Christmas bells are ringing

Found on phone pictures always leave me with questions. 🤣

McKenzie was set apart on Sunday so I met up with her on Monday for her orientation training. I usually spend 2 hours for the first time, it’s always a good one. I am always so excited for my new presidents because I know if they put their heart into this calling they will learn to love it. ❤️ She had a lot of good questions and already knew a lot of what we talked about, she’s gonna be great. 

Monday was piano recital day! As we sat in the chapel waiting Adi jumped up and asked Johnna if she’d like her to play some prelude music. I love that she’s comfortable doing that now! Adi’s the best. 

Johnna was so good working with us as I was gone most of November and the family came up twice as well. She checked in often and easily and with no judgement cut Delaney and Frankie’s extra songs and even the night before spent 30 minutes on a video call helping them feel ready. Love her!

Rainbow Ellie Sparkles hijinx continue. 

It’s spirit week and Delaney’s into it! Some years she isn’t, but I always love spirit week, so this makes me happy. Adam Sandler day, love the creativity. 

It’s RSP ministering season. It’s worked out that I visit them in their homes with little gifts in May and December, for Mother’s Day and Christmas. Those are the busiest months and I’ve thought about why things shook out this way, and I think maybe it’s to bouy them up to help deal with the craziness of these months. I don’t know, but that’s how it’s gone the past few years and I really love being with them in their homes. There’s something special about being in our personal spaces and I’ve had such sweet experiences. My fav thing to do is to leave early and run on Solomon’s. Then after I cool down I go to a gas station or McDonald’s and change (and add some deodorant 🤣) and go ministering. The homes on Solomon’s island are so adorable. 

I had 2 ministering visits on Tuesday and then we’d set aside 2 hours for a special presidency meeting to plan women’s conference. 

Frankie had cheer practice after school and then for family night we watched the first presidency Christmas devotional and finally put up our big tree. We put 5 strands of new lights on her and she looks so pretty. 

Finally. 

I had 3 more president visits on Wednesday but it rained all day nonstop so I couldn’t run beforehand. 

I’ve been staying up late every night catching up on all the things I let go of in November, Christmas shopping/planning, and also planning for Hawaii in February. 5:20 wake ups are brutal after 1am bedtimes, so Wednesday night I made sure to be in bed by 10 and it was so nice. Then I woke up to this on my phone home screen. 

I had slept like a rock all night, so I figured Matt had moved RES and taken the pictures when he woke up. Anyway, Adi’s eating brekkie and I’m putting away dishes when Matt comes up from the seminary room and I say something about cute move with the elf and he’s like, yeah, you got my phone too. Adi was like, mine too! We checked in with Frankie and sure enough, none of us had been the phone bandits and we’d all been hit. Turns out Delaney had stayed up late (which 🤦‍♀️) and snuck in and taken pictures of us with RES and changed all of our home screens. 🤣 I was turned away so she got her drinking from my water bottle. She’s so funny and she got me on the perfect night, I was out cold. Neither Matt or I heard a thing.