November and some of December 2016

I voted today! I thought this joke of an election cycle would never end.  #nevertrump

The day after the election there was so much negativity in the world.  Antagonistic, cynical vitriol. I wanted to escape to the temple but I couldn't get my five little ducks in a row.  So I withdrew and turned off my phone and put on some beautiful music and got to work in my house (and probably ate some chocolate).  That afternoon, Marty called me to say that our stake president, President Zemp, had called and asked us to come in together to the stake offices at 9:00 that night.  Which is the story of this picture:

It's still a little surreal to me, but Marty was called as Bishop of the Skyline Ward.  The morning after our appointment with President Zemp I called Marty and said, "Is this real life, or is Marty the bishop and Donald Trump the president?"  Marty said, "HEY!  Don't compare me to Trump!"  I assured him I wasn't and we got a good laugh out of it.  That appointment was on Wednesday and he had to have his counselors called by Sunday, the day a bunch of wards in our stake were set to realign.  They called four new bishops that night.  It was all a bit of a blur and deserves its own post, but for now I'll just say that it was a beautiful night and it has been a roller coaster of a few months!

Clara started making this hilarious face.  I wish she would still do it!

The kids, instigated by Brynn, set up this adorable lunch for me at the couch.  Which the Littles ate, haha!

This was a very fun day.  Right before Marty was set apart as bishop, we decided to spend some time together as a family before telling him good-bye, ha! Part of Marty wanted to stick around close and focus on what was coming, but then we realized we were both so antsy and there was really nothing to be done at that point.  So we took off to the zoo with our POGO passes!

It was Veteran's Day and we got decked out in red, white and blue.

It didn't seem that long since we had been to the zoo, but this time there was a new family member there with us!

She was a perfect angel.  I can't believe how patient and easy-going she is.

Blech.  I used to think komodo dragons were cool until this huge ugly thing scrambled toward us and bonked into the glass.

Every. Single. Sculpture.  Bryce = seven year old boy.

Way cool Lego creations all over.

Moana!  Hey kids, you can't complain we don't have fun together as a family.  Looking at all these pictures I feel a little better about how often I put the kids to work.  I push homework, push chores, push piano, push help with the younger ones, push reading, push eating their veggies and brushing their teeth, push whatever else needs to be pushed.   Then I like to go have fun!!

After Marty was called was such a whirlwind.  We obviously had no idea it was coming, and of course it came at a time when we were at our busiest.  Three kids in sports, two kids + Marty in choir, Brynn in play practice and dance, etc, etc.  Marty wondered if he should try to find a way out of choir and coaching Bryce's football team, but in the end felt like he should honor his commitments for the next couple of months and then quit in the new year.  The choir decision was sad because BandB were excited about going on tour with him, but we definitely did the right thing.  In January we took everyone out of everything except Brynn (and besides piano) to try to make an easier transition into the bishop thing.

The Littles were sooo cute on a soccer team together.  Camille was as excited as she could be about finally doing soccer like her brothers.  I tried to get her into dance and she wasn't going to have any of that.  Funny girl, I really am trying to honor her personality and spirit.

Gabe did so well this season, he totally got the hang of it and got quite a few goals!  Camille was one of the younger ones and was just so happy to be alive and playing.  She'd run past us on the field and check every single time to make sure we were watching and then she'd give us a big thumbs-up.  So cute, I could watch that all day.

Aunt Kris Anne is seriously one of a kind.  As soon as she found out Marty was being called as bishop, she sent us this package.  It was already there for our first (full) Sunday.  It had probably 30 different wrapped things for the kids, including cereal for us, paper plates, snacks for Marty, church movies and other activities for before or after church, books and activities for Sacrament meeting, stamped and addressed envelopes for both sets of families for Sunday letter-writing.  We were opening things for weeks, I don't know how she manages these things!

Gabe had his first birthday party with his little preschool friends.  It was a Spiderman/Star Wars/Dinosaur/Lego party.  His favorite part was the hempiana (pinata).

 In December, adorable Bryce put mistletoe a couple places around the house.  And yes, I got the sweetest kisses from my little guy.  Sigh.

Yikes.  Brynn's teacher, that I LOVE, love, love, has called me out a number of times on her being tired in class and has kindly suggested that I not let her stay up quite so late to read.  She's right of course, but getting Brynn out of her books is easier said than done.

This picture pulls at my heart-strings!  I have had a calling in the Skyline ward choir for nine years, five and half of them as the choir director.  After Marty was called he jokingly asked if I was going to be his very first release.  I laughed and told him it would be mean to call someone new right before the Christmas program.  So I directed my sixth Christmas program in a row and then sorted through the music to pass it on to the next person.  But I felt like I was giving away my babies!  I have poured my heart and soul into that music and have built it up so much throughout the years.  I'm so grateful for that calling, even if I was ready to be released.  By the way, I was also serving as a beehive adviser and Marty got me kicked out of that calling for the second time in a row!  The last time I was in YW he was called into YM and we couldn't both be doing it.

Bryce's first MCO concert experience was so rough.  He was having stomach issues after he got there and I got a call five minutes before the first concert started.  I was about to take my seat with my parents but I ran to his backstage room and sure enough, he wasn't looking too hot.  I knew it wasn't contagious and just his typical crazy stomach so I sat with him for a minute and gave him a pep talk and then left and was a nervous wreck throughout the whole concert. I never did see him go on and he told me later he was too afraid of throwing up on stage.  The next night he didn't want to go, but we convinced him to. I found someone online selling a ticket and I, uncharacteristically, made the decision like 10 minutes before we had to leave to buy they ticket from this lady and just go!  My parents were so amazingly supportive and I dropped the younger three on the doorstep and said "good luck!"  And then left!  So not like me.  I was really glad I did.  We all got there together, I took my seat and watched Marty and BandB perform and I was SO happy to see Bryce up there!  He didn't love the rehearsals every Thursday.  It's a long day at school, a long drive, and a very long time to not let a seven year old sit. I told him I was proud of him for trying it out and that I wasn't going to put him in it again if he didn't want me too.  But I would have felt so bad if he went to all those rehearsals and never got to perform on stage (the Mesa Arts Center is an amazing venue).  In between the concerts the second night I asked if he was feeling well enough for the second and he said maybe.  He wound up going on stage but when I went to check on him after his pieces he was crying and not feeling well at all.  I let him sit with me in the foyer until the concert was over.  I wish he would have felt better, but I'm proud of him for all he went through that weekend.

Brynn had a great experience!

Marty was sad that these were his farewell concerts and sad to say goodbye to his choir friends, but life is long and there will be plenty more musical opportunities.

Cutest soccer duo ever.  Will Gabe ever know how much it means to his mom to see him take Camille under his wing again and again and again?

There's a baby in there somewhere...and this is just a milk/cereal/eggs/bread trip!  Groceries are the bane of my existence. So hard to find a time to go without the kids and so, so, so much food needed to sustain a family of seven!  I do love to feed my family though.  If only my fridge was just magically stocked...