Sum-up

Christmas Letter 2014  Sum-Up

Best Year Ever! We have been so blessed and had so much fun and felt of the love of Christ so deeply this year. Best year ever. We were sitting in an Indian restaurant eating dinner on New Year’s Eve and we started listing our favorite events of the year. A scribbled list on a paper placemat is the outcome of that conversation. We also set a few goals for next year. So here goes the typed-up version.

Best of 2014: Bamboo Forest, surfing lessons, snorkeling, all you can eat Hawaiian Ice shack on Maui thanks to grandma and grandpa, (Spring Break Vacation), Cliffs of Moher, the Bunny Island across the bay from Rebekahs house, Kayaking with the seals, (Ally and Erin went to Ireland with my sister Sonja), Yurt Trip, beautiful snow hike to Yurt (mouse crawled on my head while trying to sleep), Sadie, Jozsie, Hollie and Nanna visiting for Ally’s baptism, Ally’s baptism(yeah Ally!), Silver Lake hike and seeing moose swim across the lake, Alta campout and titty-twister hike(poor Jason), Eagle Project for Carter (Santa Flight), Angles Landing hike and awesome weather in Zion over Thanksgiving Break, Camping in our secret spot near Heber and throwing ninja stars at logs, Ally’s epic fish catch on the Yellowstone River (pure joy), Byron catching his first golden trout on the boys campout, Carter hand fishing a golden trout and showing up his dad, many smoked meals on Byron’s new smoker (yumm), $1.99 gas, Jason getting debt free (woo-hoo), Ty and Erin’s trip to San Fran, (Ty kicking Diabetes in the rear-hopefully- Trial Net Study).

It has been such a fun year. We are so grateful for all of our blessings and the joy we have experienced as a family this year. We have felt watched over and love from above and are so grateful for it.We are entering 2015 with a little trepidation as we may have some big changes ahead of us but we know we will be looked after by family and friends and our Savior. Everything is going to work out just fine.

We have set goals for this coming year. We don’t know if we will accomplish all of them but here they are…Ally- trip to DC to see cousins, Carter- more glass blowing lessons, and learn to drive a car, Tyler- dirt bike owner and operator, Erin- property manager and see Northern Lights, Byron-solarize the Jelly Bean Camper, Jason- become a full fledged grown up.  Travel Goals include (but of course not limited to): Maui, Grand Canyon, Alta Campout, Mexico, Glacier National Park, Jackson Hole, Yurt hike. We will see how many we can get checked off our list. 

Christmas Day

 Energy level is rating in the extremely high levels here at our place on Christmas morning. Tyler was up at 4am. Unwrapped all his stocking stuffers and then slept with the presents until Ally came down.

 Carter and his new friend Zorbador. Its a crested gecko and he couldn't be more pleased.

 Only an uncle can give you nun-chucks and get away with it. Ty was pleased.

 Ally wrapped herself inside this giant bag. What a cute present she is.

 Byron got a jelly bean shower curtain for the jelly bean camper. Can't wait for spring when we can redecorate. We also got a disco ball for the pop-up.  It is going to be a party palace now.

 Ally and I playing her new keyboard. She was excited to have a piano in her room.

 Chatting with the Pollan's via Skype and opening up what they sent us. Ally is pleased with her Olaf. We did finally find Tyler's book title Hatchet. I wrapped it with the hatchet they sent Byron.

The boys set up playing their new Magic the Gathering game. It was the most requested gift this year.

Christmas Eve

 We had an awesome dinner of soup salad and rolls at Grandma Livsey's house. Of course we had the annual Christmas concert. Ally performed on the piano this year.

 Tyler played the piano as well.

 Poor Papa has to put up with a lot from the grandkids.

 Carter wrote down the music for Johnny Rebek and old family favorite and he played it on his trumpet. Everyone sang along. He brought the house down.

 I played a piece this year as well. After the fun was over we headed home and the kids were excited to see what could be in their Christmas Eve Packages. I told them it was TOTALLY different this year.

 Tyler loved the union suit. Ally thought it was pretty uncomfortable.

 Bum shot.

 Carter was a good sport and put it on for a photo but he wouldn't wear it outside to sprinkle the Reindeer Dust. The neighbors might be watching. I was so excited to see these kids in these matching union suits. Best photo of 2014 I would say!

 Reindeer dust tradition. Got to let Rudolph know where to land. Sprinkled glitter all over the front lawn.

Carter quickly took off his union suit and told me I could have it. Yeah me! Weird that we fit into the same clothes but such is life with a growing 14 year old. Ty and I were Union Suit buddies. The kids headed off to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

Eagle Project wrapping up, a little Christmas service and AISU Concert

 Carter and his load to donate to Three Peaks Elementary. Tonight they go package and weigh all the donations. Getting ready for the big flight down to Cedar City.

 Family Home Evening Service Project. Fun night! We won't forget Paulina.

 AISU Jazz Band staring the amazingly talented Carter Pollan.

 Here he is giving his trumpet a workout.

 This is all we could see of Tyler during his concert. Those are his two eyebrows.

 Snuck a picture while things were wrapping up. Ty plays trombone, since you can't see anything.

Black on black boys looking awesome in their concert attire.

Rounding off the year- Christmas Dinner and New Year's

 Desert Table -Dedicated to the memory of Candy (my Mom's bestie) who thinks "if a little is good more is never enough." You will be missed by many. (Cancer sucks!)

 Christmas dinner in our long extended dining room. We fit 20. Plus 8 in the kitchen.

 Sugar House BBQ Wings and Honey Baked Ham. We should eat Christmas Dinner every night. Loved having the family over to celebrate the birth of Christ.

 Family Trip to the Nutcracker. Ballet West this time. Ally's friend Julie was an acrobat in this production. So cute!

 Cousins Lydia, Rachael and Ally at the Ballet. You can also just barely see Amanda and Ian in the background. Cynthia, Sonja, Christopher, James, Grandma and I were also there. Fun night.

 Ally and I snuck off to see the lights on temple square after the nutcracker. I hadn't been able to convince my boys all season that this was going to be an awesome activity. Luckily Ally took pity on me and came along.

 Selfie with a few lights and a temple spire tidbit.

 Poor Jessie ended the year with a paw injury. She ran away out the front door one day and ended up scraping her paw on ice before she came back. The vet wrapped it and said her paw would grow back out just like a finger nail and time would heal this injury. Cone of shame for you lady. So far she has melted it twice on the fireplace, filled it with puke when she threw up her breakfast and gotten blood splatters from who knows where inside there. She is an interesting dog. I do feel sorry for her as she looks so pathetic right now.

 New Year's Eve celebration. Indian food with the Tyler, Carter, Jason, Byron, India (ally's bestie), Ally and I. A little reminiscing and a lot of laughing. It's been a great year.

December pics

 This is Carter's intensive project- though Tyler is the model- He made a glove with sensors on the fingers that play the drums as you strum the fingers. It was a computer programming intensive and Carter really enjoyed it. Pretty sweet!

 Our elf, Elfis is back again and busy causing trouble. This was one of my favorites. Ally was upset he was a few days late this year.

 Ally and Tyler had piano recitals. They did fabulous! Ally played Silent Night and Jolly Old St. Nick. Tyler played Up on The Housetop. I was very pleased with both of their performances.

 Ally and I snuck away to see Ally's bestie Gabby in the Nutcracker. Gabby was a soldier and her little sister Kate was a mouse. They did so well! It has inspired Ally to take ballet again. We will see how long that lasts.

 Quick tour of the capitol for Tyler's boy scout merit badge, Citizenship in the Community. We had ten minutes and that was perfect for a self guided tour. Awesome building. I hadn't been inside since Christmas Dance in 1994. Lots of memories.

The Epic Performance of Christmas Carol with Juanito Bandito. Fun night with the West's eating at the Spaghetti Factory and enjoying the dashing handsome and humorous Juanito. (I might have a little crush.) Ethan is sporting his Juanito mustache. Fun Christmas Family Home Evening Night!

November iphone pics

 Ally did awesome while I was gone until the last day or two. Then she got Mom-sick and it lasted for about two weeks.  This was a photo from a morning drop off at school where she just couldn't go in so we went for breakfast instead. After some one on one time she went right into school no problemo. We are glad she is back to her happy go lucky self.

 U of U Art Gala Night with grandma and grandpa Livsey. Ally picked our awesome seats.

Carter got a trumpet teacher. He has been reminding me for a while now and I found one through the Summerhays music website. So far so good. He is a band teacher at Syracuse High I think. Carter really does enjoy playing the trumpet.

October iphone pics

 Tyler's soccer team. He had a great time with his coach Mike Hirst and his son David. Also his buddy Calvin was on the team as well. Great season! Ty was the designated goalie for most games. They had a really great run.

 Byron off on a hunt with Jessie. They only get out a couple times a year but they both love every minute of it when they sneak away.

 Potato harvest 2014. Mom went up and picked up a truck load of potatoes from Idaho. We are dividing the loot here and everyone will have lots of potatoes for dinners. Yeah Mom!

 Can you believe this....Carter is learning to shave. It is a delicate craft and he has so far done a great job with it. Go Carter! Actually stop Carter, stop growing up. It is killing me inside.

 Ally with her awesome Boca team and coach Ryan. These girls had a fun season and are going to keep playing indoor together in the winter. Go team BOCA. Ally especially likes having her friend India on her team with her.

 Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Livsey's. This cousin table just keeps getting older and older.

 Ty and I in San Francisco. A few pics from our trip.