Family Fun

We did a Williams family get together at Aaron and Leann's house in Baytown (Houston area).  It was a beautiful day and their back patio and yard were perfect!  The girls had fun catching up.  The kids played lots of games.  Thomas and Clayton hung out for a bit before they had to catch their flight to Phoenix.  It was a good day visiting with family.  Looks like we will be doing these visits a few times a year ;).  

Merry Christmas!

We had a nice Christmas.  This year everyone traded names (including Jeff and I) and we set a price limit of $50. We all made a Christmas wish list to help our shopper out.  I think everyone ended up with something they really wanted!  

Jeff gave to Mhari and Mhari gave to Jeff.  Clark gave to Lorna, Lorna gave to me, I gave to Grant, Grant gave to Sandra, Sandra gave to Talmage, and Talmage gave to Clark.  Talmage and Cami did a video call in the afternoon to share their Christmas joy.  I think this Christmas felt a little less about so many presents and more about giving to our person.  We may continue this tradition in the future.  

Merry Christmas Eve

With kids being off to college, it has been a wile since we have had a yummy Thanksgiving dinner with everyone.  Having Sandra and Grant home made the perfect opportunity to cook a turkey and make some delicious pies!  Oh, and an extra bonus, Sandra playing the piano!  It's been too long since our piano has been played.  It was a nice night as a family!

 

Gingerbread House.... Nope, Pop Tart Manger Scene!

I love the idea of making gingerbread houses, however I don't like how hard they seem to be to make.  I saw this idea online about pop tart manger scenes and I thought it was a better fit for us!  I just had to be able to get the pop tarts to stay looking like a manger.  I made the icing and spent time constructing the mangers.  The kids had a blast creating the people and putting it all together.  I love all of the little details and differences for everyone's scene!  It was a fun evening and I can see us keeping this as a holiday tradition.  I love creating things that focus on Jesus during Christmas.  This was a win!

Hull Time!

It feels like forever since we've hung out with the Hull family, but it's only been 7 months.  In that time Savanah came home from her mission from Provo, UT and Jake got his mission call to South Korea and is about to leave!  Since Sandra and Grant were in town, we made it a big family trip.  It was so fun to see the kids playing together!  The playground was super fun, until too many small kids showed up.  The kids then went to play in the grass field and Amanda and I walked.  It was so great to catch up and amazing to see the kids all together.  Having lifelong friends is priceless!  

Two Decades!

Grant and Sandra came home for Christmas!  That means we get to celebrate Sandra, even if it is a week late.  It's crazy that she is already 20!  Sandra is a great person!  She loves her family and loves learning new things.  School is progressing well and she will graduate with her Bachelor's degree in 2026!  This year she got a boyfriend, Nathan Aldridge.  They were both campus country dance instructors and have built a friendship over time.  Their relationship is going well and it could get very serious in 2026!  There are many great things ahead for you, Sandra!  We love you and are so proud of the great person you are!