Forty Six Years Young

My birthday was a great day...no complaints.  Brian brought me just my kind of flowers...an edible arrangement!  He is on double duty with it being Valentine's Day as well and he takes good care of me.  I had a sweet card and a gift bag with chocolate and a massage. The kids were sweet also.  Brinley wrote me a letter and printed "46 things I love about you" on card stock.  I will definitely save both FOREVER.  Aubrey planned a week in advance and purchased two candy bars for me. 💗 I didn't see Parker until around 9pm.  He wrote a kind note and gave me a package of mints.  Tanner...well...we've had a rough couple of weeks.  He wouldn't give me a birthday hug in the morning and didn't really talk to me after his game but he did toss me a candy bar that night.  (Just keeping it real for history sake.  It's not all roses over here at the Gwilliam home!😂)

I worked out in the morning and then had a hair appointment.  My parents stopped by with a card and a gift. (Spending money...such  fun gift...can't wait to figure out how I will spend it!)  I then decided  to redeem my massage from Brian.  Many friends left kind texts or Facebook messages.  My siblings checked in with Marco Polo messages, calls and texts.  Airi Billings from church brought by a sweet note and a homemade chocolate cake.  Angelique stopped by with a beautiful light blue sweater and silver necklace. Brit's taking me for a pre-cruise pedicure next week.  Rather than go out to eat, we brought pizza in so everyone would be fed and taken care of.  Then Brian and I headed to Tanner's tournament in Midland.  I felt pretty loved and spoiled and it was a nice day.

"even tho your strict" 😂😂😂  You know it Parker.

Matching for Church

I had a 12:00 meeting before our 1:30 Sacrament started so I didn't see what the girls chose to wear until we were all at church.  When I sat down in the row I noticed how Brinley, Aubrey and I complimented each other.  Then Gram slipped in the pew and ooh-la-la it got even better!  I tried to get everyone to slip into the hall to get a picture together but Gram was having none of it.  She had to get to Primary to play prelude. (She is very dedicated when it comes to her callings.)  Luckily we all ended up in the RS room afterward and were able to snap a few pictures together.

Brinley, Aubrey, Gram and Me

Aub, Gram, Erin/Mom/Me

Who would have thought I would be raising my kiddos
right here in the Big O and serving in the same ward as my parents?

New Beginnings

Our girls are in Young Women's together!  I wasn't sure Brinley would choose to stay through her Senior year but she did.  The Leaders put on a very nice New Beginnings Program a couple of weeks ago.  I'm excited for Aubrey to begin her YW journey.  (On a side note, our boys are in Young Men's and sometimes their activities bring back some anxiety from my YW days!  It seemed we always were doing Personal Progress or some boring activity while my brothers were always hanging out in the gym playing b-ball or some other sport.  I was an active girl and I wanted to be doing those things with the boys please!  The past two weeks the girls have had this Sunday dress church program and then they did Family History/Indexing while the boys have done planning and gone out to get snow cones and played video games.  Seriously?????!  The girls have seemed  content though so that's good.  I won't pass on my past issues!)

Brinley was introducing the new Beehives who made it for the program. 
Martha McKown is in the background.  She is the YW President.

They had a beautiful spread of treats.  Also, they gave
the cutest gift bags to the girls.  They had a book mark laced
with colored hair ties to represent each value, a really
pretty heart necklace and some chocolates.  The new Beehives
received their Personal Progress book and For the Strength of Youth
book as well.

FIERCE!  (Aubrey and Avery)

Lft-rt: Analise H, Melanie Ormsby, Brinley, ?, Aubrey, Trinity O, ?, Natalie H,
Avery M, Martha McKown, Cinthia Hernandez, Lauren Ross

I love the YW program.  There is friendship and focus and fun.  Aubrey has already started working on her Personal
Progress goals.  The current YW are spectacular.  I'm especially glad Aub and Bryn have
a few months where their out of the house activities intersect a little bit even though they are 6.5 years apart.

Texas Burger Wednesday

A small miracle has occurred.  A couple of weeks ago Grandpa announced we were going to have Taco Villa Monday on Wednesdays...and somewhere besides Taco Villa.  Woot woot! (Click here for more on our Taco Villa gatherings.) Last week we went to Texas Burger.  We couldn't get a big long group of tables together and Grandpa complained it was too loud. I don't know how long it will last, but I am going to enjoy the change while it does.

Only Megan, Lincoln, Britney, Ella, Brinley, Gram, Gramp, Chris and I came.
I only took these cute picts of Ella and Gramp playing with their wind up toys.

Sunday Night/ Super Bowl

February 3, 2019

We don't usually watch TV on Sunday.  The past two years Brian and I have been out of the country on work perk trips during the Super Bowl.  Our teen boys were pretty adamant about watching so we decided we needed to give in on this one this time.  It hurt my heart a little.  

We had just gotten over our 7-10 days of illness and Brit's family did too.  I figured there was no way Sunday night would happen.  Who wants to hang out with recovering sickies?  The Birdies were soooo tired of being cooped up they were ready to get out of the house.  I sent a text out that we were watching the Super Bowl and we wouldn't be going to Sunday night.  (I didn't want to corrupt everyone spiritually either.)  Everyone could meet somewhere else or they could head over to our house.  

They decided to just head over here.  I was surprised by the turnout.  Grandpa and Holden came. (Gram avoided the sickies which was wise.  She catches everything.)  The Birds came and even Ang and the girls stopped by.  Aubrey was amazing.  She is kind of the Pide Piper when it comes to kids.  She (and eventually Holden, Lauron) and the Bird kids  were in the the backyard playing "Border Patrol" on the trampoline and "City" on riding toys. (I guess City is were you have ambulances and police and you have to obey all the laws while you are driving on your riding toy.)  We ended up with a ton of yummy food (thanks Birds) and had a fun night visiting.

These two snuggled the whole night while watching the game.

Bri, Adam, Gramp, Bryn
Tanner, Braddock, Parker

Adam, Ang, Brit, Char, Holden

Ang, Gramp, Brit and Char
I thought Grandpa was just wearing the visor to get everyone
more pumped about our upcoming Disney Cruise.  I later
learned he had borrowed it from Brinley to avoid a glare
while watching the game.

Tan and La

Sick

We have had a rough couple of weeks.  First Brian became sick and sadly it took us a few days to realize that maybe he had the flu.  He finally called the doctor (gotta love MDLive/ over the phone doctors visits!) and got some cough medicine and Tamiflu.  He was coughing so violently for so long I finally moved to Aubrey's bedroom.  She was a lifesaver and offered to sleep on the floor.

Sadly, just as Brian started feeling somewhat human I started feeling horrible.  We learned our lesson and I called the doctor right away to get meds.  My flu experience was shorter but it still took me a good 7 days to feel 100% better.  Then Parker went down....and then Aubrey....  And in the middle of it all my amazing family stepped in and started bringing meals.  Ang, Britney and my mom all brought over delicious dinners to feed my family.  It was a blessing because we were just limping along.  Somehow Brinley and Tanner avoided the whole sick thing.  I'm so happy for them.

Parker just started feeling better on Sunday and then went back to his very full schedule of seminary, school and 3x a day workouts (before, during and after school---darn those football coaches.)   It's only Tuesday and we headed back to the doctor's office.  (I feel better about taking the kids to see a live person especially when we aren't sure what is going on....so no call ins this time.)  They took another strep test and it was negative.  He did have a low grade fever and puss pockets on his tonsils so he is on antibiotics.  If he doesn't improve by next week we will test for Mono.

When I got home at 7:00 from dance tonight with Aubrey, Parker and Brinley were already in bed asleep.  (Is Brinley getting sick?!?)  Aubrey took ibuprofen and was in bed by 8:00 and Brian headed to bed at 8:30.  I hope we survive the winter.

Brian is a good Daddy.  Aub was feeling sick and he laid with her and just stayed
with her while she watched a show.

Legally Blonde with Bryn

The past few Christmases Brian and I have decided on a certain amount of money to spend on each other.  (Usually about $100-150)  Then we actually buy and wrap our own presents and are pretty surprised to see what we got for each other on Christmas morning.  The funny part is the kids don't know we do this.  (Well, Brinley does because I told her...or she figured it out.  I can't remember which.)  So when Brian opens a box of random tools that don't look anything like any normal tools he will say something like "Awe, thank you!  How did you know I needed these hand planes?"  Or I will open a new necklace and he will say "I thought you might love it."  It's kind of fun and we have enjoyed our inside joke.  

This Christmas I mostly just had one big gift.   "He" bought me tickets for a girls night out to see Legally Blonde.  I felt a little badly that I was leaving him out in the cold but it was on a Wednesday night and that is just complicated.  If I took Brinley then Bri could be home to get everyone to and from school and sports and church and fed and bed.   

I am also feeling a little bit of anxiousness as Brinley is soon to be graduating and leaving for college. We've got to utilize our time!  We had a fabulous evening together.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at Olive Garden, stopped by the Birdies for a few minutes and then headed to the show.  It was a really fun show.  My least favorite song was unfortunately the main chorus.  It said the Lord's name in vain over and over.  Disappointing.  Our two favorite parts were the "Bend and Snap" with the UPS guy and the courtroom scene "Gay or European."  Thanks for a great Christmas gift my Bri and thanks for being my girls night date Brinley Kate!

More of These Two

Tanner can be rather prickly lately.  Glad he has Bryn
who somehow softens him up.

 

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And he is good for her....he keeps her on her toes. 
He has $600+ in cash but refuses to buy a Comfy. 
He just steals hers...and makes her fight to get it back!
They are pretty hilarious together.

He stole my Comfy here.  There is no asking to borrow....it's
more a blatant challenge.  Bryn talked him into an eyebrow touch up.
(He has the cutest eyebrows....tons and tons of them....like
a little old man.)

Park is a Crazy Boy

Both boys prefer to be shirtless.  We do try to have them wear shirts at meals or during Family Home Evening.  A couple of Sundays ago we were getting ready to do our Come Follow Me study time and I asked him to please go get a shirt on.  He came out in this loveliness.  He keeps things lively!

Brinley's friend Taryn B was also with us and so he needed a
little more coverage.  He headed back to his room and came
with the bottom half of his tank top taped back together.  Crazy kid.

We were all cracking up....why? just why Park?!

Then he switched it to this ensemble....and wrapped the bottom
half up and around his shoulder.

He wasn't really cooperating with pictures but would strut
his stuff whenever I didn't have the camera out.

Trying to get a picture or two....it wasn't working very well!

Thanks for keeping things real Parker.

School Projects

Brinley and CJ worked on this A&P project for hours (like 6+) one Saturday.  It was impressive.

I really appreciate how independently Brinley works.  Ever since Elementary school she has just
taken care of business.  Her school work is exemplary...always.  It's impressive.
She also just grabbed all of this stuff from the craft room and made do.
When I mentioned how grateful I was for her resourcefulness (but also to
let me know if she needed anything from Hobby Lobby) she said "I don't
want us to spend any extra money on school projects.  What a waste!"  Love
her for that thriftiness too!

CJ is her second cousin and the only other active member of the church in Brinley's grade.
(750+ Seniors at Permian) I am glad they have had a couple of classes together over the years. 
I am especially grateful for another young woman who strives to make
good choices everyday.

This is layers of the skin.  When I asked Bryn for more details
she was DONE and did not want to think or talk about it anymore.
I respect that.

Basketball Season

Tanner is a lot of fun to watch.  He handles the ball really well.  The past two games he scored 13 pts in each.  He is very aware of his teammates and passes the ball a lot. (Brian says too much.)  Two games and a tournament left...Let's go Admirals! 

Sometimes after the game he'll come talk to us.  This is a huge step
up from last year where he avoided us at all costs!  Also,
Gram and Grandpa have been great about coming...just haven't
been able to get them with Tanner yet.

Coach Wright asked the b-ball boys to try to make the
Martin Luther King Jr. march in Odessa.

Tanner went and here he is walking with Anthony.