So here are some “little things” from that big month now in our wake.

During December our neighborhood turns into a fall wonderland.

As I’ve been trying to clear out the pictures on my phone this new year, I’ve found like 482 of these ones:

It just takes my breath away how the world just keeps changing.

I mentioned before that Elle and Carson stayed with us for quite a bit of December while Carson had a big test, a break from school, and some serious prep to get ready for his interviews for residency matches. And Elle worked from home.

Oh we sure loved having them around!

One night Lu and I to the Frozen musical performance at the high school (my nephew was Stefan), and Dave, Elle and Carson to the Suns game.

I think each of us were just as delighted as the other to do what we were doing, especially Lucy. Well, maybe especially Elle and Carson who’s eyes got as big as saucers when our friend got them into the swanky suite and eat to their heart’s content at half time, and also stand in the hallway to the locker room when the players left the game.

But Lucy’s eyes were pretty sparkly too!

These kids did such an incredible job performing!

Christmas ward party, “Breakfast with Santa” where Dave did a great job MCing:

(The Relief Society Christmas gathering was back in the tail end of November, and I loved it.)

MCO (Lucy’s choir) volunteering (there were three nights of those concerts!).

Late-night post-concert Lucy-pick-up on the last night for ice cream with Elle and Carson, Lucy filled with the afterglow of what MCO gives her.

We finally sent off Claire’s Christmas package.

Gosh that is a labor of love for sure. How do you wrap up and send your whole heart in some form of something across the world to your daughter who could really use it?

Went to my friend’s connection class (one of my old RS sisters I love) with a “sound bath” at the end.

I brought Elle with me last minute and loved sharing it with her.

Some FHE Sunday gatherings:

My friend send me this picture she caught of Lu doing her O & M (“orientation and mobility”) training after school one day.

Lu is not a huge fan of this but I love that she is getting trained, and I also love her specialist lady…she is so awesome.

Last-minute podcast recording with my parents about how to put meaning into Christmas.

Loved having my parents plus Saydi’s wisdom washing over me as we discussed, even though I felt a little disjointed and foggy.

Lots of sourdough bread making in December.

I tried the Christmas tree version…which didn’t turn out too spectacular.

But it tasted good!

We had an IEP meeting for Lucy.

Those meetings will always and forever make me emotional. I am just so incredibly grateful for all those teachers trying to push and lift Lucy in every way they can.

These three lucky kids got to go to Les Miserables:

…and came out SO starry-eyed after that thing!

Carson and Elle took a trip up to Utah to be with his family and on a whim we decided to pack the car full to the brim of some things for Grace’s new living arrangement up there:

It was pretty funny how quickly we took apart a bed we’re switching up stuffed that whole thing into that car along with so many other things we figured she could use.

Yow.

I thought about angels a lot in December.

Specifically the ones I feel surrounding my children on occasion. Trying to take note of the little miracles along the way.

One of my favorite things ever about church is this duo leading the songs. This amazing man with down syndrome is so awesome and it wraps me up with so much love each Sunday to have both leading us along. I loved his Christmas suit.

Lucy did fabulous at her piano recital…as always:

I LOVE when our so many of us can be on calls together with our dear missionary girl!

…who looks a tad bit pixelated up there! Makes my mama heart so happy. (Carson was studying but there in spirit!)

This sweet friend came over and helped Lu get ready to ask a cute kid to HER FIRST DANCE.

So much more to say about that one in that post. But bottom line is that we are getting ready for that adventure in February with all the emotions.

Christmas cards always take up such a huge part of December!

More about that big task in the “things leading up to Christmas” post.

Our dear friends returned from their church mission. They have been serving with our other friends who are mission leaders in Iowa.

We went to visit them and welcome them to their new house and I just had such a wave of desire to have my own kind of “reset” like they’ve had. It’s pretty amazingly beautiful to hear all they have learned and to see how they have grown. I love it. So good to have them back, what an adjustment it will be!

This is how Lucy looks heading out to school each day. That is one HEAVY backpack…along with her hydro, her cane, her magnifier. She carries all that stuff around all day.

BUT, she gets to see the sunrise on the way to school, so in her mind that makes it all worth it!

Bo Jangles with a fresh blow-out:)

Dave and I got to go to a Suns game with our friends:

And I got to meet one of my favorites there:

Do you know who he is?

I just loved this moment when Dave was helping Lucy with an anatomy project.

She ADORES that class.

Some homework isn’t quite so fun though:

I LOVE that Abby keeps me in the loop with pictures.

I cannot even stand being so far away from that little baby! So this really helps.

Driving for BrainFood each month is always so invigorating:

I got so sick in December! And I never get sick! Glad I had these cheerleaders to help me along:

I missed our extended family Christmas party, two missionary homecomings I was so sad to miss, our Primary nativity play, and a few other things.

But SO glad I was feeling better enough to get up to Utah for my uncle’s funeral.

We went to the Cathedral of the Madeleine the night before and that was one of the times this Christmas when the world stood still.

I was so touched that Max and Abby (and Murph) requested to join us for the funeral. They drove up from Provo to pick us up and we talk, talk, talked en route to Logan.

There’s nothing like one-on-one time like that.

Then surrounded by all the goodness of Eyres. Reunions with cousins and aunts and uncles filling up those rooms in my Dad’s old wonder-church with love and sorrow all mixed together.

The service was so beautiful as a reminder of my uncle’s legacy and also the importance of finding our own legacies.

Loved reuniting with these cousins who I haven’t seen in so long.

And honoring my grandma and grandpa who are buried there as well.

Had a pre-Christmas breakfast with these women I adore:

Hung out with these people I adore:

Abby and Murphy came to join us before Christmas since they’d be spending the big day with Abby’s family. I love that Abby had this idea and wanted to come, and boy howdy we loved having them around!

Look at these hairlines of Murphy and her dad at the same age:

Pretty identical!

This girl is pretty adored:

So many festivities while they were here filling up another post.

As well as this one: one of my favs:

Hot yoga followed by a cold plunge in the pool.

Pretty memorable.

Also a hike to the tippy-top of Camelback mountain and lunch in the big city:)

And THEN it was on to Christmas Eve.

Other Christmas Posts:

• Christmas Eve.
• And Christmas.
• and the week following Christmas to New Years

But I’ll let those posts tell those stories!

On to January!!