January is back again. The longest month of the year. It's cold. It's dark. The holidays are over. The college kids are back in Southern Idaho. Thank goodness we have a new baby to look forward to in a few weeks. It's always so dreary to un-decorate for Christmas. The house feels blah. I deep cleaned and organized. Tyler bought me fresh flowers and a friend brought me flowers on another day so both of those bouquets have added a nice pop of color this month. I needed it because we continued to have a ton of snowy gray days.
When the kids got back to Rexburg they thought that they could get into their apartments right away but they had to wait until midnight and then Ailey still couldn't get into hers. The management for this apartment complex is completely unhelpful. Kameron was eventually able to get into his apartment because his roommate Howie was already there so Ailey hung out with them. She moved into a different apartment for winter semester. She finally got into her new apartment at around 12:45am. She had to use her new roommate's key code. Her app, which is what the kids use as their apartment key, didn't work for another day after that. Annoying. She also couldn't get any of her stuff because it was locked in the hallway that the apartment complex uses for student storage over winter break. She wasn't able to move her things into her apartment until noon the next day. Kameron sweetly helped her move all of her stuff into her new apartment. She has her own room and bathroom this semester. Her room is really cute! Her bestfriend at college and roomie from last semester, Elsa, is doing an exchange with BYU Provo this semester and Ailey is pretty sad about that. Kameron stayed in his same apartment with his same roomies.
After everyone was back to work and school; I was able to find the time to set some goals for the new year...both professionally and personally. That always feels good. At Midtown Market I had to pull out all of the holiday items in my booth and do a complete booth refresh. I added Valentine décor and it looks really cute. The kids had me add the BeReal app to my phone. Ailey walked me through how to use it. Ha Ha! I am glad that I have it because I finally get a glimpse of what Kameron is up to each day. He is much less chatty than Ailey so it is nice to at least get a daily glimpse of him. Bryn is on it too.
Reilly had a doctor's appointment on the 6th. She found out that the baby isn't breach anymore so that was great news! He is moving into position. He was also already 8lbs 9oz and in the 99th percentile and he isn't due for another month. Her doctor wants her to have a C-section at 39 weeks due to the baby's large size. He could be a ten pounder by then! She is scheduled for a C-section on February 1st. Exciting!
Tyler and I had some fun date nights this month. We went to the American Impressionists Exhibit at the MAC. It was SO good!! We both loved it.
Some favorites:
We did some shopping at some of my favorite stores that are owned by my friends. We went to Lucky Vintage and I saw people that I know from the vintage world. Then we went into Vinegar and I saw my friend Celia working there (also from the vintage world). We also went to Boulevard Mercantile so that I could shop some of my other vintage friends booths. I love my vintage friends and they always have the best stuff! It's kind of sad that the majority of us don't do shows anymore. We are all vendors in stores now. It's easier and more lucrative but I miss those fun show weekends hanging out together!
We also found a new restaurant in Liberty Lake that we love. Palenque. It is a delicious Mexican restaurant. We went twice in January. Once with Bryn and then again with Bryn and Reilly. Then Reilly and Hunter went once after that. It's that good and good Mexican restaurants are hard to find around here.
Reilly got us hooked on the Tiger Milk Boba at Bocopop in Liberty Lake too. We've also gone there twice. Yum.
My mom's best friend in Texas...Mary Jane...made a beautiful framed needlework gift for Reilly (and the baby). It was very touching. My mom and Mary Jane always made handmade gifts for each other for Christmas and for their birthdays. They were always exquisite works of art. Mary Jane wanted the baby to have something *handmade* (since I do not sew) and from as close to his Grandma Vic as possible.
Mary Jane is the best! We love and adore her. We are planning to visit she and her husband, Eric, in Houston this summer. I can't wait.
Bryn is between sports this month so we've been hanging out with friends. One of my goals for 2023 is to take more pictures when I'm out with friends. I always forget to take pictures or if I do remember I don't want it to be awkward. It's easy to *force* my family to take pictures all the time but I don't want to be annoying to my friends. But... I love them and I want to have more pictures of them. So in 2023 I will be the annoying picture person. LOL.
I've had some good girl time this month with my friend Mary. One day we went out for sushi while our kids were at school. We each only have one kid left at home now. So weird.
Another night she came with me to vendor night and then we went out to dinner and played in Coeur d' Alene. We got dinner at a new place (to me) called Crafted. It was really good!
Another night I hung out at my friend Jen's house with some other friends who are also in our presidency. I forgot to take pictures. I dropped off some tulips at another friend's house this month who could use some cheering up and then another one of my friends dropped off flowers for me. LOL. Great minds think alike!
I've talked to Hunter's mom, Colleen, quite a bit as we are preparing to be co-grandmas in the next few weeks. I am so glad that Tyler and I have had the opportunity to spend more time with Hunter's parents and have gotten to know them better. That sweet baby is coming into two very excited families. He will definitely be loved and spoiled by all of us!
Tyler, Bryn, and I have been busy doing all kinds of things on our goal lists. We went through the process of getting passports for the three of us. That was tedious and yet exciting! We tried to start the new year out being better about food prepping for breakfast and lunches for Tyler and Bryn. They have food prepped all kinds of things and have had fun doing that together. We made a bunch of new recipes this month. We are sick of making the same old things. The best of our recipes this month were our Asian Pickled Eggs (Amazing!!), Tried and True Mom's Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting (So good that it's dangerous!), Bryn's Sausage and Cheese Balls, and Scalloped Potatoes.
We are still playing Skip-Bo on Sunday nights. We play three games on Sunday nights and keep track of who wins every week. The person who has won the most games at the end of the month gets to pick an activity or somewhere to go out to dinner. Bryn won in January and requested to go out for sushi. We all downloaded the Skip-Bo app on our phones too. I don't know why we are so into it but we are! We miss our 4th player, Ailey!! Even Beverly likes to get in on the Skip-Bo action.
We have tried to be outside as much as possible despite the freezing subzero temps. One day we had this gorgeous sunset!
Another day Tyler and I found this little heart on the path. I will take that as good luck and a sign of love from the Universe. LOL.
I saw on FB that there was another big avalanche at Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. Ever since that big one when I was in junior high...Bridal Veil Falls has been hit several times which is too bad. I loved riding motorcycles and going up there to get ice cream when I lived in the dell or riding the tram and going dancing up at the club at the top of the falls. It's sad that everything is wiped out and has been wiped out for a long time.
One of Bryn's best friends, Audrey, had a neon roller-skating birthday party which was a hit! Audrey's dad works for a limo service so he picked up about 15 girls in a giant party bus (like a bachelorette party style bus) and drove them all over town and then to the roller-skating rink. They loved it!!
This month Bryn was called and set apart as the 2nd counselor in the YW presidency for the middle class (14-16 year olds). She was excited about that! Bryn asked for a gym membership for Christmas so we finally got her signed up at our gym. I am excited to have a gym buddy. I have to drag Tyler to the gym. Bryn had a session with a personal trainer and loved it. She also attended String Fling at the high school for all of the incoming orchestra freshman. They had a big pizza night and learned all about high school orchestra and played with the high schoolers. Bryn had a blast! The orchestra teacher is awesome! Ailey had him as her choir teacher in middle school and he loved her! He is super excited to have Bryn in orchestra next year.
We were all super busy with our callings and church stuff this month. I got my ecclesiastical endorsement signed by the stake presidency so my BYU application was officially submitted. I had baptisms to attend and our presidency put on an It's Great to be Eight event for all the kids who will be getting baptized in the next 6 months. I was one of the speakers. Tyler and I both attended a Stake Leadership Training meeting. We had Stake Conference this month so Tyler was busy helping organize all of that. Ward Conferences started. Tyler and I both had to be at the first one for our stake callings. He had to read off the giant list of callings and sustainings...starting with President Nelson all the way down to all of the ward callings. He was nervous but he did a great job! He only had to be at the ward conference for that ward but I have to be at all of them and they are going to keep me busy!! I got to visit that ward's primary which is always fun. My friend Steph who is in the YW presidency asked me if I would decorate for their Youth Kick Off Night which I did. Tyler and I then attended that event with Bryn. Tyler broke my favorite glass domed cake pedestal while cleaning up after this event and our marriage survived...barely.
Tyler had his endocrinology appointment and his A1C was 7.9. Unheard of for him and especially after the holidays. Woohoo! That's exciting!
The Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl! Tyler is thrilled! I guess he will watch the Super Bowl this year!! LOL. He is sporting all of his Chiefs swag...to work and to church. You would think that HE is the one from Kansas City!!
Ailey and Kameron seem to be settling into their new semester. Kam is busy with being the Elders Quorum President and is learning A LOT. Ailey got called to be the Family History Specialist which is actually something she likes to do but college kids don't really participate so she doesn't have much to do. Kameron and his buddies did another little road trip to Lava Hot Springs. They love it!
My father found a picture of my Grandma and Grandpa McKinnon that I had never seen before. I think it was their last formal picture together. My grandma died a year after that picture was taken. I absolutely LOVE this picture! It is quintessential Jack and Kate. My father sent it to me via text and then had a copy made and sent to me. I framed it. Every time I see it it makes me smile, giggle, and I feel the need to say "Hi you guys!" whenever I walk past it. LOL. My grandma is laughing at my grandpa who isn't sure where to look. This may be the best picture that I have ever seen of them and it shows their hilarious personalities shining through.
Aren't they adorable?!
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Reilly and Hunter had formal maternity pictures taken. The last thing that I wanted to do in the third trimester of any of my pregnancies was have pictures taken. But it's what all the cool parents do these days!! Reilly wanted a moody winter setting. They turned out pretty cute. I also love that her doctor requested that she text him her playlist for her C-section so that the baby can come into the world to music. What?! That's awesome! The baby is going to be born kickin' up his country heels to some Morgan Wallen!
Bryn had a day off of school for MLK Day. We ran around, shopped, and had some fun! I also decorated for Valentine's Day and that helped with the January funk.
A week and a half before the baby was born everyone (but me) got sick! Tyler and Bryn both got nasty colds. Ailey was sick again a week after arriving back in Rexburg! Her one break in sickness was when she was home over the holidays. What is up with Rexburg?! Even Kam got sick. There was no way that I was going to get sick and not get to see that baby immediately. I made Tyler and Bryn wear masks, disinfect everything they touched, and stay away from me!! LOL. I was pounding the vitamins, Emergen-C, and every remedy that I could think of and it worked! Tyler and Bryn got better in the nick of time too! Thank goodness!!
Rubber Chicken came around again and it was SUPER weird not to have a daughter dancing...let alone in the chicken suit. Tyler and I didn't go. Bryn went with her friends and we watched on TV. Our high school did not regain Chuck and I thought the dance team performance was subpar. I guess they needed Ailey as a captain bossing them around!
Rexburg hit a significant low! -37 degrees! The kids were HATING it! It was cold here too but our low was 7 degrees. Let's just say that Kam is not sure how long he can last in Rexburg. He hates the cold with a passion. Minnesota did not help with his tolerance of cold weather! On the -37 degree day Kam's classes were cancelled but Ailey's were not. It was up to each professor to decide. Ailey had to trudge to class and fell spectacularly on her way and ripped up her knee in the process. I have since found out that BYU-I doesn't officially cancel classes until it hits -40!!! WTH?! I guess the kids check regularly to see if it will hit -40 and then they know that school is cancelled.
At the end of the month I was officially accepted at BYU! I am a BYU Cougar once more. I am excited and nervous! My brother said that my mom is cheering in heaven and that is exactly what I felt when I opened up my acceptance email. I just started bawling because I knew that my mom would be so happy and proud that I am finally finishing my degree.
Tyler and I went to visit Reilly and Hunter right before the big day! We were all nervous and excited. Hunter's mom and I were texting back and forth constantly. Tyler and I were so excited to meet our grandson but also worried that our baby...Reilly...would come through everything okay. Lots of feelings!! It was strange to think that our baby is having a baby!! Time goes by so fast. Reilly has had a very uneventful pregnancy (Thank you Lord!) and has been a champ through the whole process. She is going to be a wonderful mother!!
New parenthood and grandparenthood...here we come!!
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