McAlister Matters

  We made the long drive to California for Thanksgiving this year. Driving went well and we enjoyed pretty good weather on our trip. The kids did great in the car. We enjoyed a short stay in Turlock and had a great turkey dinner there with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Ingrid. The kids had fun of course jumping on the trampoline, playing with toys and puzzles. Unfortunately we didn't get to see as much of the cousins as we wanted due to lots of sicknesses going around. While we were there my dad was able to ordain me a high priest which was pretty cool. We stayed the last 4 days in a cabin in the woods up in Arnold, CA. There was snow on the ground but it wasn't too cold. Our cabin didn't have central heating so we relied on a wood burning stove to stay warm. That was a new experience and kind of fun. Arnold was a nice place and we spent Thanksgiving in a nice cabin with Julie's family, my mom and my aunt Leslie. We enjoyed some smoked turkey and brisket. Sarah made rolls and

  We got some new family photos yesterday. It's been about a year and a half since our last set. The session felt a little rushed but I think we got a few good ones... Click to view

  This week was Halloween and the kids had fun trick-or-treating the neighborhood. They got a big pile of candy. Kahlan was Mulan, Juniper was Queen Anna, Paul was Woody, and Penny was Princess Anna. The weather always suddenly turns cold around Halloween in Utah. Today we had snow.  The fall has been full of activities. We prepped the garden for winter and harvested our pears and grapes. We finally got a good grape harvest from our new vines so we stocked up on jelly. Sarah joined the Conqueror Virtual Challenges   and I've been impressed with her dedication. She finished her first challenge crossing the Shire and got a pretty cool medal after running 140 miles! She even got me to sign up for a challenge. I've been running thru Transylvania. The kids spent last Saturday at Grandma Musser's house with all their cousins. Sarah and I got to go on an adventure bike ride in the hills above SLC. The ride was a tough and long but it was full of Fall leaves and colors. Click for m

  Kahlan and Juniper went off to school this week. They were both super excited to see friends and meet their new teachers. Kahlan is starting 4th grade with Mrs. Callister and Juniper is starting 1st grade with Mrs. Bartschi (who Kahlan had too). They sported some new shoes and backpacks this year. Paul also started his online pre-school program. He loves it and does really well. Penny watches Paul do his pre-school. Juniper started soccer last week and we've been going to her games in the 90 degree heat. Juniper's a very active player and stays with the ball. Paul pretends to play from the sidelines. The end of summer was full of activities. We've been freezing corn and making apple pies, tomato sauce, pickles and jelly. Sarah's also been experimenting with Indian meals each week (delicioso!). We watched a full master class with Madhur Jaffrey and it inspired her. Sarah and I went on another bike ride. Paul's been practicing his bike riding and getting better.  T

  We can't believe Kahlan is nine years old! We had a party at our house with, you guessed it, cake and ice cream. Kahlan wanted 'something fantasy' for her birthday. So she got a lot of things with unicorns and dragons. Kahlan is very independent but loves people and activities. She recently attended the primary activities day camp and had a fun time. Kahlan is full of energy, enthusiasm and excitement. She leads her younger siblings in most activities (mischief included). She has a beautiful singing voice and is still progressing on the piano. She has taken ice skating lessons recently and is good at learning and practicing. She has exceptional reading skills and loves to read especially fantasy stories. We love you Kahlan! We had a visit from Grandpa Bob and Grandma Ingrid recently. We went with them to the aquarium in Layton and had a fun time. The kids got to see lots of fish and animals and touch and feed some of them. We've also attended a few parades this month

  Last week was the big Musser family vacation in Yellowstone where we celebrated Sarah's birthday and her parent's 40th anniversary. Just a week before we arrived there were historic floods that closed the park. Luckily we were able to spend 1 day in Yellowstone park. We had a really great time at the cabin with Sarah's family and lots of kids. We stayed in a town called Island Park, about 30 minutes outside Yellowstone and 4 hours from Bountiful. The cabin was in the woods and large enough to comfortably fit all 22 people. It was named 'The Gathering Place' by the owners. There were some game rooms and lots of play areas for the kids. There was a pool table, basketball court, karaoke machine and fire pit. We played tons of games and roasted marshmallows.  On day 1 we went to Big Springs a few miles from the cabin. We fed some big trout on a bridge and went for a nice hike through the woods to an old fire tower. Then we checked out an old cabin that was built by a

  Juniper turned 6 this week! We celebrated in the usual fashion with cake and ice cream at our house. It was a busy week with summer activities. The kids went to the Farmington pond one day. We had a pool party on Friday evening and spent a fun day at the zoo on Saturday. Click for pics Juniper just finished Kindergarten and really loved it. She was a great student and excelled in everything. Juniper knew all the kids in her class and the goings on. Juniper is still the great nurturer and loves helping out Penny. She has a great imagination and loves playing family with her stuffies and origami cranes. Juni is a great dancer, loves to be tickled and is making progress on the piano. She still has some unusual food aversions and likes plain pickle sandwiches. We love you Juni! Click for pics We made it to Disneyland this year. We went 3 years ago before Penny was born. This time we got to see Star Wars land! We drove there on Memorial Day and that turned out to be an extra long drive du

   Paul wanted a strawberry cake this year with green frosting for his birthday. It's hard to believe this cool dude is four already! Paul is the master of puzzles and a pro on his scooter. He's learning to ride a bike also. This year he's become quite an independent chap. He can use the potty, get dressed and buckle his car seat all by himself. He likes trucks and wearing ties. Paul is also known for his inquisitive nature. He's good at the "what comes after.." line of questioning. What comes after breakfast, after that, after that... ad infinitum. He likes to ask about the garden and what we will be planting. He's a careful, tiresome eater. He's also good at memorizing songs and likes to sing along in the car to soundtracks.   More Pics        

  We decided to load up on trail mix and snacks and head down to Moab for Spring Break this year. Sarah's parents and Alicia's family came along too. It was fun having 12 of us this time! We got to share an Airbnb called the Wild Juniper. It was a super comfy place and a perfect setup for all the families. We spent 2 days in Arches National Park and hit all our favorite places. Penny got to ride in the backpack again but also got to hike a bit with her own little backpack. The park was a little different this year because we had to make reservations to get in. It seemed a little less crowded because of that. We took Juniper and Kahlan on the big hike to Delicate Arch. They did really good! Only mild drama and whining :). The weather was a little cooler in the mornings but the afternoons were perfect. Poor Penny got sick on the drive home when we were in the middle of nowhere. The big waffle and eggs breakfast and car snacks didn't sit well apparently. Besides that and a fe

  Our little Penny turned 2 last week! The doctor said she is small but we know she makes up for it in sweetness (and cuteness! ). We had a small family party at our house for her with cake and ice cream. We got her an owl backpack for her to take on our trips. She put it right on and marched around our backyard.  We love Penny! She wants to do everything her older siblings do. If Juniper dips her apple slices in ketchup, then Penny has to do it. If Paul gets to put on his own underwear, she'll put on Paul's underwear too (over her pants). She's in the parroting phase and is good at repeating prayers when someone else is saying the prayer. She also is good at memorizing songs. She especially likes Doc McStuffins and Barbie movie songs. She's been fearless at going to nursery. She's not too big on dolls but she loves her animal stuffies and our cat Slinky. She has the cutest laugh and loves getting tickled. More Pics!

  It's been a busy new year and we've been trying new things. Paul started using the potty, a somewhat terrifying experience. Sarah and I have been spending many of our weekends painting the house, something I had never done before. We've painted 3 rooms so far and plan to finish most of the house this year.  Before (taping is the key) After We've had Kahlan and Juniper babysit while we do the painting. This has worked out pretty well. To reward the kids we took them to the Classic Fun Center last week in Layton. This weekend we took Kahlan and Juniper up to Brighton to go skiing for the day. None of us had really skied before so we all took lessons. It snowed a little while we were there and the snow was good. The kids had a great time and we were able to spend a few hours after the lessons practicing with the girls. We all definitely want to go again! More Pics

  It was a wild Christmas adventure to California this year! We moved our trip dates to accommodate driving conditions a bit. We did one-shot drives this time and it worked out well. It was a little hard getting up at 3 am and drive in the dark of night but the kids got a bit more sleeping time in the car. Overall the driving part was a success and well timed.  Santa came early to our house the day before we left. Good thing he's flexible like that! So the kids got a whole day to play with their new toys before we left. The kids all got their own box of sweet cereal too. It's become a tradition. I even got some PB Captain Crunch!  It was raining most of the time in California so we mostly stayed in Turlock. When the sun was out the kids jumped on the trampoline for hours at a time. We also made a few trips to the park. The kids also had fun seeing their cousins and aunts and uncles. We got to play a couple times at Aunt Stephanie's house and see new baby Clemente. We also w