November Update

Sorry it has been so long since I have done an update. Things just get kinda busy around the holiday season. :p November and even December have felt like they have flown by. It's hard to keep up sometimes. Well at the beginning of November I had the chance to help get ready my first Young Women's in Excellence as a leader. It was so fun to help participate in and so much fun handing out the awards to the girls. I really love my calling and our ward, the ladies I work with are amazing women who I learn so much from. I love feeling the spirit from our young women and see the light of Christ in their eyes. We have some really amazing girls and I love spending time with them.
As the month progressed James and I realized that we were spending to much of our weekends in the house, either cleaning or lounging. We realized we need to get back out and do some more exploring. So I hopped online and found out where the ghost town of Grafton was and we headed out to explore it. There are only a few remaining buildings left and a private investor has been restoring them. They have been used in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid and others. We had a lot of fun exploring the area. One of the cabins was open so you could walk through it and see the set up and the shed behind the house. It was really neat. After the town we headed up to the old cemetery and walked around there and then took a little hike around. It was so nice to get out of the house into the sunshine and spend time as a family.
The next weekend we got free tickets to go to the Jubilee of Trees. Avery's eyes got so big when we walked in, she loved it. We walked around for awhile looking at the various trees and gingerbread houses. Then we stopped to rest to watch the dancers. I asked Avery if she wanted to take a dance class to learn to dance like them, (the girls on the stage) she didn't even take her eyes off the dance as she said yeah. So I told her that we could look and see if we can find her a dance school. She then got off her chair, I asked what she was doing and she answered and said she just wanted to dance. I thought she meant just in the isle by our chairs. But then she headed to the black curtain that was separating the backstage  from the seating area. James went to go get her and she started to throw a fit. I could hear her tell him that she just wanted to dance. It was so cute. Well not the tantrum, but the fact she wanted to go on stage and dance then and there. :) After that we decided it was a good time to head to the kiddie section where Avery got to frost her own cookie, go "fishing" for toys and make a sand art star. She had a lot of fun and it helped us to get into the holiday spirit.
For Thanksgiving we were unable to go up north due to money, but my Uncle Glenn and Aunt Norma invited us over to have Thanksgiving with them. It was really nice, there wasn't many people there and I got to see my cousin Tavis who I haven't seen in 3 years or more. After dinner Norma asked Avery if she wanted to play a game, Avery got excited and said "Yeah, wheres your phone?" We all thought it was so funny. Norma then told her that she was going to introduce Avery to "old school" games. :p She played Scrabble with Norma and some wood peg games while we relaxed on the couch and watched. It was very laid back and quiet which is not what we're use to. :p But it was nice. A little while after pie James and I both started to get sleepy and decided it was time to head home. It was really great to see them and spend Thanksgiving with them.
On the 30th We decided to usher in the Christmas season with a trip to look at the lights at the temple for FHE. Avery did A LOT better than last year; which resulted in her and I spending most of the evening in the van due to her not listening and running away ALL the time. We had a lot of fun talking to the missionaries and looking at the lights. Avery wanted to walk down to her school to see the lights on her school too. The lights in the fairy garden weren't working well, so she was a little sad about that; But all in all it was a great night and a great way to say goodbye to November and hello December and the Christmas season. :)