Moments 01.2023

Trip to NYC

At the end of October I learned that Mariah Carey was putting on a Christmas show in New York City. I have been waiting for her to perform live since the last time I saw her in Vegas in February 2020. So, I talked with Ritch, bought tickets for me and Bethany and we started planning our trip.

I had never been to NY before, and it was so special to get to experience it for the first time with Bethany.

We flew in late at night, so we started the next day out with brunch then ice skating in Central Park – which was my favorite non-show activity!

Then we went sight seeing during the day to know what to expect when it was dark. We shopped and ate and saw all there was to see in the city.

Then we got changed, went out to dinner and headed to Madison Square Garden for the Mariah Carey concert.

Our seats were amazing and the show was absolutely incredible. It was such a fun experience we won’t soon forget.

The next day we enjoyed more shopping and sight seeing, plus we ate the best bagels we have ever eaten in our lives (and still dream about to this day!

Then we saw Hugh Jackman in The Music Man and it was incredible. Bethany had a hard time deciding which she liked better – Mariah or Broadway. I assured her she didn’t have choose one.

Then, just as fast as we arrived it was time for us to go home. We walked over 21 miles in 2 days! It was a quick but special trip we will remember for a lifetime.

Christmas

Doesn’t it feel like Christmas was so long ago already? I know it does for me because so much has happened in life since December.

However, we had the best Christmas as a family this year. We enjoyed our tradition of going to Christmas eve service then getting Chinese takeout to bring home for dinner.

We woke up on Christmas morning and enjoyed cinnamon rolls and scones for breakfast while we opened presents.

Then we went to church (because Christmas Day was on a Sunday and daddy is a pastor), and then came home and the kids played with their presents.

Later in the day we had some of our best friends over and had a blast enjoying a delicious meal and playing some really fun games that one of my friends organized. It was a magical and relaxing holiday for the books.

Move!

We moved! I know some of you have been around since we built our previous home and I have received many questions about why we made the change! There were many reasons, but the main driver was that we found and fell in love with a beautiful neighborhood near the mountains.

Then we found our dream house in that neighborhood and the sellers accepted our offer (even though they received many)!

It took a lot of effort moving 8 people across the county (our new home is about 10 miles from our old home). And I truly (truly) hope we never have to move again as long as I live!

We have enjoyed the proximity to skiing, the beauty of the mountains with the view from our home and the extra space and privacy more than I can express with words.

Z turns TWO!

I still don’t believe it and am in deep denial that I officially have a toddler and not a baby. I felt like while he was still one I could call him a baby- but now that he’s two it’s just feels different.

We made him a cake (decorated like a bear thanks to Bethany) and one of his favorite dinners – pizza (dough and sauce recipes). He was so cute opening his presents and when he finished he raised his little pointer finger and said, “More?”

He also was adorable blowing out his candles. He loved it so much he kept asking for “one more.” So we lit them and let him blow them out so many times it was hilarious. Even now, he’ll go to my junk drawer, pull out the fire starter and say “one more” and blow on it! 😉

B turns 12!

This year was Bethany’s golden birthday! We don’t do parties – except for ages 10, 16 and their golden birthdays. So, she got to choose what she wanted to do for her celebration! She chose staying overnight at the Grand America hotel with her best friend.

In the kindness of the Lord, Bethany’s best friend’s mom is one of my best friends, so it was an absolute blast for the 4 of us to go down to the city and spend some time together.

We started off with Tea at the hotel, which was on my SLC bucket list since we moved here 9 years ago! It was so beautiful and fun.

Then we went shopping at the mall and out to dinner at Bethany’s favorite restaurant, Mazza. When we got back we went swimming in the pool (hot tub for the moms) and ended the night playing a couple fun games of Clue!

The next morning they wore the matching outfits they bought at the mall the day before to brunch. It was such a special trip and we had so much fun together.

This all happened the week before her birthday. So on her birthday, her bestie came over all day and we went out to lunch at a bagel place (trying to find a delicious bagel like NY but unfortunately it didn’t even come close).

We had dinner – which consisted of many of Bethany’s favorite recipes like orzo salad, mashed potatoes, and homemade pita bread with hummus. A meal of appetizers!

Then she enjoyed her favorite dessert – Eclair cake. It was a fun day celebrating our special 12 year old!

Things I’m loving

Here are some things I’ve been loving lately…

• Turmeric Supplement: I take this every day, and increase the intake to a few times a day when I feel a sickness coming on. It has helped me stay healthy and recover quickly during this cold season.
• Silicone Baking Mats. I keep talking about these, I love them infinitely more than parchment paper. It’s one item where I swear the name brand (Silpat) is way better than the cheaper versions on amazon.
• Vitamix Blender. After over a decade of owning one of these I still use it every.single.day. multiple times a day. Check out my vitamix buying guide if you’re in the market for one. But my top recommendation is the A3500!

Snapshots

Here are some more snapshots of our life the last couple months

Christmas tradition, windows at the Grand America.

Mara had her first ski lesson and did amazing! She is truly a natural!

Now we live about 20 minutes from a couple ski resorts (vs. at least 1 hour from our other house), so after we settled in from moving and had some time – Ritch started taking the kids skiing during the week!

Z started baking with mommy and loves it.

These four had their winter piano recital and performed very well!

Z got a real haircut (and I had to say goodbye to his amazing curl). He was glad to get a sucker afterwards!

The kids eating lunch near the window in the dining room at the new house before we moved everything in.

You know how some years you just kill it and get the best presents for your kids. I definitely feel like I did that with Keilah this year. She still plays with her tea set and little dog every single day! She is the sweetest.

Z in the snow just makes me smile. It snowed about 1.5 feet the week we moved into our new house, and unlike some of my other kids – z wasn’t afraid of it at all. He kept begging to go out and play!

One of my favorite pictures of the last month for sure.

Still soaking in every snuggle.

I hope you had a wonderful start to the new year, and that this year is better than the last!

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