Sunday December 27, 2015
Dear Cassidy -
 
Hi! It seems kind of funny emailing you today because I don't have a lot of info to report on. It was so so so great to talk to you on Christmas! I loved every minute of it. I loved hearing a few new things that we didn't know before! We went over to Grammy & Papa's right after our phone call and it was funny - everyone wanted to know how you were and what you said so we had to do a report where everyone sat and listened to us talk about you! They all loved hearing your voice that we recorded for a few minutes.

I'll give you a quick rundown of our first week of Christmas break...

Monday Dad and I got up and went to the gym together which is one of my favorite things about Christmas break actually. Then I took the kids to meet Brittney, Chelsie and Brooke's family ice skating. It was fun other than River spent about 2 minutes on the ice before falling and hurting her hand. She's ok though. She decided to take her splint off on Christmas morning and she's been fine. After skating we did a few errands including picking up chips and salsa from Los Hermanos and then I took River to the doctor for her hand. That night was our St. John Christmas party that we told you about and I will try to send the videos of each group's sweaters and songs.

Tuesday Hadlie and I went to help Nancy at the barn for an hour and give her her Christmas present. We got her a pair of boots - the lace up looking combat ones that have a zipper on the side. Just from Payless. You would've thought we got her a new horse. She was so excited! It was cute. After that I went with Dad to go to the new Star Wars movie. His work rented out a theater so we got to go for free! I thought the movie was really good. I'll put it on your list:) That night I finished up neighbor and friend gifts. Hadlie and her friend Sadie made a few sugar cookies in prep for our Wed. activities.

Wednesday morning I got up and took myself to the doctor. For about the last week or so I'd been having some burning while going to the bathroom and urgency to go often. Tues. night it got pretty bad so I decided to go in. I got there at about 8:30 and it was a blizzard. Serious snow blowing sideways. I got checked out and given and antibiotic for a urinary tract infection and went on my way. Britt, Chels & Brooke's families all came over to decorate sugar cookies. We had made a whole batch of cookies plus the half batch Hadlie made the night before. We had a lot of cookies! We did two shifts of decorating. The big kids, then the little kids. Everyone went home with their own plate of cookies. After that Brittney had to leave but the rest of us went sledding! We went to the secret sledding spot that (bless your hearts) you and your boys found a few year ago! It is the best! I'll send pictures. After sledding we delivered our neighbor/friend gifts and then we were starving so we got French fries and hot chocolate right before dinner!

Thursday was Christmas Eve. Colten played soccer in the morning. Dad and I went to the gym. We got a movie to watch from the redbox and did that together. Then we went to Chelsie's for tacos and the nativity. We also played a fun game called Rollick. It's pretty much charades, but backwards where only one person guesses and the rest of the group acts the word out. It was funny! Also, grandma Stewart is here. On Tuesday morning she fell in the bathroom and had to go to the hospital. She was fine, just a little bruised. She came to Chelsie's for Christmas Eve and did well there. She's really gone downhill in her memory since you left. She can't remember names very well anymore. Her long term memory is good still but she can't remember where she puts things, or if she reads something she can't remember the next day. It's sad and really hard for Grammy to see her mom like that.

Friday was Christmas! And we got up at the designated time (5) and did all the regular things. Then we got to talk to you! We had lunch and a few presents at Grammy & Papa's and then we headed over to the St. John's. We had another lunch/dinner there and then the small kids opened a couple of toys and Grandma gave everyone else money. Things have greatly simplified over there and that's a good thing! We were done with everything and home by about 7 pm.

Yesterday Dad and I went to the gym. Colten played soccer. River cleaned out her room in prep for painting next week:) After the gym Hadlie, her friend Sadie and I went to do our work at the barn. It was about 15 degrees so we had to bundle up for reals. Grammy & Papa & Grandma Stewart came over to see everyone's gifts and then I had to take the girls to Target. We had to exchange Hadlie's gopro because it was missing the memory card. And River got some new storage bins for her room. That was about it.

All in all it's been a great week! I'm so thankful we got a chance to talk to you and I am so thankful and happy that you are doing so well! It is a blessing to be healthy and happy and you seem to be both! I love you so much and hope you have a good week there. I'll try to remember to send you a screen shot of your forecast - it might be getting colder soon:)

Love you so much! - Mom