December 2023

December was everything it should be with four boys between the ages of five and eleven. Some highlights definitely included Ezra's 5th birthday, Lincoln speaking at Stake Conference, Utah football was PAC 12 champ, a football friend party, Poll parties and Graham parties, school music performances, and the three older boys were in school until December 23rd. It's difficult to watch these boys continue to grow, and grow out of some old traditions, but really fun to have them ready for new, big kid traditions.

The elf on the shelf is one of those traditions that I like to say I don't have much to do with...but Lincoln takes charge once I buy the bin candy from Winco. Trying to distract Ezra from me purchasing the candy, he was tasked with choosing stuffies from the bins. Luckily he doesn't ask questions. 

Troy's family came into town for the Poll party. Gavin was sick, but we got to play with the rest of the family. Jodi's family also joined us for sledding at Sugarhouse Park.

Ezra, Katelyn and Vanessa had some fun runs!

Troy and Katelyn took a run together.

Katelyn and Ezra both had their bear jammies on from a couple of years ago. Cousin time is THE BEST!

Kyle and Emily hosted the cousin party where cousins exchange gifts and grandma gives everyone jammies. Traditions are awesome!

All the boy Poll cousins

We went to the vivint arena for a movie night to celebrate Khari's birthday. There was popcorn, and the bear, and the Grinch to watch. Ezra hid under the table the entire show and watched a marble run on Jodi's phone.

Ezra turns 5! I made pancakes, sausage, blueberries, yummy syrup for breakfast. Then he said. "I just wanted eggs." Well whatever you want birthday boy.

Ezra got some new dot to dot books from the cousin party, and he got right to work on them.

He asked for a rainbow cake and made the order of the rainbow. He asked for it backwards.

Ezra's mom thinks he's smart... his favorite animal is a sheep!

Giving gifts to a five year old is the very best!

Our day was packed with fun activities, and we had a quick minute to open the gifts. The anticipation is real.

Off to the Jazz game. Thanks to Jr. Jazz for supplying our tickets for Ezra's birthday!

Go Jazz. The boys were far more interested in the double shot, drinks and foosball that was setup at the top, right behind our seats.

This is Ezra's masterpiece. He makes this same masterpiece almost everyday. When I pick him up from preschool, 

I got to watch some of Ezra's music presentation at school. It was kinda fun to hear a Christmas program about Christ instead of snow and winter like they have to do at the elementary school.

Please don't tell Ezra that I threw these in the garbage. Nothing has been on Ezra's feet more in his lifetime than these gems. They have carried him on countless hikes and adventures over the past two years. A new Birthday present replaced these.

Lincoln played in the number one chair in his school's orchestra concert.

And you can count on Aunt Debby to come through each and every birthday. She's a "great aunt!"

And another year with Breakfast with Santa. This was the first year I didn't have a boy crying on Santa's lap. Thomas was no exception. He had been planning on asking Santa for a heated blanket, but when he got to him he froze...then asked for super smash bros.

And look how big this kid is. My baby has no fear!

Lincoln is a good sport! And Oliver took his turn too, but someone else took his picture and it's somewhere lost on my phone.

One of the boys favorite traditions is shopping at the dollar store for the Graham cousins. This year Lincoln put a lot of thought into his gifts for his cousins. He made this blanket for Lucy.

I found out Ezra's school was ending a week before his brother's got out. So I had a full week with just the two of us. For a half second I was bummed that I wouldn't have the week to myself to get caught up on ALL the things. But it was a very fast half second. I love hanging out with this little dude! We had some one on one activities to get caught up on. This was to the Museum of Natural Curiosity. He hung like a sloth for almost 2 minutes! It's no wonder he is so good at being a dad to three stuffed sloths.

This was the first time in well ever that our boys participated in a sports team at South Salt Lake and we didn't have to coach. Lincoln and Oliver played on a team together and it was pretty fun to watch them! They both had a great season!

Ezra and I also went to a place called Dreamscapes. It was an artistic tour through someone's dream. A lot of the art was impressive. We had fun playing in the ball pit that was supposed to be like water.

Some of the activities were interactive. Ezra will probably never remember it, but it was a cool free activity on our Salt Lake Pass.

Ezra got this new robot from Gram Graham. This was the biggest plaything for all the boys...until Christmas came.

And Lincoln in his choir concert at school

I was finally available to help out at one of my kid's school party's. We decorated sugar cookies in Oliver's class. Ezra was a great helper.

The Poll family Christmas party is always a hit. All of those second cousins the boys don't know and they get to compete against them in musical chairs.

Mike and Debby look on as the tweeners play a round of musical chairs.

During cleanup. My boys loved playing basketball with their cousins. Spencer knows how to be a great "big" cousin.

On Christmas Eve we went to the church and played! We played a lot of football. Dean and I were quarterback and Ezra was the photographer.

Then we went up to Uncle John's property and went sledding and tubing. It was so fun to get out, and was exactly what we all needed without even realizing it.

Katie took some good turns!

This is pretty happy if you ask me!

We went to John and Katie's for dinner and a gift exchange. My boys did a pretty good job choosing gifts for their cousins.

Kyle, Becky, Perky, Rachel, Brooke, Reece and me at the Poll Christmas party. These are the cousins I get to see once a year.

More of the Graham fun! I will say the Graham's are excellent at receiving gifts, which is probably why my boys love giving to them!

Lincoln was really excited to have Lucy open up her blanket.

And now, Christmas morning. It's always tricky on a Sunday. Church was at 9:00, and then we had a baptism at 11, so we did a lot of opening gifts in shifts this year. 

Both Grandmas came over in the early afternoon to share in the fun.

Gram Graham got the boys some laser guns and the grandmas were trying them out on each other.

Gram Graham gave our family this beautiful parcheesi and Chinese checkers set. I think this picture is the last time all of the marbles have been on the board.

And the boys know, there's always something waiting in the loft. This year they got banana chairs...and season tickets to Lagoon.

I was in charge of a service project to make 1400 cards for refugees. We had a big primary activity in the stake, but I tried to get a head start with my boys hand prints.

We made about 800 cards and it was a fun activity with plenty of extra food.

And the marble run. We love watching marble runs on youtube, so now the boys got one to put together on their own. It was a fun toy that they played with for almost two weeks. It is now in a box upstairs with the other toys collecting dust. 

A trip to the planetarium is always fun. The boys still love it because it is one screen to the next! A little boys paradise. 

Kyle gave us two tickets to the Jazz game. None of the boys wanted to go with me, so I took Dean.

And just like that, another year in the books. Goodbye 2022. I can't believe how time continues to fly. The boys keep growing and it's happening without my permission.