2024 :: week 1

December 31

Sunday evening we had the Throssells over to ring in the new year. Tony, Spencer and the kids used the sauna while Stephanie and I chatted upstairs. Matt did a little of both. We all ate yummy snacks. After they sauned, the kids played Smash Bros on the switch. At midnight the kids went outside, cheered and popped confetti poppers. 

January 1

Monday we all slept in a bit after staying up so late the night before. Anthony had the day off work and we worked on laundry and packing for our upcoming Oklahoma City trip. Matt made us his signature no-bakes for dessert Monday night and we ate them over ice cream because that is how we do.

January 2

Tuesday morning after my water aerobics class we hit the road for OKC. About a month ago I had the idea that we should drive to Abilene, KS, and visit the Eisenhower Presidential Library over our extended Christmas break (the kids had 18 days off, including weekends). Will suggested we drive a little bit farther to Oklahoma City and see the Thunder host the Celtics on 1/2. As soon as he floated that idea the kids were all on board. We checked with Matt to see if he would want to go too (of course he did) and bought tickets. We put the presidential library visit on hold for hopefully this summer. The 5 hour drive was relatively uneventful. When we arrived in OKC we first stopped at the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. It was very sobering. Both Anthony and I have memories of learning about it when it happened on April 19, 1994. We stopped for dinner at Braum's because we wanted to eat from a local chain. Then we checked into our hotel and got ready for the game. We were able to walk from our hotel to the Paycom Center. The game was really exciting! The Thunder had the best record in the Western Conference and the Celtics had the best record in the East. Unfortunately, the Celtics lost. The score was close most of the game and it really came down to the final possessions. This was Lauren, Elliott and Miles' first NBA game.

January 3

Because Matt was with us we didn't fit into one hotel room. Anthony, Matt and Will were in one room, and Lauren, Elliott, Miles and I were in the other. Friday morning we ate some hotel breakfast and then walked around Bricktown. (Matt stayed at the hotel to get some more rest because he had trouble sleeping.) Bricktown is a shopping and entertainment district in OKC that is made out of repurposed warehouses. We visited the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Chickasaw Minor League baseball field. Then we road the water taxi through the heart of Bricktown and learned about the history of the area. We learned that the name "Sooner" dates back to the Land Races of 1889. The people that "jumped the gun," aka cheated to get the best land, were called Sooners. We also learned that that Sonic was founded in OK. That afternoon we hit the road and headed back home.

January 4

The kids have played a lot of games this holiday break. Elliott got a new set of Sleeping Queen cards in his stocking because our original game cards are getting bent--this makes them identifiable and changes the nature of the game. Thursday we also said goodbye to Matt as he flew back to Utah.

January 5

Will spent much of the day with Knox. They walked to CFA for lunch, Target for snacks and then hung out at our house. That evening they went to the SMS basketball game. When Will got home after the game he needed a "light" bedtime snack--three slices of white bread spread with Nutella.

January 6

Saturday Lauren had her first volleyball games. She had a fair amount of anxiety about her volleyball abilities, so several times over the break Anthony took her and the boys up to the church. While the boys played basketball she worked on her serve over and over. I was so proud of her when it was her turn to serve and her serve went right over the net and landed in-bounds on the other side. That afternoon the Stake Young Women set up volleyball nets in the gym of the Stake Center for some open play and so she got even more practice in while spending time with church friends.