Our crazy life in December!

I took the kids to Idaho at the end of December to visit Maddie and school from there (oh the benefits of homeschool!) While I was there, Shawn called and said that he had sold our house and that we would need to be out a couple of days after Christmas😳 We had talked about wanting to get out of Pendleton and about how our two hold-ups were our house and whether or not we could take Anni out of state. Really soon after that conversation, Shawn heard a new doctor at work who said she wanted to buy a house on North hill, with a view, and in the price range we wanted! He spoke up and offered to show her our house and she wanted it. 

I was initially worried that this would spoil our Christmas but I prayed that I would be able to be calm about the whole thing and I experienced a complete miracle. I never felt one bit frazzled or stressed; just completely calm and happy and even though there was A LOT going on we still managed to fit in all of our traditions (and then some). I felt so incredibly blessed!

Rachel Pariseau, our ward music chairman (and the kid’s piano teacher) asked me to sing a couple of numbers at our ward Christmas party. When she asked, I thought she meant with a group but I showed up and she said it was just with her😳. I can carry a tune, but I don’t have a good voice. It ended up being a good experience though! She also had Nolan play a duet with Wil Thackeray. They played flawlessly.

A beautiful view one December evening:

I was spending a lot of time during the day doing “double-time” homeschooling so the kids could get done early while we were moving. I’m my “spare time” I was packing up the house. I still wanted to do something fun for the kids so I made them exciting breakfasts every morning. These were some of them:

Anni looking at her daddy like he’s better than breakfast: 

Anni and Pace being buddies while they smacked:

We made and painted salt dough ornaments for the “kid tree”. Unfortunately, we had recently made sugar cookies so Anni tried to eat one.😂

We went to Rexburg for Maddie’s Christmas choir concert on the 19th. NOTHING beats Madison’s music department and the concert they do in December.

This was Anni’s first ever concert and she was excited to see Maddie. She sat patiently through 3 long numbers and then she loudly exclaimed, “WHERE IS MADDIE?!?? I AM SOOOO MAD!!!” We all got the giggles...

She and Isabelle at the concert:

She and I at the concert:

Shawn and I at the concert:

Abby and Ainsley and Maddie at the concert:

The cousins with grandpa Gee:

When we went back to Pendleton, we got to take Maddie and Kami with us! 

One Sunday afternoon we all made gingerbread houses while Shawn read to us. We aren’t very good house creators, but it was fun.

The Sunday before Christmas was a busy one! Kami, me, Shawn, Maddie and Nolan were all asked to sing a musical number. Isabelle was the narrator for the sacrament meeting program. I thought we all looked good and perfectly matching so on our way walking home we stopped at the Wares and asked Aaron to take our picture:

We continued our tradition of inviting friends over for a Christmas Eve gathering, treats, and a re-enactment if the nativity:

Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus:

Nolan, McKennah Thackeray and Oliver Ware:

The wise Men, Emma Ware and Abram:

Dave Thackeray, Aaron and shawn, Kami and Maddie:

Wil and Nolan:

Aaron and Anni:

Casey Severe also came and all the other Thackeray kids, but I failed to take pictures of them.

Somewhere in amongst all of this crazy business, I managed to shop and wrap presents. I’m still in awe that I got it done and happily done! We had a wonderful Christmas morning. Then, as the kids played with new toys and figured out new presents, I took the tree down and Shawn and I finished packing the house. It was a good thing, too, because the next morning we had people show up to help move! A few from our ward; but also Aaron and Danny and their families! Danny also brought a huge stock trailer that significantly cut down on trips to the storage unit. I have the best family! I hadn’t even asked for help.  We had the moving done and the house cleaned up by 6:00. We moved over to mom and dads where we waited for two weeks for our court date to find out whether we would need to stay in Pendleton and rent or be able to leave the state with Anni.