End-of-the-Year Catchup

Wow-----A LOT has happened since my last post!!! Things have been crazy-fun-busy, and it has taken me this long to get all of my pictures uploaded and to record the latest happenings. So get ready for a long, action-packed blog post!

 

In mid-November, the movie that I have been waiting two years for finally came out . . . Lincoln!!! I was so excited to see it. Mom, Dad, Rich, and I went to see it shortly after it was released, and we all loved it. It was a very well-done movie, and it made me feel nostalgic about the day that Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) and Doris Kearns Goodwin came to the Lincoln Home back in 2010.

On Thanksgiving, Mom, Dad, Rich and I had a delicious Thanksgiving meal together! It was nice to be with them for the holiday (Greg was still in Illinois). That evening we went over to the Barrett's for some tasty leftovers and pumpkin pie.

The day after Thanksgiving, I flew to Springfield to embark on the final leg of our move to Utah (moving Greg and the animal children). That evening we were able to have a fun dinner with our friends the Atkins and the Harmons. It was so great to see them--I do miss my Illinois friends! We spent the entire next day cleaning the house and preparing for the long drive ahead (although I did manage to get a chocolate Coke at Del's and have lunch with my friend Linda!). That evening we had a nice dinner with Greg's friends from the funeral home. They were so sad that he was leaving, but they were happy that he and I would be together again after three months of living in different states. Early the next morning we packed up the animals, said farewell to Illinois, and hit the road. The two-day day drive that followed felt like the LONGEST road trip in history! I have a new appreciation for parents who travel with their kids. We had a carsick kitty who cried for about 19 out of the 21 travel hours, and two wound-up dogs with small bladders. It was quite an adventure, and we were all relieved when we reached Utah! 

Luckily Greg liked the new house I had purchased :) We arrived a few days before the moving truck full of our stuff, so Mom and Dad were nice enough to bring us some food for our first night at the new place. KFC and sparkling cider! If it wasn't for Mom and Dad, I never would have been able to get the house ready to move into. While the house itself was in good condition, it'd had some pretty rough wear, and it took A LOT of cleaning and repair work to get it whipped into shape. Mom and Dad spent many hours transforming it into a beautiful home . . . and Greg and I absolutely LOVE it here!!! 

One of the best parts about being back in Utah is that I get to do fun things with my family. On December 1, Greg and I got to attend Camden and Riley's Christmas piano recital. They were definitely the best pianists in the group, and it was so fun to be there!

On December 3, a new exhibit opened at the museum called "Portraits of Childhood," featuring paintings of kids. This was the first exhibit opening where I had some real responsibilities, and I was a little nervous, but everything went really well. Before the opening reception, Greg and I had a yummy dinner at the Lion House and got to enjoy the Christmas lights on Temple Square.

This is such a pretty place!!!!!

Mom, Dad, and Rich joined us for the opening reception, and it was a wonderful evening. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love my job? :)

On December 7, Mom, Rich, Greg and I had a fun adventure when we attended the Christmas smorgasbord at IKEA--it was AMAZING! Look at all of the delicious food they had prepared! It was an all-you-can-eat buffet, and we strategically placed ourselves near the food, so we were some of the first ones in line :) We decided that we need to make this an annual tradition!

On December 10, the new Utah Transit Authority train, called Frontrunner, began service to Utah County. Since we live just a 1/2 mile from the Lehi station, it makes it really convenient for me to get to work every day. I LOVE riding the train to work!!!! It reminds me of being in Chicago, except that it is less scary here :)

December is quite the birthday month! Some of my favorite people have birthdays in December: my friend Emily, my friend Susan, Aunt Karalie, Ben, Mom, and Sidney! On Sid's birthday, we had a Mom/Sid party at the Barrett's. It was a lot of fun, and Ben was excited to help them blow out the candles. Luckily Greg was able to join us for the festivities--he had just started his new job and was REALLY busy. He has been working very hard, and he really enjoys his new boss.

On Christmas Eve we had a fun time with the Taylors and Barretts doing our annual nativity reenactment--only this year we had some cool masks. The white shirt that I am wearing has been the angel costume ever since we were little kids. It used to be an angel dress, but now (at least for me) it is an angel shirt :(

The Barrett kiddos were excited about their new Christmas pajamas! We missed having the Agates with us but know that they were having a nice time together as a family in Illinois.

Christmas morning was a little less-crazy than usual at our house because Greg and I had gotten our main presents before Christmas (a new house, a TV, etc.). But we still managed to create a small pile of exciting shiny papers and bows for Lily to enjoy! We had a wonderful Christmas, except that poor Greg got sick, and I bruised my tail bone. That afternoon and evening, we had a fun visit from the Taylors and a fun visit to the Barretts.

Yesterday I had a fun visit from the Barretts at the museum! They came to see the new exhibits and to enjoy the Christmas lights at Temple Square. The kids all drew a picture to put on the lighthouse in the youth art competition. Here is Ben saying "CHEESE!" by his drawing.

And here are all of the kiddos at the lighthouse. It was great to see them, and I am sorry to hear that they have been sick today! As of yesterday, our Illinois house is officially SOLD! We are very relieved to not have two houses anymore, and we are grateful that it sold so quickly. This has certainly been an exciting month, and we are looking forward to welcoming a new year this coming week!