Joyful January

A lady in our ward is a widow. Her husband passed away in November.  He was young, our age, and had a son on a mission and a son that is a senior in High School.  He struggled about 2 years with cancer and the cancer finally won.  I can't imagine how hard that would be to face the rest of your life with out your love.  So, the RS in our ward put a bucket outside her front door and we are spending the year filling her bucket.  They pass a sign up sheet around to make sure it's done daily, or we can fill it anytime we want.  I signed up for a day early in January.  Cynjyn helped me make a Joyful January Jar.  We filled it with quotes and the idea is to take one slip of paper out a day in January and read the quote and feel uplifted and loved.  I hope it worked, because she is loved.

I wore a dress and boots one day to school and as I walked out to my car after work to go home I looked down and just thought I looked like Laura Ingalls Wilder with my dress that was kinda like a prairie dress and the boots.  Brought me back to my childhood when I watched that show on TV and LOVED it and the books. 

A couple of ladies in our ward had an afternoon tea where several of us came and snacked and visited the afternoon away.  It was very pleasant and I really enjoyed it.  We don't get together much with our ward friends anymore and I miss those socials and gatherings and talking to friends who I only see on Sunday's usually.  It was nice and we all left saying we should do it more often.  (Back:  Amelia, Hadley, Angie, me Heidi and Cari)

Garry and the priest were in charge of YM/YW combined in January and did 4 square volleyball.  This was Cynjyn's team.  I'm grateful for Jen and taking pictures and then sending them to me so I can see the fun they had.  Garry took a few, but not cute group ones like this! (Maggie, Cynjyn, Olivia, Kimber and Heather)

Cynjyn went to the mall and bought some clothes with her bday money from grandma and friends.  She got these cute overalls.

Trey came into town and was heading back to school.  He came on Friday and spent the night and was leaving Sunday morning.  Taz had already invited Garry and I to go to Taken 3 with him, so Trey tagged along. 

Cynjyn and her friends wanted to go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner.  They chose Olive Garden.  Some of the mom's wouldn't let them go if they weren't chaperoned, so we sacrificed and volunteered to take them to OG.  (Norma, Cynjyn, Adrienne, Kate and Kaela)

We got to the restaurant and they reserved a table and we did.  It just so happened that they seated us on opposite sides of the restaurant.  Lucky for them...they had their privacy. 

We enjoyed our dinner very much and the company.

I sent Taz over to snap a picture of the girls and it looked like they were having a great time.  We finished way before them so the four of us sat out in the car playing Trivia Crack against each other waiting. 

I had to visit a ward in our Stake for their Ward Conference.  We have church 9-12 and their church was 11-2, so I went to our ward and then came home and got Trey off and then to their ward.  Garry had a nice dinner ready when I got home and the table was even set nicely with folded napkins.  I asked why so fancy and he said because he had the time!  What a guy.

Yes, It's January 12 and my upstairs banisters are still glowing with Christmas decor.  I just love them and could leave them up all year, but alas, I finally took them down the next week.

Mid terms came in the second week of January.  As per tradition, I took the kids out to lunch on the last day, Friday.  Taz chose Claim Jumper.  He filled up on bread and then only took about 3 bites of his widow burger.  Cynjyn had club sandwich and cesar salad and I had the mini sliders. 

Cynjyn wanted a cookie and ice cream dessert and it was huge.  Taz didn't eat it and we took a lot home!

Monday was Martin Luther King day and no school.  Gus invited Cynjyn Alyssa and Raejean to go to King Putt and do some mini golf and laser tag.  They were there 4-8. 

This past Friday Taz had an academic letter breakfast.  It was to honor those with an academic letter.  That means all A's all year.  They do it for the previous year. So when he was a sophomore, he earned the letter for his Freshman year.  I missed the breakfast last year because when I got the letter, I thought it was 7:30 pm and so I didn't make it.  This year I made it and so did Garry.  We enjoyed a nice breakfast put on by the culinary class and then they presented the awards.  Taz got a stripe for his letter because it was his second year (sophomore year). 

Great job and we are proud he takes his academics seriously. 

That same day I decided to make some homemade chinese food for dinner.  Mom had Instagrammed some that she'd made and I'd been craving it all week.  I have time to actually cook on Friday's so I went for it.  This was started at 4:30 and we ate at 6:00.  It is time consuming.  I pre chopped everything and then assembled and cooked as I went along.  This was for the egg rolls and they were the yummiest of the night. 

I also did fried rice, won tons and sweet and sour pork and egg foo young.  The egg foo young was o.k.  I didn't do gravy for it and I really missed that.

And finally Saturday, Cynjyn spent the afternoon with her friends at the mall and then at our house making tutu's for spirit week this week. 

And that is our Joyful January.