Our Side of the Tracks: January 2024

This year's church ensemble roundup looks WAY different, shocker ;).

JANUARY:

Orange and grey outfits, aka my favorite colors, for my birth month. That final week's bright outfit was a 'fake it til you make it' effort to feel bright and cheery.

FEBRUARY:

Red and gold for the 49ers! Pink for Valentine's Day. Side braids for fun.

MARCH:

Right about when covid hit the fan! First picture is from Utah weekend for Jett's baptism; I cropped out Quinn. The second picture is Sunday, March 8th, 2020. Last day of regular church for quite a while.

APRIL:

Still no in person church, but we did actually get dressed for home church on Easter Sunday, here's the proof of that!

MAY:

Whole lot of nothing. Home church most weeks, no pictures.

JUNE:

The last Sunday in June we went to one hour of church! This is my Fourth of July, patriotic outfit.

JULY:

Back to church just for one hour sacrament meetings, only every other week - first half of the alphabet one week, second half of the alphabet the next week. Masks STRONGLY encouraged, mostly worn. Socially distanced in the chapel itself. No actual rhyme or reason to these outfits...

AUGUST:

Same as July. Also same as far as random outfits; I don't remember any significance.

SEPTEMBER:

Only went to church once this month I guess? Also I guess I got my hair cut?

OCTOBER:

Somehow managed to go to church three times? yay for October outfits though, I love my orange and black.

NOVEMBER:

Nada. Didn't make it to church at all apparently, whoops!

DECEMBER:

One and only picture from church in December, a couple weeks before Christmas but it's red and green so we're good. I probably wore shoes too. And a mask.

Because Park Ridge is the freaking best, they held a "drive through" Christmas party for all of the students since school was remote at this time. We loved seeing the kids' teachers and getting fun presents to take home. Carma was so happy to see Miss Overcast:

Meanwhile over at East Valley, I kept getting random ideas and people kept okaying them haha. One day we gathered some staff for Christmas caroling out along the parking lot while families came to get pick up lunches:

I know there's more pictures somewhere, but I'm too lazy to find them all haha. It was freezing and slightly embarrassing but SO fun!!

Speaking of ideas I have... Rigsby found this amazing notebook for me to house all of them. I'm sure the front is a TYPO BECAUSE ALL OF MY IDEAS ARE AMAZING. Anyways, he said when I have ideas I should write them in here instead of telling him right away? I think I'll opt to right them down AND tell him right away ;).

Another day, another idea: a hot chocolate cart for families as they wait in line to get lunches!

We did get reports that initially it was a little watery... we upped the chocolate quotient immediately and got rave reviews from there on out. Doesn't Ryker look thrilled to get dragged along with my ideas?

Also I don't really remember the context but here's Ryker chasing after Coach Herbst's weiner dog. I'm impressed I got pictures because I feel strongly like I was laughing really hard in the moment.

Super sweet card from Coach Herbst herself.

Fairly sweet card from my bosses hahahaha:

More treats from co-workers!

December continued to be alllll about Mando, and whoever could coerce our anti-social kitten to snuggle with them for whatever amount of time possible:

Mando also started acquiring possessions, toys, and furniture!

Willy boy's turn.

ALL FOUR CHILDREN are somehow touching me in this picture. And Mando is looking like she is glad she's not part of it haha.

Okay but this makes me laugh:

This is Chuck... and Pokeman. Drives the children crazy. Makes us laugh a lot.

All the children got gussied up in their best Christmas apparel for the ward Christmas party, which was.... as you may have guessed... a drive through event.

Instagram caption: The band name is yet to be determined (vote below), but good news: the cover art for the Christmas album is ready to reveal! 🎄

Band name options:
☑️ Carma and the Car-full {of Brothers}
☑️ Jack and the Juvenile Delinquents
☑️ Will and the Weirdos
☑️ Clyde and the Crew
☑️ Good Carma
☑️ the Izatt four
☑️ Tenors on Taffy (*idk if any of them are tenors?)
☑️ Retirement Fund

Thanks in advance for everyone’s support! Wouldn’t be here without the fans! 🤠🤘🏼👨🏻‍🎤🎤🎹🎧🎻💿📻💰🎶🎵

Anyhooo, we traipsed on down to the church parking lot with the kids in the back of the truck freezing to death haha.

they hopped out quickly to get a semi-socially distanced picture with Santa (he was seated a bit behind them).

Love our Bishop and our ward for doing their best to continue traditions and connections even during covid.

Ohhh hey I got Mando to snuggle with me!!

Everyone's favorite Sunday in December: time to put together the Christmas lego set for display! There's a rotating schedule of which kids assembles which part of the larger set. Super fun.

Speaking of church traditions, there's a beautiful Christmas song called "Tiny King" - not well known, but it has been part of the Nampa 2nd Ward for many, many years - either being sung in church or at the Christmas party, either by a small group or large choir or entire congregation. This is a tradition that is near and dear to our sweet Janell Hyer's heart and I felt a strong need to make it happen somehow during Covid. After some brainstorming, we decided a socially distanced gathering in Janell's yard was the answer.

We invited ward members current and past who were available to come join, and this is the amazing group who showed up:

We did a couple practice run throughs and then sang with a lot of enthusiasm and dedication - which hopefully made up for the lack of practice, cold temperatures, masks, and not standing together as a normal choir.

We gathered everyone close at the end for a quick picture - and a selfie so I could be in it haha. So grateful for everyone who came in the cold to honor Janell and be part of this Christmas tradition.

Couple more pictures of Clyde and his "single bells" sweater because it makes me laugh so much.

Mando. is. spoiled.... by Chuck of all people. She seems to be loving her new climbing gym!

In other animal news, we got a quick visit one day with Cody and his new furry friend:

Mando and the Christmas tree, though - so cute.

Selfies with Carma Junie.

Chuck, Jack, and Carma braved the chilly temperatures for an afternoon of shooting:

Carma took some breaks in the truck apparently haha.

Christmas break swimming at the gym for Willy boy!

Sweetest email from one of my favorite students - I send birthday postcards to all the kiddos at work.

Carma June is pretty into Berenstain Bears books right now which is adorable:

More Carma selfies haha

Mando snuggling with meeeee again!

Carma selfies with Dad and Jack

Oh I woke up and found Mando and I was so happy!

Christmas Eve afternoon piano recital / singalong in the library:

Each kiddo played some of the Christmas songs they're working on:

This cute boy even busted out the guitar ;).

Christmas Eve evening was a trip out to see the Caldwell lights... mostly in hopes of getting the perfect family selfie:

... not quite it. Jack is a ninja though!

K, totally made my night when I ran into Javi. You can tell he was VERY THRILLED to take a selfie with me:

This might have been when I was making up random detention threats if he didn't smile haha:

and then we were laughing too hard to get a good picture anyways.

Back to the attempt to get a fantastic family picture...

Really hard to get both of Will's eyes in the shot I guess?

Getting closer?

We found Anna!

The winning picture! Turns out we just needed someone else to take it... and not to try to get Jack to take the ski mask off ;).

One more order of business before we all hit the hay on Christmas Eve - determining that Will in fact has surpassed Grandma Pam in height:

Yep.

Santa rolled in!

Clyde's stocking.

Will's.

Jack's.

and Carma's.

All done and ready to go by 10:25pm? Santa's efficient and wise.

Random formation Christmas morning before we let the kids come out into the living room - notice that Clyde has replaced me as the lowest level:

Christmas morning, wooooo:

Not sure exactly what happened re: Clyde and Jack being on the floor...

Christmas afternoon - aka lego time while Mom goes to take a nap:

Christmas Evening - over to cousins' house for dinner and merriment and a picture of the six Idaho Izatt grandkids:

Christmas night: reading new Berenstain Bears book!

Christmas success - I got my nap(s) in!

December 26th - hitting the gym with our new fitness watches!

Could Carma be in any cuter in her 49ers gear??

WAIT - add the pom poms and it does get cuter!

The Curtises were in the area celebrating Christmas with family. Due to exposure concerns we couldn't get too close, but we loved the "front yard" visit and photo op:

Clyde's turn with Mando:

Will's new shirt from Christmas - everyone loves Phantastic Gus ;)

Allll decked out in their Seahawks gear.

Mando loves XBOX apparently.

Instagram caption: Couple things: 1. Clean the lint out of your dryer regularly. Like the lint trap every load, but also below that and in the vent and all that. TRUST ME. 2. On my first date with Chuck he showed me a picture of his two nieces, who were... 15 months and 3 1/2... and I always joke that I mostly married him so I could be an aunt. And now those nieces are grown up and I’m so proud of them. 3. Yesterday I watched videos of my kids circa 2013 and 2014 and cried because I miss those little babies. Which is insane, because I cried a lot in the middle of those years! They were freaking hard! And now I miss them, so there you go. 4. Ten minutes ago I threatened a child with returning his birthday gift, so obviously working on patience and good parenting and all that, but in the meantime, life is good 🧡.

Fun fact: if Chuck and I are taking a picture and Jack is anywhere in the vicinity, his Spidey senses tingle and he rushes to be part of it. Cutest little third wheel ever!