In December right before Christmas break started Zander took his belt test. It was the last day the dojo was open before it closed for the holidays. So Zander earned his green belt last week! Way to go Zander! This belt took him close to 2\3rds of last year to earn.
This month always drags on forever. Our whole house has been sick since the middle of December and we have run the gamut of illnesses, but we still enjoyed our Christmas break and I think everyone is finally over being sick...I seem to be the only one who is still struggling to get rid of whatever virus I have.
Anyway, the highlight of this month is that Zander got ordained a deacon! Stephen was able to give Zander the priesthood on Sunday January 5, 2025. Unfortunately no one was able to attend except the two of them. I was so sick that day I couldn't get out of bed and I had other kids throwing up as well. But I am very proud of Zander and excited that he has reached this milestone in his life. He was so excited to pass the sacrament the following Sunday and very nervous, but he did a great job and just loves being a deacon. He feels old and important (as he should) and he has become more confident in who he is.
Zander had an extra meeting with the bishopric and we had no idea what else he needed to do for the new year, but I went with him to his meeting. Turns out he was asked to be the 2nd councilor for the deacons quorum. They don't normally ask brand new deacons to be in the presidency, but they all felt very strongly that Zander should be, and he gladly accepted.
This was after doing baptisms with his best friend Keaton. Funny thing is Zander left his red duffle bag at the ice cream shop with nothing in it but his whitey tighties, lol. I can just imagine the shop owner getting a chuckle out of finding a bag with a pair of underwear in it.
I feel like this year flew by and was just a good, normal year. We had some ups and downs, but nothing that was really hard that sticks out. We were gone a lot and half of that was without Stephen it seems like. He did a fair amount of traveling for work this year including: Colorado, Washington D.C., New York, Florida, Nevada, South Carolina, and Arizona. The kids got older and wiser, I finished potty training my last child, and we got to spend a lot of time together as a family. I am so grateful for my family and my faith. I couldn't do life without my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We have been richly blessed.
January:
Lucas got glasses
I started Tahitian dance
February:
Elizabeth returned home from her mission in Missouri
The boys had cousins over for a sleepover
March:
I got to go to 'Clue' with my sisters in law for a girls day out
April:
We spent Easter weekend and Spring break in Spokane
May:
went to our first RSL game
Went to the Layton Temple open house
June:
went camping and digging for fossils in Wyoming with Alissa's family
July:
Spent another two weeks in Spokane and had a blast at our reunion!
August:
Performed my first ever dance performance for an audience and almost threw up
Had a yes day with the kids
Lucas got a black eye
September:
went to the temple with Savannah
Went with Stephen and his brothers and wives to Lad Vegas to see Jerry Seinfeld
October:
went to my last witches night out. So sad.
Went to Washington D.C. with Stephen to see him receive an award for work
Performed a black light Tahitian dance at Weber State University
November:
Watched Miles and Lucy for a week
Charity came home from her mission
Got together with my roommates to get caught up on each other's lives
December:
Had fun being with family for the holidays
Savannah left for the MTC
Classic Fun Center fun
We had such a great Christmas this year! It was lowkey—we stayed home and did our own thing as a family. Christmas Eve we had a nice dinner of homemade bread bowls and two kinds of soup. I set up a nice looking table and finally got out my china from Grandma and Grandpa Pettingill 20 years ago for earning my Young Woman’s recognition award when I was a teenager. We had a short lesson on Jesus Christ and then played games.
We played some minute to win it games, and the last game the person who finished getting their cookie from their forehead to their mouth first had to run to the living room and get their clue to where their present was hidden in the house. The kids had to bring their gift into the living room and wait for everyone to find theirs so they could open them at the same time. It was so great. They pulled their new pajamas out first and then they found their own stuffed dog to adopt. They came with an adoption paper for them fill out and all the kids got a different type of dog. They all loved the ones they got. Zander named his Rufus, Lucas’ is Pugly, Hannah’s is Murphy (after her cousin’s dog because it looks just like him), and Grayson named his dog Bob but then changed it to Rudolph, haha. The kids set out their stockings on the couches and then headed to Grayson’s room to sleep together. They were actually really tired. They also got extra blankets out so their dogs had their own beds to sleep in.
Christmas morning came and surprisingly they all stayed downstairs until 5:50 this year! That’s a new record. Anyway, Santa came and delivered some of the coolest gifts the kids loved. Zander got some electric drum sticks and a golden snitch, Lucas got his sour candy cane and a magic kit, Hannah got a string thing toy and hair accessories, and Grayson got a mini Jenga game and bounce ball with a handle. Stephen got some jerky a new razor and some work shirts, and I got hypoallergenic earrings and new tennis shoes.
The kids’ favorite gift this year, though, was a hand written letter from their dad. Stephen took some time to write them each a letter of love and appreciation. It was so special and so awesome to see them all reading their letters in silence. They will treasure those forever.
We started off in Twin Falls this year with our family Christmas dinner at mom and dad's house. Brad was in charge of the planning this year and he did not disappoint! I was asked to make a cake for Jesus, so I brought a red velvet cake. Dinner was catered which was so nice for all the adults to not have to do or bring hardly anything so we could enjoy more time with each other. We had everyone there except Becky's family. We miss them so much!
We had dinner, then the guessing of the pot (Lucy and Grady tied, so they had to battle it out with rock, paper, scissors. Lucy won). Then we played bingo with prizes, and then more games that Brad planned out. It was a hoot! It was also really loud. After games it was time for the spiritual portion. Brad and his girls did a presentation of Mary and played some clips from the prophet and apostles of the church. Then a song, family prayer, then gifts, and finally we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus at 10:45 pm. It was so much fun. We didn't even realize how late it was.
This year was a Washburn year for Thanksgiving although the Washburns don't really do anything for Thanksgiving. Everyone does their own dinners with their family, and since we didn't want to do it alone we invited ourselves to have dinner with Rachel's family. They were excided to have us. The three boys ended up staying the night there, so Hannah came home with Stephen and I and we took her to a movie the next day. We saw Moana 2. Rachel and Christian did a great job with dinner and the presentation. Thanksgiving is Christian's and Zander's favorite holiday. It was nice and low key.
