In the month of DeCeMBeR...

Tanner's fb/Ig post on Thursday, November 28th, Thanksgiving Day-  If there's two prayers you say in your life, one should be thankfulness and one should be for sincere forgiveness.

What mom doesn't *LOVE* getting notes like these?!?! #thanksmom #yourethebest #loveyou @tgilly3 — with Tanner Gillett.

 Our Christmas Trees 2013- Madi decorated theese, one for each of the kids with their ornaments.

My fb post from Saturday, December 7th-  Just came in from getting our mail & Tanner's Birth Certificate I sent away weeks ago to the State, to get an Apostille done, and it *FINALLY* came. Although, it WASN'T certified & they sent a pamphlet saying his passport was approved! (Ya, I knew that...we have it!) Ugh!!! Really?!?! — feeling frustrated.

So first thing Monday, I called the State Department & asked if they would allow me to come up in person to the State Capital and pick up the Apostille that was SUPPOSED to have been done & we waited WEEKS for, only to not have the apostille done on it. Also HOPING they wouldn't charge me the walk in fee of $50 after I already paid their other fee for mailing it in. It all worked out, but what a headache!

 

This is a picture of all the items that we sent to Norma @ the Church Office Building, to get the paperwork started for Tanner's Argentina Visa. HOPEFULLY, we get it all taken care of before he enters the MTC in January.

"On this Christmas I send my love to every missionary, every man or woman in the military, every student, and every employee and traveler who won’t “be home for Christmas,” as the carol says. Keep your faith. Look for the good in your situation. Do something kind for someone. Seek Christ devoid of wrapping and tinsel. You will find that despite external circumstances, Christmas—like the kingdom of God—is “within you”" Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Christmas Within You - Ensign December 2012

 

 

 

 

We had headed to downtown Salt Lake City with our Alpine 1st Ward Mutual group, walked around Temple Square took pictures & then over to City Creek.

 

 During the month of December we had a number of Stunningly Beautiful Sunsets

 

 

On the last day before Christmas Break while the girls were at school, I had noticed Madi's phone was missing from where it was in "time out" due to Madi's grades. So I began looking in her room to see if she had left it in there. But it wasn't- but as I was searching, I came across this "stash" of treats she had in her room & so I began to throw out all the "Clutter" in her room & began cleaning, organizing, etc.

 I also came across a SD card from Madi's camera & pulled some "selfie's" off of it & posted them- TOO CUTE! And Some of these were 3 years old!

And some other photos I have NEVER seen!  -LOVE 'em-

 

 We've also had a couple of evenings that we had the opportunity to "babysit" this cute lil' one! 

We each enjoyed it tremendously too-

Madi had her 7th grade Timberline Christmas Choral Concert

 She was just to the left of the announcer in the suit coat on the 2nd or 3rd row. I tried taking a picture of her all dressed up before the program but she didn't want to & felt pressured to check in, so we were going to take the photo after the program- but SOON forgot! She did however SiNG Wonderfully-

  We've been experiencing a sense of CHANGE around the house over the past few months. With more & more leaving for their missions and now MOST ALL of Tanner's friends gone by now we have had a more quiet home around here, especially the basement, is pretty darn QUIET! And it is ONLY going to get QUIETER- Fond memories of past few years with Tanner & his friends- Such GREAT boys!

And at times it's been GOOD to have a few boys around for Tanner to hang out with while he's been "waiting his turn to go out into the field"- They have found some "things" to do too! Brad, Braden Shelley & Tanner Snowboarding @ Snowbird

 

Brad & Tanner at the top of Snowbird

I had asked Tanner to take a few pictures of him & his friends Snowboarding so I could print some photos for his Photo Album he's suppose to take on his mission. This was one of those photos, I thought he'd want.

 Like I said we've enjoyed some time with the newest edition to our ever growing Paskett family-

These will be some of the MANY little things I will MiSS around our house! I'm NOT so Sure our house will EVER be the same again!  :'0/

ig post - Need I say ANYTHING!?!?!  #lastnightatourhouse  #girlsvstanner  #wweatourhouse

 Christmas morning before the kids came out to open gifts

Santa was a little short on gifts this year from him...

 ig post- LOVE this kOoKy kid! & so the countdown begins...

#35days  #argentina  #argentinaflagspecks  #thankyouauntsteph

So Christmas Morning we had told Tanner that his Christmas would consist of Missionary items & that's about it! So every gift he would open we would joke & say, I bet you'll use that ___________ for the NEXT TWO YEARS of your Life! If it were a Sleeping bag, clothes, book, umbrella, etc. It was pretty funny- We started to get pretty silly after doing it for awhile...

Later that day around 1:30 or so we headed up to visit with the Gillett's because they would be leaving the next day to head back to Palmyra, New York for their completing their mission. We enjoyed talking to them about their Temple Mission, the genealogy work they've been doing while they've been there. And letting them just visit with Tanner before he leaves, because they won't be back until after he leaves for the MTC & Argentina. We came home, ate Papa Murphy's for dinner & tried to watch Fast & Furious 6 that we got for Christmas, but our Blu-ray dvd player isn't playing blu-ray discs so we ended up watching Despicable Me 2 instead. Then went to bed after a LONG day of Christmas & all that we do-

And of COURSE, a CHRISTMAS Tradition in our home has been Orange Rolls on Christmas morning-
it was tight but we didn't disappoint this year  :0)

 

 The day after Christmas, Todd & Rachel went to a movie with Todd's family so we watched Sophie while Mo slept over at G&G Paskett's. She was a doll & absolutely its so enjoyable to babysit- 

Waiting outside at Tithing Settlements for our family & Ms. Selfie herself took this, so I added my take-

 On Sunday after Christmas, G&G Paskett had our family, Allen's & Matt &Katelyn over for dinner...I THINK Gma is feeling like she doesn't have MANY Sunday Dinners to have us over before Tanner leaves. So we enjoyed dinner, laughing & it would be Morgan's Birthday the next day so we ended up Celebrating her day with a cake Gma made & a few presents. However, I believe my phone was confiscated and a few of these pictures turned up on my phone...I wOnDeR wHo the CulPrit was????   

 My phone got HigH- jAcKeD

 And our present to Morgan for her 2nd Birthday!!! A Ballerina bear backpack-

 We had received a few Gastronomy gift cards for Christmas & had one from a couple years ago so Mike decided instead of him & I going a couple of times we'd ask the kids to go with us to Market Street- The first night we asked them, Tanner was "busy" so we didn't end up going, but then decided to go the next night which was Thursday, January 2nd. It was a nice night out with the kids. I got there just about 5 pm, we walked right in and sat down. Mike came just a few minutes after we sat, because his office is just a few blocks away from here. We began to tell the kids what on their menu was good, but not too pricey-

We started off with their sourdough bread, which everyone liked. Then had the Spinach & Artichoke Dip and chips, followed by Salad for the kids and Clam Chowder for Mike & I. For our main dish, Mike had the Filet & Snow Crab combo, I had the Filet Mignon w/ Au Gratin potatoes, Tanner & Madi had the Top Sirloin with Fries & Bailey had the Filet Mignon with Fries. We were ALL STUFFED by the end of dinner. Asked for a couple to go boxes, then Mike & Madi BOTH FORGOT their boxes on the table!!! They were both very SAD too-

It was a very NICE night & grateful to have the opportunity to take the kids out to such a nice place! There are only just a few weekends left before our Family dynamics will be changing for a few years- I'm enjoying the time we are spending together, ALL TOGETHER!!!   

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

- Very Blessed -

Love my Family with my Whole Heart!