Let it Snow!

The First Snow!

Right around Thanksgiving we had our first snow... (Not counting the time it snowed for a day in October). We were pretty excited! Then, sadly, it melted and warmed up for nearly all of December. "Strange weather for Heber," we thought. We were under the impression that we would be snowed in from October to April.... We were beginning to feel frustrated. After all, we waited 7 years in the desert for a White Christmas and were wondering if we would be jipped.

And then we woke up this morning....

The Real Snow.

I was planning on cleaning my house this morning. The toilets haven't been scrubbed for almost 2 weeks-- you who know me well will be shocked-- it is vile, I agree. Unfortunately, I spent the ENTIRE morning shoveling the driveway so I could drive to Kaeleb's school Christmas party after lunch. The snow you see here is all after Kwint shoveled his way out of two feet of snow on the driveway before work. The worst of it was that when the city plowed our street they pushed all the snow into a pile blocking the driveway. So, while the road was nicely plowed, I had no way of GETTING TO IT. I dug myself a crevice just big enough to slide my car through. Don't misread me though, WE LOVE IT!! We bought a little snowboard and both boys have amazed us with their mad skills on the slopes. (The park by our house has a 10 foot slope they have mastered!) We also love how pretty the Winter Wonderland is!

This is a fun little pizza place in Midway... It was a happy night & I just want to remember it. :)

Here is still tiny but ever growing niece, Baby Gracie with her big sis Bailee. What a cute baby! We went to see the girls dance in their Christmas program and loved it. I am so happy to have nieces!! I get my fill of girly things amidst all the pirates, knights, and dinosaurs at my house.

December..... where did you go???

This month has been a flurry already. I don't want it to pass me by without cataloging a few events.

Hmmm..... Well, the flurry left me blank.

First of all, the snow melted. It has been a very warm December and we are feeling a bit jipped. We waited 7 years for a white Christmas and will not be satisfied with anything less.

Midway does a Nativity set show. We saw hundreds of different Nativity sets from all around the world. I took about a hundred pictures. I will post some soon when I am not too lazy to go downstairs and get my camera.

Kwint's dad had hip replacement surgery a week ago, so we have been down to visit, assist, and cheer him up a few times.

I sang "Mary, Did You Know" for our RS Christmas party last night. It was a very neat experience-- There were 6 women who portrayed Mary's mother, Joseph's mother, the Innkeepers wife, a shepherd's wife, Elizabeth, and Mary. There were 3 musical numbers including mine, Breath of Heaven (love it) and Mary's Lullaby (not the Primary song, but the "you are a king, but tonight you are mine," one, which is gorgeous.) The whole program was based around the testimonies of these women that the baby Jesus was their promised Messiah and the musical numbers were so powerful. I was very thankful to have participated.

The boys have been sick yet again and that means.... NO SLEEP FOR MOM. (And not much for dad, either.) Wednesday Brennan woke up at 3am with a fever and wouldn't go back to sleep until 11am. Just when I thought I would get my own nap, the phone rang and a timid little Kaeleb voice said, "Mom? I just barfed in the lunchroom." Fun times. So, I packed Brenny up in a blanket in his PJ's with bedhead and went to pick him up. At least I didn't have to clean it up!!

Kaeleb came home yesterday all excited because Santa visited them at school. He gave them goody bags and they got to sit on his lap. I was very proud of Kaeleb-- he came home and voluntarily split his goody bag in half with Brennan. Atta boy!

Brennan and I had a cute conversation this week. Over lunch he asked "Where is Daddy?" I said "He's at work in Park City." He asked why he wasn't working at home. I answered that there were people he needed to meet with in PC. He asked "Do they have problems?" I said "Yes, and Daddy helps them decide what to do about their problems." He replied, "Yeah, he helps them get rid of their gratitudes." (attitudes) It was so funny!

Next week is a big party week, beginning with Kaeleb's class party on Tuesday afternoon. I am in charge of a gingerbread story and house project, which I am very excited about. I have decided that I really like kids. Not that I didn't before, but I am loving my nursery calling and volunteering so much!! Maybe having children opens our eyes to just how cute they really are.

So, the big day is 8 days away.... 8 days with at least 5 parties. Get ready for fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This Thanksgiving was a happy, almost week long event for the Kemp Family. We went to St. George this year, to celebrate the holiday at Kwint's sister's home. His parents and Great-Aunt Marie also came down. We had planned on driving down on Wednesday morning, but on Monday we watched the 5 o'clock weather report, which promised a blizzard for Tuesday and Wednesday. When we heard the weatherman say driving conditions would be treacherous and dangerous we decided to head down that night. It was either Monday night or not at all! Kwint worked all day on Tuesday doing phone and Skype sessions, and then the party started.

While he worked the boys and I went to Walmart to buy everything I forgot in our hasty departure. They embarrassed me for a full 40 minutes by chanting, in unison, at the top of their lungs "CHEESEBALLS...ha ha ha! CHEESEBALLS...ha ha ha! CHEESEBALLS... ha ha ha!" I have never been so stared at! People were either glaring at me, laughing at them, or shaking their heads in disgust. I am sure the whole store could hear, no matter where they went.

That afternoon we visited a few friends in the neighborhood. It felt so good to see everyone! I wish I could have seen more friends, but the family stuff started and we got crazy busy. It made me realize just how homesick I have been. Then I saw a cockroach in the bathroom and I remembered how much I love Heber.

Kaeleb missed the big Thanksgiving party at school on Tuesday, and was DEVASTATED. It was a Pow Wow with Indians and Pilgrims. So, on Wednesday, after a full day of shopping, we had our own Pow Wow. Everyone pitched in to help make it special for Kaeleb. We made colorful Indian necklaces...
Headresses...

Bows and arrows...
Bonnets...
And ate rotisserie chicken & spice cake, which seemed appropriate for the Pow Wow without being the same as what we would have on Thursday.
It was super fun. Grandma made a big map with a story drawn on it of two Indian brothers who went on a Turkey hunt to save their people from starvation and earned their true names (as pictured above). She is so creative and really made this a fun night for the boys.

Thursday we enjoyed our feast at Tam's. I thought the table was so beautiful that I had to get a picture of it before we spilled juice and gravy all over it.
These guys were excited to eat, as were we all.
Our wonderful Pa and Ma... We love them so!
We watched a lot of movies during the rest of the weekend, including Megamind at the theater on Thanksgiving, which was so funny!! Kaeleb laughed so hard that most people were laughing more at him than they were at the movie. We also did a little more shopping before heading home on Saturday.

Now the blur that is December begins.....

Family PIctures

Here are a few of the family pics we had taken last week... stay tuned for me to finally have time to blog about Thanksgiving before Christmas arrives....

Two funnies

I forget to write down the funny things they say all too often. So, before I forget, here are two funny sayings from a couple days ago...

Brennan, while eating a sour piece of Halloween candy: "Mom, sour things make my eyes want to fall out." Good description.

Kaeleb, talking to his friend Mason: "Yeah, my mom is a yoga master." Yes! A master! This is what happens when you live in a house full of martial artists. :)

Veteran's Day

Kaeleb woke up sick today and was very, very distraught to not be able to go to school today because his teacher had told them it was Veteran's Day and that she had a special surprise for them. They were all supposed to wear either camouflage, green, brown, or gray (hence the picture above in military green).

I emailed Mrs. Bell to ask what the surprise was and if there was any way Kaeleb could still participate. She emailed me back, and I had such a good feeling that I had to write about it, even though Kaeleb wasn't there.

One of Kaeleb's friends in his class, named Jay, has a father serving in the military, stationed in Afghanistan. There is a big picture of him in a tank hanging on their classroom wall. He has been there since the summer and will be there until March. Today Mrs. Bell surprised him by arranging a Skype session with Jay's dad over the internet. He got to talk to him "face to face" and introduce his classmates.

I don't have any friends or family in the military, so it hits home to have a child that is close to mine having the experience of sacrificing time with his Daddy for the benefit of our country. I am pretty sure I am much too selfish for the military and I am grateful for those who give to me in this way. It warmed my heart to imagine the way Jay's dad felt today to be honored in that way and to be able to see his son, happy and surrounded by friends.

Kaeleb is going to write a letter and send this picture. :)

Stuff I Forgot

My mom & Grandpa Gary came to see us on her birthday so we would have an excuse to eat chocolate cake.
Baby Gracie was born last Thursday (Kris and Barbi's 5th). She was 5 weeks early but 5 lbs 8 oz. and very healthy. She has been in NICU for observation and hopefully will come home tomorrow. She is a little sweetie who squeaks and wrinkles her face every few seconds. We had the other 4 kids at our house Thursday and then took them all to the hospital on Friday. We had so much fun!! The girls let me do their hair. :) I have a picture I need to download of Brennan and Krystal snuggling. Neither of them would sleep without me so I ended up with both of them in my bed (poor Kwint slept on the couch).
This is the Jack-o-lantern Kaeleb drew and Kwint carved. We called it the happy pumpkin.
My painting projects... I have long forgotten to post.