It's pronounced "steer": January Junk

I often get the January blues or junk. This year was no different. We'd been living in our new home for just over 2 months now. Still feels like we live in a storage unit. Still adjusting to the fact that we MOVED and live in COLORADO! Although, to be fair, it's much more sunny here in the winter than in Utah!!

So this is what happened in a normally boring month. It started off with a bang! Well baptisms then a bang!

On January 2nd we were able to attend the Temple with our 2 oldest children!! Jocelyn just barely turned 12 a couple days before. We went to the Denver Temple and witnessed she and and Samuel do Baptisms for the Dead. Because it was over Christmas break we had some family in town too, including Hannah & Sean, Steph & Kyler, Heidi, Gma and Gpa Stoehr, Gpa Furber and Dan and Sherrie Furber too! It was really really special to go with them. I can't believe we have kids old enough but I am so pleased that they have the desire and worthy to attend! AFterwards, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and Gpa Stoehr had the live Mariachi band serenade Jocelyn for her birthday. All had a wonderful time.

Bang or crunch? I went to a movie at the Westminster Promenade Theater. When the movie was over and I was walking back to my car, there was a man following me in the parking lot. I was a little creeped out. At least it was during daylight. Once he discovered I was the driver of our Suburban he gave me his business card. One of his employees was driving a large business truck and accidentally hit the back of my car. He apologized and told me to send him an estimate for repairs, to avoid using insurance. It was risky of me to not exchange insurance information but I figured since he waited for my movie to end to tell me in person what had happened I could trust him. After what seemed like months to finally get a hold of him with my estimates and playing phone tag and email issues of receipts, etc, we got it repaired and he paid us back. Phew. That part of the car is as good as new.

With the help of Sean, Dustin and Steve, Tyler was able to install our new kitchen island around the stove! Now we just have to wait for the Quartz countertop!

Samuel got braces! He started with an appliance, lie a plastic retainer, for several months. Then got a palette expander and then onto braces. Hopefully, he will get these off right as he turns 16!

I can't remember what happened in this picture....but I think it had something to do with Cecily trying to make Colin pose for a photo. He wasn't having it.

But here he is more happy. He LOVES to help shovel especially when there is money involved.

Marci came into town from Texas for a weekend so naturally Jennie, Marci and I went shopping and went out for good food. We did a little perusing around Cherry Creek and stopped at this Jewish Deli for lunch. OHHH, this Reuben sandwich was so delicious!

We also went to ARC thrift store for most of the day on Saturday. Jennie is trying on a sweater while we wait in line for the changing rooms.

We fit all the loot in Jennie's new Yukon! All except the dresser that we had to pick up later. Then off to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner after a long day of shopping!

I found this beautiful pine dresser for $100. It's a heavy, well built piece made in Mexico. I am trying to base the aesthetic of our home on this piece. Rustic, traditional yet classic.

Tyler sleeping I can't remember why I took this photo....perhaps it was a rare nap for him.

January must be hard on Tyler too......another nap, this time at J & G's.

Colin, my baking buddy. He's standing in front of a gap where the stove/oven combo was that came with the house. We took it out and replaced it with bigger gas range in the center of our kitchen. For another blog post.....

Jocelyn starting working on Personal Progress in Young Women's the day she joined. Here she is making her favorite dessert, Creme Brulee, for one of her value experiences. They turned out really well!

For my calling in Primary I was over scouts. They held a pinewood derby and Colin wanted to participate. Because he'll never get the chance after the Church announced their separation from the BSA I brought him along. He borrowed Samuel's retired winning car. He patiently waited the entire race until all the scouts raced their cars. Then at the very end he was able to play and raced his car. He was given one of the extra medals (a ding doing wrapped in foil on a ribbon) at the end. As you can see, he was thrilled to participate.