End of January

I suppose that I should end January with an updated post since I started the month with the same thing for December. This month has gone by week after week with the same things.  Jeffrey and Brandon have been busy with jazz band, pep band, and drumline practice.  They have already had the girls and boys last home games.  Jeffrey and the other seniors were honored during halftime of the boys' game for their contribution to the spirit of the games.  They really sound good.  The video I took of them is a little too long to post to show them off.  Here are a few pictures from the last home game.

The big event for the family was celebrating Brandon's 15th birthday.  All that he wanted was another cymbal to add to his drum set.  He added some at Christmas also.  We did surprise him with a few little gifts.  The day after his birthday, he was supposed to go practice with some people and so we hauled up his drum set.  They never did show up and so he made lemonade out of the lemons and set up his drum outside and put on a show for our passerbys.  Here are a few pictures of him and his drums.

Camille has been playing volleyball this month for young women but I did not get any pictures of her and if I did, she may not have talked to me for a few years had I shown them.

The rest of the month has just been life and day to day living.  We have a pretty good routine down each week and I am not complaining about that.  What I am missing the most from life is Katie.  While some things have been easier to adjust to in the year since she has been gone, what I miss the most is the daily interaction with her.  I still have talks with her about the kids and how life is going, but it is a pretty onesided conversation.  I know that she would love to be here with us and I am sure she is as much as she is allowed.  I just have to remind myself we are not alone and that she is pulling for us.  I just finished reading a book I saw and bought in Deseret Book a couple of weeks ago called Sunset.  It is written by S. Michael Wilcox.  He talks about his experience with losing his wife to brain cancer in 2010.  His words express almost exactly what I feel and have felt with the loss of Katie.  I am grateful to have read it and plan to read it again soon.

Well, despite this daily challenge I face, we are doing well.  Life continues on.

December Happenings

Where did December go?  Here are some of our activites through the month.

Band Concert

Alexa

Brandon

Camille behind the music stand.

Brandon, Jake, and Jeffrey in the drumline.

Jeffrey

Grandma and Grandpa Porter, Grandpa Hansen, Aunt Karen, and Uncle John were able to come and see the kids perform in the "Nightmare Before Christmas". 

Mary's 5th Birthday

Mary had a small Cinderella cake that we got from Walmart and some cupcakes we made for her to take to her preschool to share.  We let her open her presents a day early because of the early mornings we have.

School Programs

Drew was one of Santa's elves in his play

Alexa's 5th grade program.

Camille singing in her group before the music department's production of Scrooge.

Camille was also able to be part of the ghost and townspeople scenes in the play.  She had a lot of fun being part of the production.  The kids and Grandma and Grandpa Porter were able to see the play.

Christmas 

This is our live tree this year with kid and old ornaments.

Stockings with Mary's birthday cards.

Angel ornament for Katie given to us by Dad and John.  Grandma Hansen has one just like it.

Christmas Eve dinner. 

We had a good evening with acting out the Christmas story and singing our favorite hymns.  Before going to bed, the kids were able to each open a gift from me of Katie's picture (it took me a year to get one made up for them) and also a book for each of the kids that was put together from Katie's visiting teaching partner, Sarah Ternus and her mother.  The books were put together using pictures of Katie and the family with letters and notes to each of the kids from Katie.  They put these books for each of the kids together with Heritage Makers.  These will be priceless treasures for them now and in the future. 

It was not a long break from school this year, but we were able to visit some of the Hansen family in Hamer and the Porter family for an early New Year's Eve party at the library in Preston.  Grandma and Grandpa took all of the grandchildren that would stay with them (not Mary) and were not too young to be without their Moms and Dads, and stayed overnight in the Plaza Motel in Preston.  I did not get pictures taken of these events but we enjoyed being together.  We missed those family members that were not able to get together with us.  We of course especially missed Katie and my Mom.  This is our second Christmas without them being with us.  While it is sometimes a lot of work to be together, it is very important to take advantage of these times when we can.  As we have learned, memories are all that we have to hold onto when someone that we love dearly is gone.