Monson celebrates 27 years!

 Top Golf in the freezing cold is how we like to celebrate Monson's birthday for the past 5 years.  It's cold and we love whacking that golf ball and seeing how the kids are getting better and better each year.  The food is delicious and they turn on space heaters to help with the warmth.

I never do good at this, but this time I did, so I had to take a picture proving I was the winner. 

 Monson is an amazing father.  It's fun to watch him be a dad to his darling three daughters.    He continues to be strong in his convictions, funny in his running commentary, and so gracious and accommodating to his sweet wife, Lexi.    Monson continues to work at a division of VISA credit card.  He just got a promotion and loves the extra benefits of 10 weeks of paternity leave.

Tayla, Lexi, Elsie, Monson, Lady

Top 9 in Instagram for 2019

1.  Me as Ursula and Wayne as the Riddler at our fun family Halloween Costume party
2.  Laila tugging her ear sending a secret hello to Scotland while at the Face to Face fireside.
3.  Lady, Truman, Me and Poppy on our family Portland, Oregon extravaganza road trip.
4.  Holly performing in her Peter Pan Friend to Friend program.
5.  Laila with her homecoming date Ammon Clark.
6.  Laila dressed and ready for her Prom.
7. Summer of 2002 Addison (16), Landon (14), 5 months old Laila, Monson (9), Truman (11).
8.  Me introducing newest grand daughter Elsie Adele- Dec. 2nd.
9.  Wayne, Me, Christine, Adam, Liz, Al, Angela and Guy at the CPT Gala celebrating my mom's contribution to Theatre arts in Utah.

More December celebrating....

Christmas Andrew came on Dec. 26th-- It was Andrew’s 13th birthday and we celebrated with brunch at the Buzelli’s.  We went around the circle and told Andrew what we loved about him, his creativity, warmth, steadiness, kindness to name a few.  Then we turned on music and had a Dance Party!!! 

Andrew is officially taller than Laila

Dec. 27th  was our final Truman day-- after a long sleep in for  him, and wedding stuff for Wayne and I we got together for shopping and a Joy Luck dinner before taking him to the airport.  While at Joy Luck we ALL folded our napkins into bras all at the same time to celebrate---- funny and we were basically saluting Grandma Butters!!  Alfie, Sophia and Andrew couldn’t believe it. 

It’s been great having Tru’s cute face around here.  We just love him and are so grateful for his goodness and the life he is building in Portland.    

Thursday night and most of Friday Wayne and I participated in Brighton Taylor’s wedding and reception.  She has been our YSA Relief Society president and we have just loved having her in our ward and are happy and sad that she is leaving us.  We were grateful to be invited to be a part of all of this. It was fun to be in the Salt Lake Temple on the 27th-- just 2 days before it’s closing for 4 years.  We sat in a sealing room and reminisced on our own marriage almost 37 years ago.  

Christmas Day

Christmas Morning we wrapped the doorway so no one could see inside the living room.  I love this tradition we did when Laila was little. We all slept in til after 8-- and  Alfie burst through the wrapping paper at 8:30 to start the festivities. After opening presents our living room looked like a holiday bomb had exploded. I was happy to surprise Laila with aerial type classes starting in January.  She will be so good at the ribbons from the ceiling type of movements-- or maybe not-- it will be fun to find out. She also is getting her bedroom redone - so she got a new desk and will get a new dresser as part of this.  

We gave our married kids and Tru the gift of TIME.  What does that even look like? I got a cool hourglass from Ikea and we gave Dear Evan Hansen Tickets, Date nights and $ to help everyone one spend time together.  

Wayne and I gave each other an Israel trip in June.  We will be traveling to Israel with our dear friend Gerald Lund and friends the Belnaps, Lakes, and Koffords.  It should be amazing, but this will be our Christmas gift, anniversary gift, mother's and fathers days gifts and birthdays for this year.  

Christmas day continued with me getting a headache and putting myself to bed for rest of the morning.  The kids ran around and played with their toys. Poppy and Lady danced around in their new Elsa dresses then went down for naps.   By the afternoon- Addison, Bre, Laila and Truman went to see the movie Cats. They did not like it-- 4 paws down! We did like Addison dancing the Jellicle Cats dance in our kitchen though. Monson and I did a puzzle together and Wayne napped and Lexi vacuumed out their van so they could pack it up and take everything back to their home.   I found a fun puzzle that was disney themed that has 3 sizes of puzzle pieces for kids to adults. It was really fun to work on. Monson did it with me while holding Elsie and feeding her a bottle all at the same time. He’s a good dad. 

Christmas dinner was a full Roast beef and mashed potatoes extravaganza with a gorgeous formal table set with Grandma Butters Royal Dalton gold-rimmed china and gold goblets, my mom’s chargers and gold flatware.   After dinner, we played some of the new games we got- Anomia and Whozit. Both fun games made more fun when played with Truman and Bre as they talk in their British accents.  

It was a FULL day.

Christmas Eve in ITALY

Christmas eve we brunched at the Call home with the extended Cole family.  White elephants this year came with a feet theme so socks and feet pictures, more socks and $ and feet candy...you get the idea.... and then we headed to the bowling alley to try and bowl.  I remember decades ago when it was only US at the bowling alley. Easy to get in and truly no one there. Well those days have changed.  It was crowded with a waiting line. Adam’s family got a lane, Angela’s family got a lane and we waited and waited and an hour later--we ate some fries, had Alfie bowl a bit on Angela’s lane and went home.  We will have to rethink the timing of this tradition.    

Truman flew in on Christmas Eve afternoon and we were thrilled he got to spend 3 days with us.

 This was our 5th annual Christmas Around the World event.  This year we celebrated in Italy which called for homemade Pizza ( and some poppa Murphy's as back up) , Salad, Bruchetta, bread sticks and Italian sodas.  It was all delicious.  It was especially fun to prepare it all while the song, "That's Amore" played in the background.  We sang and danced to it and tried out our best Italian.  "Buon Natale."   "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie..that's amore."  It's been stuck in our heads ever since.

 Italian Christmas tradition features Le Befana...the Christmas witch.  I received a Christmas witch 20 years ago that my sweet friend Linda Wangsgaard made for me.

 Landon shared the Le Befana story and how she is looking for the Christ  child to deliver presents to and just in case she leaves presents to all of the boys and girls.    Alex made all of us our own little tin of beloved shortbread cookies.  These were the cookies my mom always made during the Christmas season.  She taught my sister Liz her tricks and Liz has passed it down to Landon and Alex now.

 The kids didn't quite know what to think about a witch delivering presents.    We talked about opera originating in Italy as well, so we sang "Jingle Bells" in full voice operatic style.

The cousins did their gift exchange and were delighted to have just one present to focus and love on.

 Bedtimes bathes were next.  Addison's family and Monson's family were sleeping over at Meema and Poppa's house and time was ticking...so a tub, then into their grinch pjs.  The snow started falling and Sophia was determined to lead everyone back outside and enjoy the snow.

The Buzelli family said goodbye and went home  and Alfie and Tayla wrote their Santa notes.  Alfie and Tayla have "Christmas Sleep spots."   Alfie by the side of Poppa's bed and Tayla by the side of Meema's.