Jalen's 15th Birthday

Jalen's actually birthday was a Sunday so we ended up doing much of the celebrating on Friday. It started out with a co-op trip to the State Museum with our co-op group, but he didn't want anyone to know it was his birthday.

 

That night he got to have Jay Brusin over to spend the night. He wanted to have Domino's Pizza and be able to play video games on the main t.v. So that what we did!

At 15, Jalen is now 5'11 1/2" tall. He has grown and changed so much over the past year.

Aunt Tiffani knows him so well!

This kid still loves his toys!

He got more cargo pants - this time sweats. He's all about the "fit" these days.

Super Hero Uno that we later learned was an add on and the original game costs $50. He still likes the cards though so he's just using them that way.

For his official birthday dinner, he wanted ribs.

Jalen has grown and changed so much over that past couple of years. We are so proud of the young man he is becoming and the effort he is making to be a good person. He is creative and funny. His peers love being around him. He drives me crazy and I love him so much. I'm so grateful for the miracle that brought us together.

Winter Storm 2025

It is rare that it snows in South Carolina. Extremely rare. I think it's only snowed three times since we moved here almost 15 years ago. And it never sticks. This year we were warned that it was going to be a big storm. School and work were cancelled and everyone hunkered down. People around here don't know how to drive in snow and there isn't enough equipment to keep the roads cleared.

It was so neat to see so much snow. I love a little snow, but I don't miss a long winter. It started to snow at night.

And it was still there in the morning.

The chickens refused to come out. They stayed in the shed all day. They had never done that before - even on very stormy days. They weren't interested in setting foot on the snow.

Pretty crazy to see snow on a palmetto tree.

Two days later, we still had snow! That is definitely outside the norm. Usually it melts the next day.

Apparently a big dog visited our driveway.

The chickens water froze solid every day. I had to pour boiling water over it so it would melt and they would have something to drink. Even the water inside the shed froze!

What a fun, crazy time!

Bayles Family Reunion 2024

We don't usually travel over Christmas because the flights are so full. But this year there was a Bayles family reunion so we went for it. We flew out the day after Christmas - December 26. Amazingly, we made it out and back pretty smoothly.

We got up at 3:30 a.m. to catch our outbound flight.

I booked us in First Class because I knew it gave us a better chance of making it.

I love the view of the mountains when we come in Utah.

Traditional airport shot.

It was wonderful spending some time with Grammy and Grandad during the holiday season. Grammy and Grandad had been working on a puzzle and Baylie helped them finish. (She discovered several pieces that had ended up under the table.

Tiffani's family arrived later that evening Tiffani's family came. I'm so glad our kids love each other so much. The kids took over the basement.

Ashley planned a fun-filled reunion. Friday morning, most everyone went to the Provo Rec Center to swim. I hadn't realized we would be swimming so we didn't have suits. Fortunately, others shared with us. I stayed home with Grammy and Grandad while the kids and David went swimming. I helped Grandad start undecorating from Christmas. When we had helped them decorate, I noticed that things were a bit unorganized, so I made sure to organize when undecorating.

Clara, Baylie, and Lauryn

That afternoon, we did baptisms at the Mt Timpanogos Temple. The kids did the work and when it was over, they had 40 relatives baptized. It was a beautiful thing doing family baptisms as a family. 

Erik, Shanelle, Asher, Clara, Baylie, Jalen, Lauryn, Jonny, Grandad, Riley,
Me, David, Kristin, Kolton, Jessa, Parker, Cameron, Tiffani

Afterwards we had dinner at Clark and Di’s catered by Olive Garden. Delicious! We ended the night with ice skating at the Peaks Ice Arena. I watched. I am an ice skating disaster.

Jessa, Parker, and Asher

The Skaters

The Observers

Cameron, Clara, Baylie, Jalen, Jonny, Lauryn, Me, Riley, Asher, Grandad

The next day started with a scavenger hunt at University Mall. Hailey made the mistake of trash talking. She obviously doesn't know me and Tiffani well enough to know that after that, we would win at all costs. The younger kids made a team and made it clear they didn't want any of us "old people." Me, David, Tiffani, Dave, Grandad, and Grammy in a wheelchair were the champions! Even Grandad said he knew once Tiff and I were on the same team, no one would beat us.

We then went to a church in Pleasant Grove and had Mo'Bettahs Polynesian food for lunch. Fantastic! For the first time in a long time we took family pictures. Sadly, Scott's family didn't join us. They were missed.

Back Row: David, Kolton, Shanelle, Parker, Jessa, Dave, Cameron, Bailey, Riley, Molly, Jayden, Tyler, Rosie, Hailey
Middle Row: Kristin, Erik, Tiffani, Grandad, Me, Clark, Di, Ashley (with Simon and Bea), Will
Front Row: Jalen, Asher, Baylie, Clara, Lauryn, Jonny

The Grands and Great-Grands

There were games to play. Pushup contest.

We learned about Gator Ball. Apparently it is a combination of rugby, soccer, and who knows what else. It's truly crazy. 

Simon as goalie

Cheerleaders

More Cheerleaders

Grammy and Will

Card Games

We also watched the BYU Alamo Bowl where they defeated Colorado in a big win. That night the teenagers had a sleepover at Hailey’s house. The rest of us enjoyed a little quiet.

Sunday we went to Church with Grammy and Grandad. The locals went to their own wards. Afterwards we all went to Clark and Dianne's for tacos. After lunch, we put together cancer bags for Tiffani to take back to Vegas. She has really appreciated getting these bags when she has gone in for treatments.

After that, Tiffani and family drove back to Vegas. Our family flew home the next day. David and the kids got out of Salt Lake, but there wasn't enough room for me. I spent several hours by myself in the airport.

I did make the next flight to Chicago. By the time I got there, the rest of the family were on their way home. I took a gamble and tried for an overbooked flight to Columbia instead of an open flight to Charlotte. Fortunately I made it and was home that same evening. It was pretty remarkable that we were able to travel with so few hiccups. And it was such a blessing spending so much quality time with family. We don't get a lot of that because we live so far away.

The day we got home was December 30. We didn't really have plans for New Years Eve so we were happy when the Baileys invited us over for a low-key evening. They are such good friends and we feel so comfortable with them. I didn't take any pictures, but there are a couple of videos.

Alee schooled David in Rubik's Race.

Our very mild celebration.

What a wonderful holiday. It was hard to get back to reality. (Especially since I ended up being sick most of January.)

Christmas 2024

As usual, our Christmas holiday was jam packed with so many fun things. Lots of people this year said they weren't feeling it this year, but I still loved the holiday. A couple of years ago, I started decorating for Christmas right after Halloween instead of waiting until after Thanksgiving. Last year, my amazing friend Beth Bailey told me she decorates for fall in September, so I started doing that. I decorate for fall in September, add Halloween in October, and get out all the Christmas stuff in November. It's awesome! I love having it up longer.

Baylie was super excited to go see Wicked. We had seen the traveling Broadway show a few years ago and the kids loved it. 

We met up with a big group of friends to see the show.

friend of Rachel; Rachel Chorey; Baylie; Caroline Chorey; ?; Olivia Chorey; Alee, Natalie, Kaitlyn, and Carolyn Bailey 

David and Jalen were the only men in the group. David said it was the best musical he had ever seen and Jalen cried for the first time in a movie. Everyone loved it.

There were also moms in the group - Beth Bailey and Mary Chorey.

I am embarrassed to admit that I fell asleep! I really did try to stay awake and the movie was amazing. But I just couldn't help it. I even snored and David had to wake me up! Fortunately we bought it later so I got to see most of it (although I still dozed off a bit). It's a struggle.

Our family Christmas card. 

And one that didn't make the card.

David, Jalen and I went to the Irmo City Tree Lighting. It's always a fun community event. They give out free pizza and cookies, Santa comes, and this year Irmo Elementary's choir sang again for the first time since Baylie sang at the event. It was fun seeing so many old friends.

Jalen and I went to cut some mistletoe. I love this new tradition. 

David, Baylie, and Jalen sang Christmas carols to help earn money for Baylie's NYC Choir trip in March. 

Our co-op went to see A Christmas Carol. I'm so grateful to do homeschool with Beth. 

David's school friend Nove was a guest conductor with the University of South Carolina orchestra so we went to the performance. We were excited to also see our sweet friend Nikki Moore playing her viola.

Several of Nove's friends from California also came. We had traveled with them when they went to Italy several years ago. They recognized David and it was so fun to see them again.

We had the elders over to decorate cookies. We feed them about once a week and love having them in our home.

We had our annual "Goodies With Friends" activity. I look forward to this every year.

Me, Yasmin Baltzegar, and April Alsup have been besties since our girls were in kindergarten.

The best thing is that now the girls are old enough to do the cooking on their own so the moms can just visit.

Alexa and Baylie

Ava

Jalen's cookies

I love that my friends' kids are also my kids' friends.

Photobomber Jalen

Peanut clusters are my favorite

Divinity

Butterscotch peanut clusters

White chocolate peanut clusters

English toffee

White chocolate covered pretzels

Gingerbread men

Baylie's choir put on a beautiful Christmas concert. 

Ava and Bella Howe are also in the choir.

Baylie got a seasonal job working at the Lights at Saluda Shoals. She had a good experience with that and she loved earning extra money.

We went to the lights on a day she was working.

It's always a favorite activity.

Mary Chorey bought me these cute Irmo gnome ornaments.

The Hummels gave us this stuff for a simmer pot and it was amazing. It smelled so fabulous.

The elders came to make gingerbread houses. I made them smaller this year and each elder had their own. David and I made our own this year too. Usually David helps the kids and I don't make one. The smaller ones were so much easier to work with and no one got tired of decorating them before they were finished. I think we'll do this size from now on.

My house with missionaries knocking.

David's house with holy ghost trees.

The roof looked a bit sinister.

Back

Baylie's criss cross design.

Elder Young's Tree of Life.

He worked very hard on his crushed Oreo roof.

Elder Black's Angel Moroni with rays of light.

Back.

Lots of candy with Jalen's house on the right.

Our luminarios. This year I bought timed lights that would turn on and off automatically. So much easier!

Another favorite tradition - Soup and Singing Night. It always brings such a wonderful spirit into our home.

Bailey girls with Baylie

Andersons, Gideon Bailey, Harrises, Beth

Biewers

Ethan Moore

I rocked this awesome pantsuit several times this season.

Hanukkah fell on Christmas Eve this year so we celebrated a couple days early. Another tradition I love.

Sufganiyot

Latkes

April helped me make this shirt for Yasmin. This is what they call BYU's Jewish quarterback, Jake Retzlaff.

We played the dreidel game.

Yasmin won again! (I did give her my coins though, so I should get partial credit.)

We invited the Everts, the elders, and the Moores to join us for Christmas dinner. It was fun having company, especially little ones.

Appetizers

Declan, Kyle, Charlie, and Avery Evert with Charlie Moore

Ethan Moore, the Elders, and David

David, Nikki Moore, and Kaitlyn Evert

Our gifts for the elders.

I love having a full table. We even got out the china!

Cookie Mania

Joseph and Mary on a donkey

The Sheep

The Angels

The Wisemen

The entire cast

This year's Christmas jammies came with a special surprise.

They glowed in the dark! (I didn't even know this when I ordered them.)

Super cute and comfy!

Another relatively new tradition.

I didn't take many pictures Christmas morning. Tiff brought me this beret from Paris. I had purchased one decades ago, but it got lost somehow a couple of years ago. I was so excited to get a new one.

She also gave me these cute tea towels made by Aunt Julie.

Other presents:

Me - David got me a new food processer, which I desperately needed and wanted. Jalen got me super comfy socks and Baylie got me a Mickey Christmas hoodie - also super comfy. 

David - got a saw horse and money for a table saw. Jalen gave him a shirt and Baylie gave him socks (he loves socks).

Baylie - got Nikes, Crocs, and an old fashioned popcorn machine.

Jalen - got Nikes, Crocs, cargo pants, and a Lego Death Star.

It was a beautiful Christmas season.