Putting the 5th Grade Ski Pass to Use

 One Saturday in December Leavitts took Hazel, Payton, and Lily to ski Tamarak.  There wasn't very much snow but the girls still had a lot of fun.  Check out those awesome braids.

For the Mill Creek Ski night the McConkies took the girls out of school early to ski Bogus all afternoon and evening.

Then the very next day, Friday, I took my girls and the McConkie girls up to Brundage for a gorgeous ski day.  Other than Lily, it was the first time the rest of us had put on skis - it felt wonderful.  We had a great day.

Family Time and Snow Days

The kids were back in school just 3 days after Christmas Break when we had an epic snow fall leading to cancelled church.  I had hoped to go up to McCall to ski but not in that weather.   Then we had MLK Monday off - at this point we were starting to get tired of being home.  We were all tired of our usual entertainments.  Thankfully the kids went to school Tuesday but then there was another 7 or 8 inch snowfall canceling school Wednesday and Thursday.  I was so grateful for my new car that handled the snow so well.

Laura, Mel, and Mark flew in for all day Woodgrain meetings on Thursday.  So we left the kids to entertain themselves and had a long, but good day of discussions led by the Owner Council.  The rest of the weekend we enjoyed family time with sleepovers, games, and late night talks and poker games.

Unfortunately, Melanie was sick and spent a lot of time resting. 

Laura went out and played in the snow with the littles.  They loved it.  She makes them all feel so special and appreciated.

They especially loved watching the cats play in the snow.  Shai's little paws falling through and her belly rubbing the snow had them laughing.

Thankfully, Monday was back to school like normal, but so much for Kate driving to school.  The van couldn't handle the roads till more of the snow melted.  Crazy but fun.

Christmas Break

Merry Christmas!  Bernards gave us some of their favorite things - Like T Swift stickers!

Lily showing off her candy and goods.

Emmy glammed up in moose PJ's, new shoes and tons of clothes.

Monthly flowers and the lego flower from Laura.

Kate and all her nail stuff and lovely sleeping mask for the airplane ride to Australia.

We got pictures for our adventure wall and it took quite a lot of tweaking to get them on the wall.  

But now it looks pretty great with our new couch.

Kate didn't want a photo but she got her license!!!

Took the girls to the Discovery Center to see the impressionist immersion exhibit.  We had a bit of silly fun.

On December 31st Greg was made Bishop of the River Ranch Ward.  The ward was cut in half and the  had a lot of positions to fill.  Exciting new and bitter-sweet  changes.

Grandma Nani came - she took this picture 😂

Mack had to say goodbye to the cats and his Bob to go back to school. We miss our boys.

Emily took her first trip looking for cougars - no luck but lots of snow and -15 degrees 🥶

Christmas Cat

Christmas Eve we went caroling at the Castelle's house.  Tammy wanted to give us all something so she took us out to her warehouse to get some candles.  While she got the candles everyone my family went googoo over all of her rescue cats.  Especially, a little 12 week old kitten that Tammy had literally rescued and brought home with her from her most recent trip to Hawaii.  We went home with candles and a lot of begging for a new kitty.  

When we got home Lily led the other kids in creating a powerpoint presentation about how they would make this work with 2 cats.  Well I guess I'm a sucker but I told them we could go pick up the cat for Christmas.  

They protected the dinning room with bubble wrap and old Amazon bags. and put their plan of kitty introduction into action.

She is an adorable little thing.  We planned on calling her her Nutmeg, but as Emmy said, "It just didn't stick" so the name search began.  Mack vetoed most ideas.

Ditten didn't love the new friend but was very curious.  The kitten on the other hand was begging Ditten to be her friend from the other side of the door.

Ping pong is a bit more difficult but a lot funnier when a kitten lays on the table and chases balls.

After much debate everyone agreed to name the kitten Shai.  The kitten proved to provide us hours of entertainment jumping and catching all cat toys and fake snowballs.  Her jumping skills were truly impressive like Mack's favorite basketball player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.  So we bought a collar and made it offical.

There may have been some intense fighting over the tent - that was a favorite hang out for Ditten and she wasn't interested in sharing.

Ditten claiming territory ...

Shai making her own statement.

The kids couldn't get enough of this little cutie over Christmas break and Lily wanted to invite over all her friends just to play with Shai.

Once Mack left to go back to school the girls had to send him lots of Shai pics (Ditten ones too.  I think he misses the cats more than us 😉).

One morning I found Shai in this tree - Can you see her?

She also welcomed me home from my morning walk with her first catch.

She got a little to interested in my bath water and took a little bath herself 😂.

We think they have decided to be friends.  They still get crazy every now and then and chase and attack all over the house but it is just in fun...I think.  If only Shai would stop peeing in the bathroom sinks!  What cat does that?