Settlers!

December 23, 2018

Brinley was awesome and watched the Bird kiddos during our adult Christmas party.  The other kiddos went over to the Vores and hung out with Charity, Lauron, Benjamin and Joseph and had the usual Sunday night gathering.  After the party we texted Brinley to see if she wanted to join us over at the Vores to play games.  I was so glad when she agreed because I kind of felt like she had missed out while we were all partying.  

We used to get together with Chris and Ang when our kiddos were little.  We would put them all to bed and would play Settlers of Catan or another game.  It was fun to remember that and play with our big kids during the holidays.  (Bryn and Charity joined in.)  We all had scripture and prayer together and Lauron and Aub headed to bed about 10:30.  I felt badly for Tan and Parker because they really had nothing to do. (Benja was with friends and Joseph was face timing his girlfriend.) Chris put on Johnny Lingo for them and they were really good sports when our game went on FOREVER.  And I mean forever.  We finally called it quits at 12:30 a.m. when nobody could even seem to earn the one more point needed to win the game. 

We had a lot of fun visiting and joking and playing.  (Well, Chris didn't have a great game and he likes to win....so he wasn't having much fun.)  My favorite part was when we were walking into our house at almost one in the morning and Bryn exclaimed "that was a lot of fun!  I am glad we did that!"  Me too Brinley Kate!  Thanks family for the fun holiday memories!

Chris, Charity, Brian, Erin, Ang, & Brinley

Cousin Gift Exchange

December 21, 2018

Each year we draw names to exchange gifts.  It's fun to see what gifts are given...they are always very thoughtful.  It is also fun to watch the cousins interact during the gathering.  We had a delicious hot chocolate bar and some finger foods (crackers, cheese, grapes.)  It was really weird though because it was a super warm day...69°!  I should have made the invite with sunny skies and bike riders and served snow comes.

On the couch: Benja, Park, Joseph, Lauron, Aubrey, Brian
Behind: Grandpa, Chris, Ang, Brit, Adam and Charlotte

The teen girls: Charity, Stevie, Brinley

Ella gave Aubrey this cute shirt that has her initials monogrammed.  She proudly exclaimed "We got this at the cleaners!"...because they did!  That is were they got it monogrammed.  I love how pleased Ella looks in this photo and Aubrey LOVES her new shirt.  

Everyone was cracking up when Tanner had Charlotte for the gift exchange.  She adores him.  The pressure was on to give a good gift and he had no ideas on what to do.  I wasn't sure either because the Bird kiddos have pretty much everything already.  We decided on a toy horse Maximus, a book and some bracelets.  She seemed pleased.

Fuzzy Crocs!

Parker was SO glad Benja was back from college.  He has been so bored at family gatherings.  They are three years apart but have some things in common like football and Fortnite.  Benja is good to hang with Parker.  This picture says it all. 

Joseph's reactions are The Best.  I could have included about 4 other shots that are just as exciting.  Hudson gave him an Addidas sweatshirt.  

Holden gave Tanner about $30 worth of candy.  Tanner was thrilled...me, not as much! (Kerry Vore you are in trouble!)  

Back row: Megan, Adam & Lincoln, Benjamin, Joseph, Parker, Charity, & Brinley
Front: Braddock, Hudson, Lauron w/ Elanor, Stevie, Aubrey & Char, Holden and Tanner
(Tanner is looking unusually tall....even on tip toes!...I think it was the tight angle.)

Choir Concerts, Piano and Dance Recitals...Oh My

December 2018

Parker with his good friend Austin J.

Park looked so handsome and they sang one of Brian's favorite songs.  (It's
an African song.  Bri was sick but he got to watch it recorded.)

Tanner   His head was bobbing all around during this concert. 
He was trying to entertain his classmates I think.  I was wiped
out so Bri went to Tan and Aub's concert and I watched via video.  Well done! 

Aubrey.  Avery is just to her left.

Aubrey's first dance recital.  She is in Hip Hop and loves it. A member in Midland opened a studio and several LDS girls take dance there.  Her Aub is with Callie and Cara S.

Grandpa and Gram were able to make it.  La and Angelique came too but we didn't get a picture.

Park was cute and let me know we needed to buy flowers...because that is what you do for dance recitals.

Brian took her to her dress rehearsal the day before and watched so we could divide and conquer the next night between the dance recital and Tanner's b-ball game.

The group.  I couldn't get up there fast enough to take a picture.

Piano recital.  Mrs. Richey has them on Sunday afternoon which is a lot after three hours of church.  However, it's fun because the Bird cousins are there along with the McKowns and the Rawlings.  This is Aubrey's 2nd recital and she did amazingly!

Family Snapshot

December 9, 2018

It shouldn't be so hard to take a family picture...but it is.  Brian and the boys have absolutely no interest.  Aubrey and Bryn are pretty willing to cooperate.  We snapped this one during the first few minutes of church because Karol needed a family picture for Grandma and Grandpa Gwilliam's Christmas card.  Tanner wasn't smiling at first and grumbled that he didn't plan to either because the longer the pictures took the more church we missed!  (Ugh, turkey boy.)  I also noticed the boys ties are in spring colors and we are wearing fall colors.   I wish we had done professional pictures because then I would have sent out Christmas cards. Oh well, maybe in the spring.  I do love this family of mine.

Grandpa sent me this one and said "I think this is the best one."  My heart skipped a beat because I was imagining trying to cajole the troops for a picture after church...luckily we had a couple of better ones to choose from.

I teased Brian a little bit about learning to "find a window"...
with our tall kids he is going to have to do that more!

Cute cousins!

December 2018

Merkley cousins.  We miss them.  They live in Lucas about 5 hours away.

Griffin, Blair and Perry Merkley
They are so cute.

Scott and Carrie Gwilliam had their first baby on November 24th.  We can't wait to meet this little cousin.

Grandma Gwilliam with Tyler.

So much sweetness in such a little package.

Tanner is sick.

December 9-15th

Tanner got sick and was out for a full week.  No fun.  I took him in to the doctor and they tested him for strep which was negative.   I wish we would have thought to check for the flu...just to know.  He was pretty mild and pathetic for almost 7 days straight.  I knew exactly the night we had our Tan Man back.  He was chewing me out left and right for just about everything.  ("Well, it's your fault I can't find my shoes because....")  I was cracking up and rolling my eyes at the same time.  Yup, he was definitely back to his same old self.  

Bryn and Tanner are buds (snuggle buddies to be exact but I don't think I'm allowed to put that here.)  It was fun to see them back together.  She was great about helping him understand his makeup work.  So glad he is feeling better and super grateful nobody else caught his week long illness.

Black Magic Concert

December 6, 2018

Brinley was an absolute wreck leading up the the Black Magic Christmas concert.  She had a ton of songs she had to learn and I think she felt she was in over her head.  And honestly with some of the songs she probably was in over her head.   Plus she still needed to keep up with school and prepare for finals.  She would practice two hours a day each evening plus during her Black Magic period at school and for some songs it still wasn't enough.  She was angry and frustrated and we heard more than once how she wished she had NEVER JOINED BLACK MAGIC.  We also heard about her dreaming of taking a hatchet to the piano and attacking it.  😂  It was all every surprising and dramatic coming from our mild mannered Brinley!  Grandma Vore was great and stepped in to help as much as she could.  They looked over songs together and reviewed some things that might help.  (No idea what those things were....definitely above my level!)  Some of Gram's help came in the form of just letting her know she needed to practice, practice, practice and then once the concert was over don't quit playing because she would lose all she had gained.  

Well, by the time the concert rolled around Brinley was prepared and felt confident in performing her parts in each song. The week before/of the concert was brutal. She had all day Saturday practice and Sunday afternoon and evening rehearsal.  She would leave for seminary at 5:45 a.m. and we usually didn't see her until 11:00 pm.  Somehow she came home bubbly and happy each night.  She loved bonding with the band members and enjoyed getting closer to the vocalist.  Brian and I were so happy for her and pretty amazed with the total reversal on her opinion of playing the "keys" for Black Magic.  The concert was amazing.  It was so fun to watch Brinley and Charity contribute to the show.  I loved it when she told me she was actually really glad she had joined the band.  Definitely proud of this girl and how hard she worked to help put on a great performance for the community.

So fun that Charity and Brinley have had this experience together.  They have grown a lot closer this year through being in the band and having another class (Students in Philanthropy) together as well.

The vocalist definitely get the love and attention but my focus was on the band!

Isn't she so cute?!

The band and sound techs: Dane M, John E.,
Charity V., Abel, Brinley, Devon L., McKenna K.
Marshall W.

Charity and Brinley both had the amazing Mrs. Guitierrez for fourth grade at Reagan.
So fun that she was at the concert.

After party!  The parents were invited as well.  There was a dinner served and then the partners switched Christmas gifts.  It was fun to see the thoughtfulness that was put into the gifts.  Brinley gave John a fuzzy/silly Christmas onesie, lots of Pringles, and a drum stick holding case.  He gave her a really cute red and black plaid fuzzy jacket. (You can actually see her in the jacket in the upper center of this photo.)

Stake Nativity

December 2, 2018

The Stake Nativity was beautiful as usual.  Each ward Primary had an opportunity to be part of a live nativity and sing a few songs.  Here are a few pictures from Odessa 4th and Odessa 1st ward.

Emerson O. and Aubrey

Aliyah, Aubrey, Emerson, Luna H., Kia B. and Alley C.

Back row, lft-rt: Ophelia P, Avery M, Jhalilah S
Meradith H, Annalise, Lillian O

Charlotte Bird and Tate S
Aren't they so cute!

Hudson herding his sheep.

Is this not the most adorable picture ever?!
Lincoln Vore, my great nephew.  He's a cutie.

Ward Christmas Party

December 8, 2018

We had quite the investment in the ward party since the Relief Society,Young Men's and Young Women's organizations were in charge of set up, decorations and cleanup.  I am currently the RS president, Brian is 1st counselor in YM and the everyone but Aubrey is in YM/YW.  Luckily those planning decorations went relatively simple.  The tables had a red table cloth with organza over it and a nativity for the centerpiece.  Very doable!  They did put up this paper on the front wall and set up a really fun stable scene but we had plenty of people to help.  It was well attended and I enjoyed visiting with many people.  Tanner ate alone in a classroom.  Parker ended up going to a friend's surprise party.  Brinley won the ugliest sweater competition.  Her award was classic. (see below)  

One crazy thing that happened is we accidentally left Aubrey.  She rode up with the McKowns and we were already short Parker.  When we left most of the lights were out and it was just the Stringers and the Ormsbys.  We drove about a mile from the church when I frantically exclaimed "Where Is Aubrey?!"  As Brian was turning around Brinley made the quip "are y'all turning into the Vores?"  That was kind of hilarious because Chris and Ang have six kiddos and with multiple cars taken to church many Sundays they have left a child on more than one occasion.  

Tanner and I ran in to snag her and that is when it was things got a little scary.  She was no were to be found.  Melanie, Bishop, Dodd and Diana were in the kitchen and every other light in the building was out.  We all started hollering for her and turning on lights and checking rooms.  No Aubrey.  I started to panic.  We finally found her and Trinity Ormsby in a room on the far side of the building chatting away.  I was so relieved I couldn't even be mad that those two hid out while the rest of us cleaned up after the party.  I think that is the first time we have left a kiddo somewhere accidentally.  I hope it is the last!

Kyla and Martha McKown were my tree fairies and came over to
put ribbon on my tree...even though they both had busy days with all
the preparations for the ward party as well.  Bless them!!!!

Isn't this an awesome award?  I'm so proud.

The kids, with the exception of Aubrey, were NOT excited about going to the activity at all.  But they
were big helpers with set up and clean up and they mostly put on their happy faces for the evening.

Aubrey was Mary again because they had the children dress up as the same
person they did for the Stake Nativity Festival.