As Aubrey would say, "let's be honest" this post could go on forever. It's about Christmas day. We have one billion pictures. I want to post them all and say all the things about them. We also had a full day. But, once more, let's be honest. It's mid-March. We have done a quarter year of living since then, and I may never catch up with the blogging unless I allow my self to go skimpy. For the sake of my sanity, I'm going to try.
Santa's gifts look so small....that's what teen and young adult preferences plus one on a mission will do for you.
The cute kiddos waiting in the hall to see their Santa gifts. They will always be my babies. I am missing that one in Ghana for sure.
Sorting the gifts
Lots of hugs and thank yous after each gift was exchanged. Each year it seems Aubrey is my easiest to shop for. I think because she is the baby. She still has a few legit gifts she wants....not just the elusive "clothes or anything/I don't know" responses. I think I may be in trouble next year though. She will be a few days away from sixteen.
Aub gave me a salad spinner this year. It was on my wish list, and I have used it several times. I'm not sure how I got to be 48 1/2 years old and never owned a salad spinner. Not a must have, but kind of a fun accessory if you have room.
Tanner and Aubrey insisted that Brian give them some specifics for gifts this year. They are tired of trying to guess and just getting him Coke Zero or his favorite candy bar. They always ask me for ideas for Bri too, but he's tough. He likes plenty of things, but they are usually random tool bits or things for woodworking that we would never know about. He came through this year with some ideas for the kids, and they were pleased.
Tanner didn't give many gift ideas this year. We are all spoiled. He ended up receiving lots of clothes and a few gift cards to fast food places around town. He gave sweet gifts as well. He gave me a really pretty pair of earrings and some large Hershey bars.
Aubrey gave Brinley lots of bath/spa items. (And if I blogged in December, I would know what Brinley gave Aubrey...some cute stickers but I don't remember what else.) Aub gave Tanner lots of extra large treats. She kept begging him to give her real gift ideas, but he just kept saying anything was fine. I know he appreciated all the sugar.
Tanner gave Aub a makeup set she wanted plus an eyebrow gel she was sure she needed. I'm glad he got her the eyebrow gel. I never would purchase something like that, but she sure loves it!
Brinley received some fun church materials (Don't Miss This study manual, wall hanging, General conference journal, plus clothes and some kitchen items for her apartment. She and Tanner opened airpod pros. They were both excited for those. Bryn gave me and Bri one of her missionary name tags along with the sweetest thank you note about our love and examples.
The Christmas morning mess!
Enjoying the yummy breakfast Brian prepared for us.
Gram and Grampa usually make the rounds to each house on Christmas morning. This year, due to Gram's health, they stayed home. We stopped by after lunch, and it was so fun. The Kerry Vores and Birds stopped by too, and we had a mini family gathering. It added a lot of excitement, love and fun to our Christmas day.
Grandpa, Gram, Tanner, Aub, me, Bryn, Char, Braddock, Hudson, Brit, and Adam
They gave our kiddos cute shirts and fuzzy socks from Deseret Book. We gave them the traditional Shutterfly photo calendar, an automatic soap dispenser and an outfit for Gram.
Parker was able to call! I was a little concerned that he would feel sad if he saw all the gifts we were opening. He only received what we could fit into one Ziploc bag which was candy and a couple of small card games. (More on his b-day and Christmas gifts here.) However, he was more than fine. By the time he called, we were done with gift opening, and he was excited to visit and tell us about his day.
And...just look at his smile. He is beaming. It says it all. Getting to talk to him on Christmas Eve and Christmas day was the best!
We love Parker Bryce so much. He is doing good things in Ghana, and Ghana/a mission is doing great things for him. (And isn't that how God works? We sacrifice/serve/give, but He is always giving us so much more in return.)
Well, so much for my resolve to keep this post short, but I hope we will be able to remember this beautiful Christmas day filled with love and family.
I kind of loved Christmas Eve this year even more than usual. Because my mom has been getting really tired and more confused in the evenings, we moved our usual Christmas Eve evening gathering to 11:00 in the morning. We were able to be with extended family in the morning and then we had the entire afternoon and evening to make additional plans. It also worked out well for Tanner and his girlfriend Erin to be with our family in the morning and with hers later that night.
Here are one billion pictures, with lots of explanations, from our Christmas Eve. It was a good one.
Our family minus Parker (on his mission) and plus Tanner's beautiful girlfriend, Erin Flores.
Brinley was snuggling with Brian and then CJ King joined in...and then the chain continued! (Laurel, Danielle and Danielle's boyfriend.)
It was fun to have Nate and Beth for Christmas. They loved catching up w/ Brinley too.
Lauron, Grandpa and Aubrey
Charity, Jake, La, Stevie and Aub
Dave and Emily Martin, Adam w/ Lincoln, Kate M, Jake, Charity and Benja
Ella and Brinley
Kerry, Quetta, Nate and Beth
I think this picture is so cute. Gram has been pretty zoned out and just not really present the past month. We have all had to find ways to interact with her and stay connected. Love seeing Adam Bird joke around with her to see if she would share some of her food with him. We love this sweet mom, grandma, mother-in-law.
Talent show. Lauron sang. She has a gorgeous voice.
Grandpa was the emcee.
Ella and Aub, Charity, Lincoln and Jake Emily, Lauron (on the stairs) Anna and Alma Merriman (friends from church), me, Shari Martin and Brinley and lots more in the background
The Gwilliam talent the past couple of years is being a good audience. I think Aubrey would be willing to put something together, but with her brothers giving her grief...it's just not worth it.
The King family sang a chipmunk Christmas song and used helium from balloons to change their voices.
Chris w/ Gram, Christie Applegate, Grandpa and Hudson
Ang...I can't remember what she shared.
Kate sharing some of her artwork.
The Bird family. Hud and Braddock played a duet while the family sang along. They did great.
Stevie decided to be a comedian and share a few jokes. Silly/brave girl.
Parker also shared his testimony and how he has grown on his mission. It was beautiful. We shared it at the Christmas Eve gathering.
Nativity Time...
Aub and Hudson We used to have so many little cousins the nativity was for those 12 and under. The kids loved graduating from that role and watching the younger ones carry on. However, we have so few young ones these days. I was impressed with Aubrey, who will be 15 years old in two weeks, for being a good sport and joining in to help out.
Christian is adorable. He is pretty mild and quiet, but when he speaks, it's in complete sentences. He is just so cute.
My favorite picture of the day: Hud and Christian
Char and Isaiah as Mary and Joseph We had no baby Jesus. Stevie went up to her room and found a little gopher stuffed animal. The nativity directors made it work.
Add Ella as the angel... And I kind of love how Isaiah is just going with the flow with that head piece in his eyes.
Parker's nativity with some of the missionaries in the Ghana Accra mission. He is an angel in the center right in front of the missionary with the pink wrap.
Parker is in the back row. He is fourth from left. His mission president and wife, Brother and Sister Young
And this lovely picture popped up on Timehop. See what we are missing with Parker being gone?! He is a crazy boy and always keeps us laughing. (This is from a year or two ago. It was time for dinner, and he needed a shirt. He came out wearing my shirt....looking good!)
We had a relaxing afternoon. Aub and Brinley hung out together. (shopping and a movie from home I think.) Brian and I took a nap. Tanner went with Erin's family. (Plus it was her 17th birthday!)
Later we decided to do some service. Having a newly returned missionary helps keep one grounded and supplied with great ideas. We printed "Best Lights Awards" and paired them with some gifts we had on hand. We also purchased several boxes of candy canes and printed a little card that said something like, "You've been candy caned! Merry Christmas!"
We then made a list of those we wanted to candy cane, piled in the car, and started delivering. We each got to choose a house we wanted to present a Christmas lights award to as well. It was so fun. I would love to do something like this every Christmas Eve.
Aub was being extra silly and painted her face and glued glitter on her lips!
Wish Tanner could have joined in with us but the four of us had fun.
After our deliveries, we came home and played Settlers of Catan.
Then it was time to go to bed so we could enjoy a beautiful Christmas together the next day. (Missing our boy in Ghana but so glad he gets to join in with a Christmas day facetime call.)
