This and That in December, Part 2!

More of the good things that happened in December:

Julia officially graduated from BYU with a degree in English!

Melanchuks are adopting four kittens when they are weaned.  Here they are visiting them.  These will be outside cats that will help with the rat problem in their area.

Zeus celebrated a birthday!

Jacob and Lily each celebrated their 10th birthday!

Some of the Melanchuks met us in Stockton for a BYU basketball game and a win by 20 points!

There were many more BYU fans than UOP fans!

Josh was following the game at home and working on this Lego BYU football helmet!

Nathaniel and Michael played here on the 30th while the older kids were at the temple.  Nathaniel can get "music" to come out of the instruments now!

We had a fun lunch together enjoying the game No Pun Intended.

The Perrys headed up to a home near Lake Tahoe for some fun in the snow!

And remember that puzzle Elizabeth was working on?  It's finished!

More coming soon on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and visit from John and family.

This and That in December, Part 1!

December is a busy month so I'll post half way through and then again at the end.

We loved going to see Hannah in this play!

She was fabulous in her part!

Some of the Melanchuks came...

...and all of the Perrys.

The following Friday night we got to go to Joshua's Band concert. 

The Wind Ensemble is the top band at the school and requires try-outs.

They had a great program which included some Christmas music.

Joshua is also in the Drum Line playing the snare drum.  They did a short performance at the end without all the "dancing and moving" that goes with it.  But it was really amazing!

Elizabeth made it home from BYU and first thing she started a jigsaw puzzle.

These are some photos Katie took for her photography class that they turned into cards.

Darryl smoked 78 Cornish hens for their ward Christmas party!  It was a family project for sure!

The Melanchuks had a Christmas music party.  They invited some families and friends.  The three boys each played the piano and the girls played a duet.  There were others who sang and played the piano.  Kathryn and Amanda played a violin/viola duet.  They hope to do it again next year.

Sam got to shake hands with Elder Christofferson...

...and he had a baptism!

Sarah celebrated her 16th birthday!

She also had a band concert and Camille had a piano recital.

Busy families!

I got my three new ornaments on the tree: Swiss Bell, Windmills from the Netherlands, and Cuckoo clock from Germany

And don't forget to check out the Christmas Trees of The Old Testament!

A snippet of the Drum Line

This and That in November!

We had a good start to the month of November!

We made a trip to Apple Hill and spent most of the morning there.

Took a picture of everything we came home with!

Bethany performed an original composition on the piano and earned the Reflections Award of Excellence for Music!

Josh spoke in the Saturday night session of his stake conference and we got to watch!

Elizabeth continues to enjoy being a Cougar fan and she got to see the lights on Temple Square!

She sang in the BYU University Chorale concert.  We got to watch the livestream and get some screenshots.  It was a wonderful concert!

Sam got a new companion.  People think they look like brothers!

Aubrey, Bethany and their cousins got their first train ride!  It was aboard the North Pole Express on the Heber Creeper.

Amanda was sick on Thanksgiving but the family rallied!  Michael and Darryl smoked a turkey, Amelia made rolls, Kathryn made mashed potatoes, Daniel made habanero creamed corn and Darryl made stuffing and a walnut pie!

The McClellans and Jeff Harrisons got together for a yummy feast and games!

Some of the Perrys came over on Saturday but I was having so much fun I forgot to take pictures.

We played this game, had pizza and the kids did hoverboards.

(Took a picture of the pizza box!)

Hannah turned 17!

We had some sickness in the California families and had to cancel some planned activities, but everyone is starting to feel better.  We had such a beautiful fall this year!

And I even continued to get roses!