We started this week with Martin Luther King, Jr. day and we were lucky enough to have Mariah still with us! So, we just had to have a family basketball game in the morning. We had everyone there including Sarah and McKay and Grandma and Grandpa. Ammon even came! It was lots of fun! Afterwards, Dad made us burgers on the grill and we had a big family lunch before Mariah left us again for St. George. I'm so glad we made great memories first!

In other news, Ben was in a chess tournament this weekend! His friend, Nico, was participating and Ben begged me to sign him up. I didn't need much encouraging. That's how Ben and Dad ended up spending their Saturday morning at a local elementary school with a hundred other kids! Ben got to play five rounds. He lost twice, then tied, then won. I fully support this new interest of his and I hope it lasts!

Bethany had karate this week and play practice. She also finished her science fair project: Which brand bubble gum blows the biggest bubble? (Bazooka!) On Saturday morning, she had a practice belt exam for karate and even with the mile and a half run and all the hard work, she reported it was a lot of fun!

Chey and Cali continued to drive us around town this week. They're getting better and better! They also had two basketball games and won both. Yay! Go team! They worked Saturday afternoon and that night went to the Mr. Springville competition at the high school. They had a lot of fun!

Meg and Savannah continue with their college classes and I happen upon them studying together in our sunny, downstairs room quite often.

Kevin and I got to go see the musical, Bright Star, performed in Salt Lake City last night. We went with friends of Kevin's. It was so fun and we just loved it. It was written by Steve Martin and the music was all bluegrass. It was really fun.

Last Sunday at the Skinner house was a party! I love those kids. They are so fun.

We had a full week of school this week. Ben had karate twice and is running a half mile after school everyday for his science fair project. He and Dad are trying to learn two Chinese characters every school day. It's hard work! Whenever he has a chance, he plays with Nico. They like Minecraft and Roblox and I like when they play in the great out-of-doors. We try to strike a balance!

Bethany also had karate twice but she also started practice for the school play. Their school is doing Peter Pan this year and Bethany gets to be one of the mermaids! She is excited. She got invited to go ice skating with a friend on Saturday and they had a great time!

On Wednesday of this week, Bethany got welcomed to Young Women's, and Cali and Cheyenne got recognized for completing their personal progress award. Way to go!! The medallions are back-ordered until March so we will get a picture of those sometime in the future. They both gave great talks on how their projects in the program helped them in their lives and they both talked about how their sisters' examples had motivated them. What great kids! Even Beth mentioned her sisters. When asked in her get-to-know-you questions, "What do you like best about yourself?" She said, "That I look like my sisters." Awww! It was a fun night.

Cali and Chey had two basketball games this week and they did great! Chey played almost the entire game on Tuesday but Cali played hardly at all. On Friday, they had more even playing time and while Cali was in, she made two baskets right in a row. They are fun to watch. In addition to homework and basketball practice, they are also working a few hours every Saturday for Springville Rec. We also took them out for their first driving experiences this week! We are 'jerkily' making it to all our places now. Ha ha! They'll figure it out.

Mariah came home for the long weekend on Friday night. Yay! She is feeling a little bored at Dixie this semester so we talked about adding some things to her life. I also got to hear lots of stories about her last two weeks and I love that!

Megan and Savannah continue to trek off to Provo every morning. I think they are liking their classes. Megan is especially enjoying her internship class where she is aiding a company in their efforts to better the world! Savannah switched into an easier computer programming class and was told that she writes beautiful code. Nice!

Sarah and McKay came to the YW Recognition Wednesday night and Sarah came to the twin's basketball game Tuesday night and the two of them went on a double date with Megan and Ammon on Friday night. I love that we still see them so much and that they are so happy!

Kevin continues to work on his book and I continue to work on mine. The sun shines and the wind blows and the snow falls and then the sun shines again and time continues to tick on by day by day. Love you all!

On Monday morning, Savannah, Sarah, Megan, and Mariah all started their college semesters. Can you believe I have four kids in college?? I'm so proud of them all.  Mariah went back to St. George on Sunday night and we all miss her like crazy. She likes her classes, though, and is going to come back and visit us next week during the three-day weekend. Yay!

Megan had to rearrange her schedule a little bit but now she is set. She is super excited about her internship class and her design management class where she is studying what makes people happy. She is less excited about Marketing and Finance but she is determined to work hard!

Sarah met new teachers for her practicum and she loves two of the three! She and McKay both seem happy to be back at school and working toward their futures--together this time around!

Savannah got super, super sick for her first week of school! She could barely get out of bed or focus her eyes on us. Poor girl! She is starting to feel better and hopefully will have a better week next week!

Tuesday morning, our ward YM/YW had their monthly trip to the temple to do baptisms. This particular Tuesday morning was Beth's first chance to go! They meet at the church at 5:15am, and since it was Beth's first time, I went too! Cali and Cheyenne were there as well. Beth had a great time and the early hour didn't hurt any of us too badly. Ha ha! Our ward always takes the youth out for kolaches afterward and that was a treat, too. I'm so happy Beth could go and feel of the spirit there and so glad her big sisters could be there and love going, as well. What a good thing in their lives.

On Wednesday night, Ben had his last pack meeting for cub scouts. He earned a bunch of awards including his Bear and I finished the last bit I need to do for the Cubmaster calling. I have mixed feelings about it ending! I only got to see the program up close for a couple of years, but I really liked what they were teaching and reinforcing in my boy. I know I could continue with him in a private pack but I don't know what the time commitment would be. I will keep thinking about it. We will see.

Also on Wednesday, Kevin had a colonoscopy. He is trying to find a reason for the chronic pain he feels in his torso. That is not it as the doctor said his colon looks terrific. Good news, but Kevin will keep looking for answers. He was really giddy-happy coming off of sedation. It was fun to see!

Cheyenne and Calianne had a basketball game on Tuesday and went to games Friday but Park City didn't have a sophomore team so they just watched. From the sounds of it, they should have let the sophomores play the Varsity game to even things out a little! The twins still managed to have a fun time all week getting together with friends late Friday night and having twelve kids over to our house Saturday night for a "cooking competition," pizza, and games. They both also worked for a few hours Saturday afternoon doing book and clock for community rec games. They are busy girls!

It was the end of the semester for my public school kids on Thursday, so Kevin and I went to parent-teacher conferences for Beth and Ben. Since it's Beth's last year in the elementary school, we also went to a meeting about how Chinese immersion will work in the junior high and high school. They said that after sixth grade, the students would be at the level of a returned missionary. Wow! I left the meeting really excited about the program and this great opportunity for our kids. I need the excitement because both our kids are behind right now and we're going to have to work harder! Ha ha! We will though. We'll get it figured.

Meanwhile, it continues to snow and I do accounting and writing and try to keep up with all my kids. Life is good!

It was my birthday this week! We had our friends, the Groslands, over as usual on New Year's Eve for games and the countdown to the new year. This year, we were also joined by McKay and some of his family. We had up to three groups playing games throughout the house. It was great fun! We all counted down together and cheered for the new year (and new decade)! The kids ran out in the snow in their barefeet and inside we could see fireworks going off in the valley from our window. Then we all toasted each other with Martinelli's before calling it a night.

The next day, after sleeping in, Kevin took me out for my birthday. We went to the movies and saw Knives Out, then went out for Thai food, and ended at Deseret Book. That evening we went to Grandma and Grandpa Gazdik's for cake and ice cream and family scripture study because we needed to start the new year out right!

The next day school started again for Chey, Cali, Beth, and Ben. That meant we had our family meal at 7am! Ugh. It was hard for all of us to get back to our schedule. We had such fun being out of work and school and being together as a family for so many hours everyday!

But we found our "real" life wasn't all together detestable and we fell back into the routine with more ease than we had imagined. Beth and Ben had karate on Thursday and Cali and Chey had a basketball game on Friday.

Also on Thursday, the first day back to school, we also were asked to sing at the funeral of our dear, elderly friend in Brookside, "the cookie lady," Juanita Mower. Even though it made the day more complicated, it was an honor, and we couldn't refuse. I think it will be a sweet memory for all of us.

Also on Thursday, the first day back to school and the day we were asked to sing at the funeral, Mariah got her wisdom teeth out! She is working on her mission papers and wanted to get it done while she was home for the holidays. It went pretty well for her apart from the usual inability to eat anything solid and the swelling of her cheeks. She is a really cute chipmunk, though.

On Saturday, Beth and Ben played with friends and Cali and Chey had work and a visit from a friend who had moved away. Megan worked her first shift at the temple. McKay picked up a double shift at Los Hermanos leaving Sarah free. So, Sarah and Mariah hung out. That afternoon, Sarah, Mariah, Savannah, Kevin, and I played my new game of Harry Potter Clue. That night when Megan was back, she joined our game-playing group and we played Code Names. It was fun!

College starts for everyone on Monday, so Mariah drives back to St. George tonight. We will sure miss her! And I hope she can eat and that her swelling goes down!

I love this family of ours.