Christmas Break

So far it has been a great Christmas break! The week before Christmas was pretty busy. I was ready to be done with school but I wasn't DYING so that felt nice! With the holiday schedule I got my kids Friday night and Scott took them to Utah with him the following Friday. The days leading up to Christmas were a blur. It was really busy doing some last minute shopping and preparations. Everyone but Corbin woke up early and went to breakfast at Elmer's on Christmas Eve morning. It was really fun and delicious. I spent the rest of the day making Christmas Eve dinner, same as Thanksgiving. We had dinner and we sang some songs, played some games, and watched the movie Klaus. The kids went to bed and Santa went to work...some more. Christmas morning the kids woke me up before my alarm and we opened presents and had Christmas breakfast. We had a lazy morning and then we packed up and headed to McCall after lunch. I'm kind of a baby when it comes to driving so I tried the longer route through New Meadows to drive to McCall. The drive was a little longer but easier than the typical drive to McCall. That drive is very pretty but the roads are windy next to the river and it is BUSY! We crashed Gabe and Christy's cabin for a few days along with my sister Kelsey and her family. We had a great time stuffing our faces, watching movies, doing puzzles, hot tubbing, sledding, skiing, and ice skating. It was great! Wednesday was Corbin's birthday and we headed home and he had friends over for his birthday. 

I am dog sitting this week which is the easiest money I've ever earned. I just go over and sit on the couch for an hour to hang with the dogs and they come in and out and I leave. I think I will try to do some dog sitting and house sitting this summer for some extra income. I don't have any plans this week but I'm sure I'll find some things to do. I've been doing a bit of deep cleaning as I've put away the Christmas things. January is my least favorite month so I've put up some warm lights to get through the dark depressing month. I think I'll order some more lights and battery candles. 

We put an offer in at a townhouse that would have been PERFECT. We low balled them and I didn't necessarily expect them to accept the first offer but I was devastated when they decided to take their house off the market. House hunting is gut wrenching! I put in an offer at another house with a GREAT location but I'm competing with another couple and I can't up my price. I won't find out until Tuesday. I think the only way they would pick me is if they want to sell the house to a local rather than someone from out of state. I'm for sure praying for a miracle that I can find a house close-ish to Scott and somewhat big enough-ish and somewhat decent. It.Will.Take.A.Miracle...

Piper had a school choir concert.

Some more ornaments.

Gabby painted this. It's stunning!

Cute Christmas break kids! 

Ryan playing at the park. 

Elmers!

Christmas Eve nap with my fav!

Puzzles

YUM!

Christmas Eve dinner.

Games!

Corbin is 16! I can't believe it!

Christmas morning gathering.

Even just a little snow made it feel more like Christmas and was just enough for us to go sledding.

Gabe took Corbin skiing for the first time. He helped him all day! Corbin did great!

Hot cocoa break.

More birthday celebrations!

Going ice skating. Look at the tree!

Birthday dinner at Cafe Ole.

The dogs I'm dog sitting. 

Some Crazy Times

It's been a good week. It's busy but it's manageable. I still have 4 days of work left this coming week. My last day is Thursday but I think my kids might go through Friday which is so late and I hate that. You have one second to get ready for Christmas. Oh well! 

Scott is buying me out of the house and I should have money soon. I started house hunting. Hart showed us several houses and I fell in love with one but then we noticed the insane neighbors next door. It's like next-level dumpster fire. It looks like a literal dump yard in the backyard and side yard. I can't! So that was disappointing. It's okay because I don't have my money yet and I'm meeting with 3 lenders this week so I will actually know what my options are. Patient pants! 

Today I had a meeting with a potential surrogacy match couple. We had a zoom meeting today and we both gave the green light to proceed. I'm so excited. They live in Israel and have a 14 month old daughter. They seem so great and I love that I get to work with them because they have chosen to work with a clinic in Boise so I won't have to travel at all! PERFECT! I guess now it's a matter of meeting with a doctor and starting shot treatments. I will not be using my eggs, just my body. This will be crazy. I hope it all works out! I am so not ready for Christmas. Yikes.  

Sam tree ornament

Sam tree ornament

This is Roy and Ran. I will be a surrogate for them if all goes well. They live in Israel. Should be crazy!

Ryan packed all of his things because he thought we were moving to a new house yesterday. Haha

Not going to buy the dumpster fire neighbors house. 

Weekly Update

It's been a good busy week. I sign up for any extra jobs at school to earn extra money. I scored basketball and a wrestling tournament last week. I had to YouTube some wrestling videos because I didn't know anything about it. I didn't have to go to school on Friday because of the tournament so that was a fun change of pace. The first 3 hours were intense. There were hardly any pauses or breaks. I was constantly starting/stopping the clock and awarding or taking away points match after match. There was a 20-minute break after that and as the tournament progressed there were a few more pauses between matches but for the first 3 hours, I had to be ON. After the tournament, I met some friends and went to the musical version of Waitress. We loved it! I've started dating a guy and that has been fun and stressful. Haha. He's been ALL in from the beginning and I'm like slow down dude! I do like him more and more and to his credit I told him I wanted to be a surrogate on our first date and he didn't run away. I'm obsessed with Christmas and Sam didn't have a Christmas tree. I told him to stop being a dumb divorced dad and get one! He got one and we've been working on handmade ornaments for funsies since. Yesterday we made orange slices and a popcorn garland. I've made ornaments with pipe cleaners, felt, and a cross-stitch reindeer. Today I hosted a brunch with some of my old book club friends. I made frittata, french toast, and homemade buttermilk syrup. It was yummy and fun to catch up. Now I'm getting ready for my work week. I can't wait to see my kids tonight! 

Christy has taken over on dying my hair which I appreciate SO much! She is the best.

Brunch!

My students did their food truck competition last week and they did a great job! They had to pick their own recipes and bring their own supplies. Every team made delicious food! This team won the overall design and presentation aspect. 

Christmas tree project. It's a work in progress. I need to sew a felt ornament today...

Christmas Time in Sun Valley

We had our first snow of the season Thursday night and we woke up to a skating rink. My parents planned a family trip to a Sun Valley overnighter at the Sun Valley Lodge for our Christmas gifts this year. We got the car loaded for our trip and started to head for school but the roads were insanely slick. We were sliding going 5 MPH. I was bound and determined to go to work but after barely making it up a slight hill in a neighborhood and as we were approaching a busy downhill I turned left and headed back home. I think we would have hit a car or run off the road trying to get to school. I called my VP and told him I couldn't come in. I was crying and it was super embarrassing but he was very nice and said he had me covered. I then called all of the kids' schools and said they wouldn't be at school because of the roads. We bought this van in February and maybe it has terrible tires. I have no idea. I am going to a tire shop after school tomorrow to check it out. I do need to be able to drive to work and get my kids to school...

I called my mom and said I couldn't make it to Sun Valley and she understood as she hates bad roads more than anyone I know. My brother Hart asked if it would help if we caravaned and I said it would not. Then I got a text from Gabe and Christy offering to take both of their cars up and fit my family with them. They were leaving early but since we didn't go to school that day it didn't matter. We jumped in with them and made it to Sun Valley after all. I was SO glad I didn't have to drive in my van. It wouldn't have made it! The Sun Valley Lodge is SO pretty and the location and grounds are incredible. It was decked out for Christmas and it had the best ambiance. The rooms were SO NICE! Later we went to dinner at Smoky Moutain Pizza that night and later hit the outdoor swimming pool/hot tub. The hotel had a giant room where we were able to gather and chat for the evening. The little kids got creative and started playing Hide and Go-seek in the room. The next day we walked around the shops and got some pastries for breakfast. We packed up and headed home. It was a quick trip but it was really fun. The kids had a great time and I'm sure it will be a great memory for all of us. I'm glad Gabe and Christy helped us get there! 

I love puppy cuddles while I watch TV. It's my favorite thing!

Gabby painted the most incredible ornaments. She's so talented!

Cute pond in front of the hotel with ducks and swans. 

The Sun Valley Crew

Awesome room for us to chat and hang.

We went for a cold morning walk.

Blurry pic of Smoky Mountain Pizza

I love this pic!