December 2014

Hard to believe we are at the end of another year already, but here’s a look at our busy December:

We started the month with a couple of awesome performances.  First of all, we finally got to see what Seth has been working on all semester when we went to see the Mtn Ridge Jr High’s production of “The Hobbit”.  They did something interesting with the costumes where they had the actors playing the dwarves and hobbits wear masks around their waists so they would appear shorter than the rest of the cast.  It took some getting used to, but I actually kind of liked it once I did get used to it.  Seth did such a great job playing the role of “Bilbo”! It was fun for us to see all of his hard work pay off!

Our second performance was Devin as a page in the choir’s annual Madrigal feast, which is an event we look forward to every year.  The dinner was yummy, the entertainment fun as always and the music beautiful.  Seth was pretty thrilled to win the “Shapely legs” contest for the second year running.  He wasn’t going to enter this year, but didn’t protest too much when our table voted for him to be our representative.  He now wears his “shapely legs winner” badge with pride.

Devin also won PTSA student of the week, which pretty much meant that he got an awesome parking space in front of the school for a week and a few little prizes.  Here he is showing off his angelic little self.

We had plenty of snow in December and the kids had fun playing in it – snowball fights, snow woman and snow penguin making, and lots and lots of snow shoveling.

Autumn had a great time playing chef for a day when Bernie and my mom came to our house and Bernie helped Autumn make us all dinner – no help from anyone else allowed.  The dinner was fantastic and Autumn was even more excited when Bernie let her keep the chef hat he brought for her to use. 

We had our Finch family Christmas party a couple of weekends before Christmas and had fun acting out the nativity, opening presents and playing games.  Family and Christmas are the best!! (Unfortunately for Devin, he had to miss the party because he was busy taking the ACT – bummer!)

Devin is taking an AP Human Geography class this year and his current project has him attending at least 4 churches besides the one he regularly attends and he has been having fun with that all month.  He attended a local Presbyterian church with one of his friends one week and then I took him and a friend to a Baptist church in SLC on another Sunday and then on Christmas Eve, our family attended the Christmas Carol Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeline in Salt Lake, which was awesome – the choir sounded like angels and the cathedral is beautiful!  It’s been a fun project for sure.

Our bathroom remodel project was officially finished December 23 – just in time for Christmas!  We love our new closet and bathroom!!

Outer bathroom

There isn’t actually a window in our shower – just reflected off the glass.

Inner bathroom

Christmas day was lots of fun as always, coupled with the best part of the month hands-down when we got to Skype Megan on Christmas morning.  She is doing great, looks beautiful and happy and is loving being a missionary, even though she acknowledges that it is the hardest thing she has ever done.  She is being transferred this week for the first time since she got to Houston and we look forward to finding out where she will be when we hear from her again next week.  Stay tuned to her blog to find out the latest. 

Autumn with her Christmas tree and ornaments Megan sent as her “pixie”.  I added one of the ornaments Megan sent each day throughout the month of December.  Megan also sent her a Texas necklace that Autumn has worn every day since Christmas.

Seth opening his new cell phone – he hasn’t stopped texting since Christmas.

Our family stair photo with Megan added via picture.

Playing the fun game Grandma and Grandpa Ririe sent us.

Megan with one of her favorite families in Westlake – the Schoenbecks – her family away from family.

Megan and her awesome companion, Sister Morris.

Megan with Jermaine, one of the first people she and her first companion, Sister Wahlin, found and then had to turn over to other missionaries since he lives out of their area.  He is doing great – Megan still checks in with him from time to time at his job, which is in her area.

We also had fun on Christmas spending time with Jeff and his family and look forward to them coming to our house later today for our annual New Years Day chalupa.

Happy New Year everyone and Happy 2014!

November 2013

Here’s a look at our November:

Seth had a blast playing a part of the ensemble and a prince in “The Emperor's New Clothes” – his first of 2 plays this year.  The play was really fun and Seth did a great job playing one of the princes with Justin Beiber as his muse – I could explain it, but you probably wouldn’t get it anyway. :)  He had a great time, made tons of new friends and is now excited to play “Bilbo” in “The Hobbit” later this week.

Devin stayed busy with school, work and fencing and was also excited to get a new calling in our Stake working with the special needs mutual every Thursday night.  He also applied for and interviewed to be a member of the Highland Youth Council next year, and he should find out pretty soon about that.

Autumn had her first dance performance of the new dance year and was so excited to get back on stage.  Her dance studio takes on a charitable cause each year and holds a dance concert and silent auction to help raise money for their chosen cause.  Autumn loves it because she gets to share her talents to help others and learn about and help those in need.  Here’s pictures of her ballet team’s performance and Autumn with some of her friends after the performance.

Sasha spent the entire month with a lame leg and after spending more time and way more money at the vet’s office than I would care to remember, and after 4 wrong diagnoses (including arthritis, possible cancer, and various strained or torn tendons), we finally figured out that her lameness had to be caused by her paw when one of the pads became really swollen.  Sure enough, she had some sort of puncture wound on her paw that had become really infected and after a small incision to get rid of infection and 10 days on a really inexpensive antibiotic, she is 100% cured and back to running with me in the mornings.  We are relieved she is back to perfect after watching her hobble around on 3 legs for a month and wondering if she would ever be able to run again.  Bummed about the money spent, but so glad she is well again.

Our bathroom is still torn apart, but is definitely coming together beautifully.  The new plumbing and electrical are done (including an under the tile floor heating system), new walls are up and painted, windows moved, new stucco done (to cover where the old windows were and frame the new window), tile in the shower and floor done, and the cabinets are being installed tomorrow.  Our bedroom currently looks like a hoarder lives there, but I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end. :)

We took a trip to Temecula, California for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with my sister Kim and brother Bill (who traveled from his home in Sacramento) and their families and had a wonderful, warm holiday!  We enjoyed an 8 mile run in Oceanside (5k for the kids) on Thanksgiving morning, had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner, toured the aircraft carrier the USS Midway, visited the Mormon Battalion visitors center and the San Diego temple, visited old town Temecula and went to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, plus had lots of fun playing with cousins and enjoying perfect weather. 

Megan is doing great in Katy and will stay there through the holidays, which makes her very happy!  She would love to get Christmas greetings from all of you! :)

Have a happy December!!

October 2013

October is one of our favorite months of the year – the cool, fall days and gorgeous fall colors and playing in the falling leaves – we love it!! Here’s a look at our October:

Autumn celebrated her 11th birthday in style! Her birthday fell over our Fall break, so I let her invite all 18 of the girls she wanted to invite to her party, thinking that at least half of them would be out of town, but as luck would have it, all of her friends stayed in town this year, so we had the hugest group of giggling 11 year old girls in our basement for a late night pajama party – oh my!!  It was really a lot of fun actually, and Autumn loved it!!

She was also super surprised to get a riding electric scooter she has wanted for quite a while – she loves motoring around the neighborhood and giving rides to all of her friends.

As always, Autumn kept busy with dance, adding solo practices to her already busy schedule since she has decided to compete her first ever solo piece come competition season.  She is learning a beautiful lyrical dance that is really making her work hard – it’s quite a stretch for her, but she is working hard to get it down.  She was also super excited to finally get her front handspring down and now handsprings all over the yard!

Devin stayed busy with school, work and fencing, but still found plenty of time to be social.  He went to the Sadie Hawkin’s dance with his friend, Kristyanne and had a great time!  His group dressed as pirates and lost boys from “Peter Pan” to go along with the Disney theme.  Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the whole group, but here’s Devin and his cute date.

Seth stayed super busy with play practices, getting ready for this month’s production of “The Emporer’s New Clothes” and December’s production of “The Hobbit”.  We’ll keep you posted on how the plays turn out. 

Devin and Seth both had choir concerts, which were awesome as usual.  They also both earned straight A’s for their first terms of the year – working hard in school!  Autumn is doing great, too and has all A’s so far – her school is graded on trimesters for some reason while the boys are on quarters – I’ve never really figured that one out.

We took our traditional drive around the Alpine Loop to see all the beautiful fall colors – so much beauty in the mountains so close to home – LOVE it!!

We enjoyed a very short visit from Tami and family when they came in town to see the BYU-Georgia Tech football game.  It was great to spend time with them!!

We started the major reconstruction project of our master bathroom.  It’s all torn apart and probably won’t be completely put back together until the end of November.  Until then, sharing one bathroom with 5 people is fun. :)  Here’s a before pic and what it looks like now.

We had a huge mini-Finch family reunion at the end of the month when my brother, Bill came to town to run the Halloween half marathon with me and our 2 nephews, Ben and Brandon.  We ended up having 15 people sleep at our house the night before the half marathon (all of the runners and their wives/husbands, plus a cheering crew from Boise, Pocatello and San Diego) – it was so much fun!  The half marathon was great – the weather could not have been any more beautiful and it was a fun race to do together.  Plus, for a girl who prayed every night as a child for Wonder Woman underroos, dressing up as Wonder Woman was a bit of a dream come true. ;)

We carved pumpkins for Halloween – here’s a look:

Megan got her first new companion since arriving in Texas and also saw her cousin Alex for the first time at the transfer meeting.  She is doing well despite the typical missionary challenges.  We love her!!  Here’s a picture of her with her new companion, Sister Morris (who she loves) and one of her with Alex.

Autumn was our only trick or treater this year and she went with her friends alone while Devin and Seth both had Halloween parties at friend’s houses, so it was just me and Bryce and the trick or treaters this year – sigh!  Here’s a look at their costumes – Devin was some character from “Supernatural”, Seth was a nerd (esp love the socks with sandals – Bryce was offended), and Autumn recycled my Wonder Woman costume with a smaller shirt and go-go boots.

Hope you all have a great month!