January Part 5: All The Small Things

Now that we told you about all the big things, it's time for all the small things--or at least the things that didn't merit their own post. 

First up, Brian finally made drawers for one of our cupboards. We bought the wood for it a few years ago, and then he hurt his wrists. This was his New Year's project, and we LOVE the change. Here's the cabinet before

and after. 

We had dinner at Waffle Love, thanks to a Christmas gift card deal. I was almost finished with my book, so I was not a good dinner companion. 

In planning for ward conferences, our stake primary presidency was trying to figure out something to give to the kids at the end of our lesson to help them remember what we taught. Jill, our secretary, asked, "Do we know anyone with a 3-D printer?" and I remembered that we had one now (thanks, Santa!), so I got to work trying to find a Moses model (I actually stole a couple of Joseph's from a nativity set and called him Moses.) I tried a couple of models and compared them to an avocado for a size reference. 

Then, I had the idea to try to design a brass serpent keychain for the kids. This is the first thing I ever designed for the 3D printer. Gabe helped me. We ended up going with the brass serpent keychain, and I figured out how to engrave, "Look to Christ and live" onto it. 

I tried to open a store on Amazon with some print-on-demand products, including this print of a picture I took in Venice back in 2015. I had to have an actual product to take photos of, so that gave me an excuse to order this one as well as one of Rothenburg, Germany. 

I also designed the cover for this notebook. 

Unfortunately, this endeavor ended up being a bit of a bust because Amazon took too big of a cut to make the price worth it to anybody. I decided to try selling them on Etsy instead, which is also a bit of a bust, but that's okay. Eventually, I will figure all this stuff out. 

Michael and Brian spent some quality time down in the craft room together. There is always something being created over here at our house. 

Michael and Brian went bowling with the Priests quorum. 

Michael--I'm not even going to try to figure out what is happening in this picture. Perhaps he's looking for something that fell behind the couch, or perhaps he thought this was a new way to try relaxing on the couch. He probably doesn't even know at this point. 

This picture is terrible, but one day, I was sitting at my make-up vanity and I noticed some movement up on the hill, and to my utter delight, I saw a herd of elk making their way to wherever they were making their way to. I got a video, and if you look hard, perhaps zoom in, you can see them. 

Gabe's artwork got featured in his school's office. This is a Tim Burton inspired self-portrait. 

I encountered the valley blanketed by a lovely fog one morning after dropping Gabe off at piano, and I took a few pictures to maybe use as a reference photo for a painting someday. 

My friend Scooby invited me to go to the temple with her, which was absolutely wonderful. 

Rachel was not in a place to take a group dance class after the abuse she received at her ballet studio, so I reached out to one of her former teachers at the Pointe, Miss Barbara, to see if Rachel could take private lessons from her for the semester. Miss Barbara insisted on new pointe shoes, since Rachel's foot had grown, and Miss Barbara didn't like the brand and style of her previous shoe, so I got to sew ribbons on another pair of shoes. 

Our teens stay up later than we like to sometimes, so they end up bidding us goodnight in our room. Sometimes, Michael comes in and just wants to talk. We love it when they do, even though we find ourselves getting more tired earlier in the evening than we used to. 

Rachel went to the temple with her young women's class. 

My friend Jen got engaged, and asked me to be her matron of honor. One of my first duties was going to a Bridal Expo with her. We tried out this photo booth while we were there, and I learned how bad I was at photobooth photos. I still love them though. 

It officially official. Michael is the tallest member of our family. 

Somehow, despite all odds, physics, and laws of nature, Rachel is still taller than Gabe. 

Gabe must have had a unit about Rube Goldberg machines, because he worked really hard putting together this little course. 

Brian 3D printed this lamp for his desk at work, and he finally got all the needed pieces together and took a picture in January. 

Rachel was a slave driver  very into planning our Disney trip, including planning out our Disney bounds and making sure we made new ears to match. I told her that I was actually considering just buying ears this time, to which she responded, "But making them is part of the experience." Who can argue with that? I mean, I did create this monster angel. 

Back in October, I found a very inexpensive green and black striped dress that I knew would be perfect for a trip to Disney. I wasn't sure what size to get, so I bought two sizes, and I decided to keep both and take in the smaller dress for Rachel. I needed to shorten the dress as well, and we used the fabric I cut off to make Haunted Mansion ears. 

My roommate Tali had a baby shower, and so I got to see her for a couple of hours. I keep forgetting she moved back to Provo and that I can hang out with her regularly again! 

I also resized my wedding ring and had them solder my ten-year-anniversary band to it. I picked it up at the end January, and it's so nice having it fit my finger again. I've been so worried about it falling off because it was so loose! When I told Brian my ring size, I didn't realize that my right hand was a smidge more muscular than my left, so it always fit loosely, which was a blessing throughout my pregnancies and weight gains, but after losing that weight again, the looseness became a problem. Look how clean and shiny it is! 

The only thing we didn't experience this January that we normally experience in January was a snowstorm. Salt Lake City recorded virtually no snow, according to Google's AI, and the Wasatch Front had basically zero snow accumulation. It was unseasonably warm, which greatly confused all of our trees and shrubs. I saw buds on some of them in January. Brian was bummed about the skiing--or lack thereof, and I really worried about the drought conditions. I grew up in a farming community, and I know what a lack of snow pack means for farmers. It was a very, very strange January as far as weather goes, and we all hoped that February would really bring it. 
 

January Part 4: Rachel's Birthday

It was inevitable, Rachel becoming a teenager. The clock demanded it, as it demands each year of all of us. We accepted it, and , dare I say?, we embraced it. We bid farewell to twelve-year-old Rachel with all the grace we could muster in our pajamas. 

Goodbye, forever, my 12-year-old daughter. 

We took the sting off with presents  Rachel eagerly accepted being 13 by enthusiastically and gratefully ripping into her presents. She got new clothes, new books, and a ticket to see Frozen at Hale Center Theater, which was hidden under bags of microwave popcorn placed in the box as a decoy to throw her off the scent of the ticket. She insisted that she got to keep the popcorn, which Brian didn't foresee when he came up with the scheme. 

Rachel was most excited about being able to actually log into the Disneyland App. They don't let you have an account unless you are thirteen or older. 

She was SO excited to start making more serious plans regarding our February girls' trip to Disneyland. 

Rachel picked Mi Ranchito's for dinner. The highlight of the meal was testing out our app, Standing in Line, while we waited for food. 

The restaurant crew sang to her and gave her complimentary fried ice cream. 

Here, she got more presents, which might have included the popcorn decoy present. 

I did my best to draw one of the heads from the Haunted Mansion damask wallpaper. It turned out mostly good. I realized later that I missed an opportunity to recreate the face of the spooky clock in the Haunted Mansion ride that only has the number 13 in the 12's spot. Oh well, there's always next year.

Candles were lit, and Saville-style singing erupted throughout the kitchen. 

Then, we all some of us ate cake.

This year was a date with Mom and Dad year. Rachel wanted to go get pedicures. 

And because she's the birthday girl, she also got a manicure. 

We got matching Minnie Mouse inspired toes that still grace my big toe to this day (but don't worry, I'll be finally taking the remnants off tomorrow or Tuesday in preparation for our trip to Hawaii). 

After the nail salon, we headed to do an escape room. The room we originally booked wasn't working, so we pivoted to a different one. I don't remember what the original was supposed to be, but we had a blast doing the Magic Themed one. We also got a kick out of these riddles that were up in the bathroom. 

Here we were, waiting for our turn to go into the room. 

And here we are after we escaped from it. Did we get a deed again or thwart a bad guy? I don't know, but we conquered had a great time, and that is all that mattered. 

On the Sunday following her birthday, we had family over for dinner. 

This time around, we made mini cheesecakes. 

(Rachel loves her travel minky-couture blanket from Nana and Papa). 

We are so grateful for Rachel and the sunshine she brings into our lives. We're especially grateful for all these years we've been able to spend with her, watching her grow.