Thursday, January 1, 2015

Favorites

2014:
 
Connor:
My favorite food: Steak
I love to play: Basketball and baseball
My favorite song: Burnin’ it down
A place I'd like to visit: Brazil
My favorite book: I Funny
My favorite treat: Licorice
My best friend: Cole or Gavin
I love the color: Light blue and red
A goal I'd like to accomplish: Save money to buy an IPod5

Kadee:
My favorite food: Doughnuts
I love to play: Preschool
My favorite song: Take me to church
A place I'd like to visit: Hawaii
My favorite book: Ivy and Bean
My favorite treat: Chocolate
My best friend: Jordan, maybe
I love the color: Blue and lime green
A goal I'd like to accomplish: To not be lazy


Kinlee:
My favorite food: Mac n cheese
I love to play: Preschool
My favorite song: Animals by Maroon 5
A place I'd like to visit: Disneyland or the zoo
My favorite book: the Mickey Mouse one
My favorite treat: Bubblegum
My best friend: Kaydree
I love the color: Turquoise
A goal I'd like to accomplish: Learn Spanish


Matthew:
My favorite food: Hot dogs
I love to play: Trucks
My favorite song: ABC song
My favorite book: Ready, Set, Learn (Mickey Mouse)
My favorite treat: candy
My best friend: Zac (Bradley)
I love the color: blue



Top 10 of 2014

1.  After 2 years of trying we sold our house of 6 years.  It was bittersweet.  We made so many memories there, but are so excited to build again.
2.  We participated in our first campaign and worked hard on the committee to elect Jeff Wood for Sheriff.  We even hosted a Utah Jazz Dunk Team event and had approximately 500 people from the community come out and support us.  Our hard work paid off, because as of January 1, 2015 Jeff Wood is the new sheriff of Carbon County.
3.  Matthew started preschool!  He has some speech issues, so as soon as he turned 3 they tested him and determined that he would qualify for speech and preschool at Wellington Elementary.  He loves it and is always super excited to go to school.
4.  Kinlee started her 2nd year of preschool and "nastics."  She loves it and is doing really well.  She knows most of her letters and many of her sounds, she is getting ready for Kindergarten, although she tells us that she isn't going, she wants to stay in preschool forever.
5.  Kadence started 3rd grade and played her first year of softball.  She is still doing gymnastics and is playing Junior Jazz basketball.  She has really grown up this year and is doing great in school.  She was also baptized this year and has grown like a weed.
6.  Connor started 4th grade and has developed a new love for science and reading.  He is still obsessed with sports and is still on his traveling baseball team and is playing Junior Jazz basketball.  My favorite memory of him this year is when he wrote a note to a girl in his class.  He attached a sucker and wrote, "do you like me?  Check yes or no."
7.  I am still working for Price River Water Users, but I also began working at Wellington Elementary under Americorps.  I do attendance and work with kids who have problems with attendance.  I am loving it and love being at the school with the kids.
8. We went on vacation to Lava Hot Springs and had a wonderful time.  We stayed in a cabin with beautiful views and Rory, Connor, and Kadee floated the river.  It was a little cold, but we still had a great time.  We also spent a week at Willow Lake.  It was so relaxing and was a much needed camping trip.  We did a lot of fishing, rode the four wheelers, and played games.
9.  Aunt Susan got us a zoo membership for Christmas, so we were able to visit the zoo several times this year.  The kids loved it and we were able to go to zoolights with Derk and Debbie and take a summer trip with nana Kelli.  We were in about 5 parades, ran in 2 5k's, visited an ice castle, went camping 3 times, attended countless community events, went to gymnastics meets, baseball tournaments, and spent quality time together.
10.  We began construction of our new house!  We are so excited and can't wait for it to be done.  It's been a beautiful fall and winter so we've been able to get a lot done already.  Our four way inspection will be next week, then we can get insulation in.  I'm enjoying building a house again, but hate our tiny rental.  It will be nice to have space again!

We have had a blessed 2014 and look forward to a wonderful 2015!

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Christmas 2014

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday.  The Saturday before Christmas we had the annual Branch family party.  It was really low key and wonderful to visit with everyone and enjoy yummy food.  Monday we went caroling (see the previous post) and Christmas eve we went to Derk and Debbie's for a delicious dinner and to open presents.  The kids reenacted the Christmas Story and we watched some home videos before opening presents. The kids had so much fun opening presents and Kinlee was so excited to open her Elsa doll that sings "let it go,"  but told Debbie that Santa was supposed to bring it to her so she wasa little worried she was going to get two.  When we went home later that night, she left her Elsa doll under the tree so Santa would know she already got one. Matthew was excited to be the sheep in the Christmas Story so he crawled around on all fours baaing all night. When we got home he was so upset because we wouldn't let him take all his trucks he got from the party to bed with him, he kept saying, "me big truck! " Christmas morning the kids were awake by 4:30 am. I made them wait until 5:00 before going out to see their presents,  but Kinlee couldn't wait and snuck into the living room.  When she saw the Kindle santa brought her she started yelling,  "I got a Kindle! " over and over again until all of us got up to see it.  After opening presents we all fell back to sleep until it was time to go to Nana and papas for breakfast.  Nana and papa made us a delicious breakfast like always, then the kids opened their presents and stockings.  The rest of the day we relaxed and played games,  then yesterday Connor went rabbit hunting with his cousins.  Finally tonight Rory and I went to a Jeff Wood committee celebration at Connie Hamiltons house.  She had so much food and it was so so fun to visit with everyone.  We are so blessed and have had an amazing holiday season.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Cookies and Caroling

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is making sugar cookies and decorating them with the Miller's.  This year we decided to do a little service and go caroling to some older widows and widowers in the community.  We picked 10 different people to visit and after frosting cookies with the Miller's,  Rauhala's and some other friends,  we braved the freezing cold and went caroling. It was such a wonderful service project and it was great to make some people smile.  The kids really enjoyed singing Jingle Bells,  Silent Night,  We Wish You A Merry Christmas,  & Frosty the Snowman.  Hopefully we can continue this tradition for several years. 

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Santa made a visit to hometown flooring in Price,  so we went to see if he was ready for Christmas.  The kids loved visiting with him.  Matthew told him he wants a big truck, Kinlee wants an Elsa doll that sings "Let It Go," Kadee wants an Ipod touch,  and Connor wants a new book.



Progress

The house is coming along.  We have all our exterior doors in, most the windows, almost all the framing, and the roof is near completion, yay!

April and May

April and May have been a blur.  We moved into the new house so it's been a very busy time in our lives.  The kids are really enjoying h...