December

Mountain Goat Joseph

Our friends invited Joseph and Dan to join them in rock climbing at a local climbing gym. This was Joseph's first time, and it turns out he is a natural! 

Sharing Warmth

On December 10th we attended the 9th annual blanket-tying party at the Bennetts. We have loved being involved every year, and it's always a great experience to visit with friends while preparing blankets for local charities. I was so busy that I never took pictures of Aubrey, but she was there too!

Guy's Weekend

Dan and Kara's husband Dave have a special bond, and finally got together to hang out for a weekend in mid-December. Dan visited some facilities for work in Boise, Nampa, and Idaho Falls, and then he and Dave did everything they love to do over the weekend. They watched movies, went bowling, went to a shooting range, ate good food, went swimming and worked out, and watched sports.

On to Utah to see Bailey and Porters

One of the top things on Bailey's Christmas list was a visit from her Dad. So Dan drove from Idaho Falls to Provo and spent several days hanging out with his favorite oldest daughter.  They said Aida at Hale Center Theater, ate at great restaurants, and attended Megan Porter's wedding. There they visited with Grandma and Grandpa Porter, Dave and Mimi, Julie, and Shellee.

Brooke and Carlos were getting married 3 days later! Unfortunately, Dan and Bailey had to fly home before their wedding. 

While out of town for 10 days, Dan facetimed most mornings to join in on our family scripture reading. He got pretty goofy while facetiming, so we took screenshots!

Happy Baptism Day

All our family attended the baptism of Aubrey's friend Jennifer. We were excited for her! Afterward Dan took these pictures of me and Joseph.

Books and Babies

I love my two bookclubs (one in the daytime and one at night). December's bookclub was a dinner at Bennett's house. I got to hold a cute baby for most of the night!

Goodies to Share

The second week of December I baked up a storm so I could make treat plates to share with friends, neighbors, and people I work with in Primary. It was a flurry of sugar, butter, and flour, and I made a huge mess. But I really like holiday baking, especially while watching a Hallmark Christmas movie. Highlights this year were the chocolate marshmallow cookies (always a hit), cinnamon spiced almonds and pecans, white chocolate dipped ginger cookies, and peppermint Rice Krispies with white and dark chocolate. I also made chocolate cookies topped with salted caramel, but they weren't quite as good as the other treats on the plate.

Cozy

And, finally, other than under the Christmas tree, my favorite place to hang out and read Christmas books is next to the fire (while sipping my favorite herbal tea). Heaven.