Ms. Jules had a professional photographer come take pictures of the Frozen dress rehearsals. They turned out so great!
Friday I attended McKenna's 5th grade Renaissance Day while Bethany and Alice played at Brynn's. Mr. Nyman taught about the Sistine Chapel, they made tissue paper mosaics, and painted lying down on their backs like Michelangelo would have done. They also made catapults out of rubber bands, plastic spoons, and popsicle sticks. Her and her friends' catapult was kind of humorous how bad it was, but they still had fun. :) A few weeks earlier, the students were shown a picture of a girl sitting at a piano. They were told to draw how that picture made them feel and write a story about it. McKenna said the picture made her feel calm, so she drew a picture of a sunset which also makes her feel calm. When I got home I had lunch with Bethany and Alice, Alice had a nap, and then Bethany played with my hair and clips. Anna's teacher sent a class picture with "Trevor the Turkey" and all his tail feathers of things they were thankful for! Ben had his Rome Day at school which I was sad to miss. It looks like he had fun building a sugar cube Colosseum and other things and wearing a sheet toga. Ben also had Prelude practice after school and we picked up groceries. McKenna helped Whitney babysit that night and the rest of us went to the Alexander's for pizza and Toy Story 4. We found out that Ben made the school play and would be playing the role of "Daddy Warbucks" in Annie! He cried and was so excited mostly because I he didn't think a lead was even possible! That night we cleaned up and decorated for a baby shower at our house the next day.
Saturday I exercised and took the older 4 kids to see Frozen 2 with McKenna's Frozen cast from school. We loved it so much! The music was incredible and it was funnier and more serious than the first one. While we were gone, Dan ran errands with Alice. She guarded those Brazi Bites! :) When we got home we made the final preparations for the baby shower. I joined forces with Janel Barnes and Kyra Koehler to throw a baby shower for Sammi Holt in the ward! It went well but I was a little disappointed in the turn out. We only had about 20 people total. I was also so sad I didn't take a single picture. After cleaning up, we did baths and Mickelle babysat while Dan and I went to the Jazz game with his Parents.
Sunday we were actually early for church and Grandma and Grandpa Webster gave their "homecoming" talk. We went to their house afterwards for lunch then came home and chilled and watched "Annie" so we could become more familiar with Ben's part. My family came over for dinner that night and I later went to Prelude.
Monday started our week long Thanksgiving break so we enjoyed sleeping in a little. Then we had a pretty good snow storm! The kids worked on their Christmas lists, I looked over my UEN class and then wasted time on YouTube watching James Cordon's "Crosswalk Theater". :) After lunch I worked on laundry and we watched Descendants. That evening, as I went out to shovel the snow before Dan got home from work, I caught Andrea Gunnerson already shoveling our driveway. She's a wonderful neighbor! That night we set up our Christmas tree and realized we really needed a new one due to LOTS of burned out lights! So Dan ran to Wal-Mart to get one.
Tuesday I exercised and we had lunch at Dan's office. I desperately needed a nap that afternoon so I told the kids not to bother me for 45 mins or so. They were so obedient that even when Bethany had a random pee accident, McKenna cleaned it all up for me. :) What a girl!?! I made cookies that afternoon with the kids that we delivered to some new neighbors later. Dan got to be with the Governor that afternoon when he signed a proclamation declaring November as National Adoption Month (Dan sits on an advisory board for an adoption agency). That night, the Hamblins were nice enough to babysit Alice while we went to see Frozen 2 again, this time with Dan! He enjoyed it as well! Ben made himself a "gaming console." He had been working on it for several days! He used cardboard, string, markers, tape, a printed scene of Mario, and a pearler bead controller. Such a creative guy. I told him this was the only kind of gaming I was ok with. :)
Wednesday the kids played "ship" with lots of blankets all over the floor, the kids all went to Novak's for piano and I worked on my class. We fluffed the new Christmas tree and I made a pumpkin pie. Then we had Elena and Olivia Madrid and Eli Forbes here for play dates. When Dan got home we strung a few more lights on the new tree as well. I edited phone pictures and we watched Inside Out. I also went to get a hair trim and we had Arby's for dinner. After baths we had watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
Thursday was Thanksgiving! The girls had a fun time playing Frozen while we watched the Macy's parade.
I made a yummy creamed corn to take to Dan's parents' for our amazing Thanksgiving meal! Alice napped there and we hung out for the afternoon and played card games.
Alice had a great time sitting by Grandpa!
Aunt Lara got out her crimper and played with our hair. The kids also played in the snow!
We got home around 6:15pm and then hung out with my parents and siblings. We also worked on a lighthouse puzzle Dan and Ben started in the morning. We called Emily and after everyone left Dan and I watched a science fair documentary.
Friday we snuggled in bed for a while. After breakfast we set up Christmas! We got lots more snow that day! After lunch Ben and Anna played at the Alexander's. Alice napped and McKenna and Bethany watched High School Musical while Dan walked to the West's to borrow a tool.
The storm let up but the roads were still bad so we all piled in Dan's car (since it handles better in the snow) and we headed downtown to my dad's office to watch the Temple Square Christmas lights turn on. It was a pretty great view! My parents babysat the three little girls that night while we took Ben and McKenna to the Utes basketball game. It was pretty low attendance that night so we got shown on the BIG screen dancing!
When we got home I made some mashed potatoes with my mom and we ordered some things online for Christmas.
Saturday I worked on our countdown and Dan went to the temple and grocery pick up. That afternoon we went to the Thompson family Thanksgiving!
Alice fell asleep on the way home and had darling puckered lips! That night Dan went to the Utah football game and I took the kids to Olivia Nelson's wedding reception and to Megan Taylor's 40th BD party! The kids loved the photo booth they had there!
**November Videos**
Bethany as Anna in basement Frozen performance, Alice unloads the dishwasher, and Anna's Dance performance at the Expo Center.
