Our Fun Family Calendar

Many years ago, 20 plus probably, I made a photo calendar for my parents for Christmas.   Parents can be tricky to buy gifts for because they already have what they need or can buy what they might want.  My dad especially loved it.  He emphatically told me that a photo calendar is what he wanted every year.  DEAL!!!  (Too bad Denise started making one for Grandma and Grandpa Gwilliam because I would love to add them to this tradition, and back to the whole, "it can be tricky to buy for parents thing....")

Usually I have a few different versions: our family version, my parents' version and then Nate and Beth's version. This year I made one for Parker and Brinley too.  I tried to add a several pictures of college life in Brinley's and mission life in Parker's.  They take a lot of work and for a calendar, they are pricey, but overall, it's a great personalized gift.

Here is our 2023 family version:

Bryn said I did her dirty by adding the crazy hair photo from our cruise.  It's the best though!  And just seeing my boy in Arica and my adorable grandbaby and the family cruise photo make me so happy.

I seriously love this picture of Erin and Kaide so much.  

Our cruise to Honduras, Mexico and Belize was AMAZING!  Here is that post.  Brian still likes to try to milk his monkey bite experience.

Aub doing her thing with volleyball!  (Thanks Grandpa Vore for the awesome picture.)

Love talking to our Parker Bryce on Mondays.  Bird and Vore cousins rock, and I had to include this cute picture of Kaide and parents on his blessing day. 

Another picture of Kaide's blessing day plus lots of family love.

Bottom center: Caroline and Sam at the MTC.  Caroline was heading to her mission in Georgia (the country), and Sam is a teacher at the MTC.  Right: Sunday night dance fun.  The little girl/big girl cousins...Lauron and Ella, Aubrey and Charlotte

I love the pictures of Parker with the beautiful Ghanaian children.  The picture with Grandma and Grandpa Gwilliam, Brinley, Brian and I was at the Meridian Idaho temple when Brinley, aka Sister Gwilliam, took out her endowments.  Due to covid, temples were closed before she left.  It was pretty cool to be able to fly out and go through the temple with her and meet her companion and see her apartment.

Love the October pictures.  Grandpa (Brian) made the Harry Potter picture of Kaide, Uncle Kerry with his missing tooth, our Eric Gwilliam family cousins, Parker and Brooke (I'll get back to this one, ha), Ella and Tanner with Mr. Kaiderbug     

Brooke is one of Brinley's former mission companions that Parker said was hot.  When we sent him "open when" letters, Brinley asked Brooke to write one.  She didn't include a letter but just made this photo shop picture for him. "Open When You Miss Brooke"  So hilarious! It was the first one he opened too. 

Bryn and I got to celebrate Aunt Denise's birthday in October 2022.

The month of December is always weird to add pictures to because I give these calendars as gifts, so they are ordered in October or November.  So...our 2023 calendar has Christmas picts from 2021.  Brinley on her mission sharing a message about the Tree of Life at this cool tree the stake decorates.  Parker with his awesome cardboard Christmas tree he made his first Christmas in the field.  Now he has seven months left of his mission.  So crazy and exciting.  Hud and Christian with the cutest picture of our 2021 Christmas Eve gathering. 

We enjoy seeing these pictures all year long and reliving the memories.

Elder Parker Gwilliam's Christmas Email

Disclaimer: I have no idea what his subject title means, and his pictures always come into the email all jumbled up.  So, I will try my best to label the pictures correctly.

December 26, 2022

Subject: afehyiapa

The harmattan came just in time for Christmas. I'll tell you when taking a bucket shower during the dry season and you dump the first bit of water on your body feels about like jumping into a foot of snow. So, like I said, just in time for Christmas!

This week we had a zone conference/Christmas devotional. We got the chance to act out the nativity and it was really awesome. While reading from Luke about the story of the Saviour's birth and getting to visualize the events that happened during that night. It definitely reminded me of back home on Christmas eve with the family when we would have all the cousins go and get dressed up while my papa or Uncle Alan would read from Luke, and we got to see the story and scriptures play out. 

Thursday night I started to get a runny nose and a headache a small fever and I could tell I was getting a cold. Luckily for me Friday and Saturday I was able to get some extra sleep and take meds and by noon we were out spreading the joy of Christ during this Christmas! 

Christmas on mission is much different than what it is back home and definitely being in Ghana makes it feel even less like Christmas. But it definitely helps you think of why Christmas is actually celebrated. I don't see lights up on houses, or Christmas trees, and it still is hotter than ever. But Christmas isn't about those things. I was reminded that as I was studying from Matthew 1, Luke 2, and 1 Nephi 11. Jesus Christ is the reason for the season. And the reason we can be forgiven of our sins, be resurrected, and live with him and our Father in Heaven again. And I am so grateful for that! 

It also helps when the members are so awesome here in Zenu New York.  As missionaries we are supposed to do our best to show others we represent Christ by teaching, listening, serving, and many other things Christ did. But this Christmas the Zenu New York members went out of their way to serve and make Elder Roy and I feel more at home during this holiday season. It was definitely a Christmas that I'll remember for the rest of my life. 

Love you all and Merry Christmas,

Elder Gwilliam

Nativity 

Snapping nature

Christmas eve appetizer 

I may or may not have forgotten I was warming the stew and didn't remember till the fire alarm reminded us 

Cute doll

Christmas lunch (fufu)

Christmas Day 2022

December 25, 2022

 

There was a little bit of debate about how we should do gifts on Christmas day.  We knew we had church at 10:30.  The teens wanted to sleep in if possible but also wanted to open gifts in the morning.  We let Tanner and Aubrey hash out the details.  Ultimately they decided we would do stocking before church and if needed, we could do gifts after.  It ended up working out just fine to do everything before leaving for church.

Waiting in the hall.  Matching shirts, which I did not make.  I found them at Target on clearance for $5 each.  I had one for Tanner and Brian, but Erin and I decided they might be too girly.

Stockings!

Bryn had new boots, a BYU shirt and some makeup among other fun gifts in her stocking.

Tanner's bigger Santa gifts were his Crocs and wireless charger.  He also recieved a few food gift cards.

Aubrey received a fun water bottle she had been eyeing, a wet brush and gift cards.

To see/remember what we sent Parker for Christmas this year, click here.  Also, I am going to post his December 26th letter so we can hear a little about his Christmas celebration this year in Ghana.

Brian did make us a yummy breakfast.  And I did spill a whole cup of milk all over my skirt right before we left.  I just mopped it up and kept going....no time to change!  We were doing good just to make it took church on time this morning, so no family picture.  I loved the combined Odessa 1st and 2nd ward primary choir and being with extended family members and so many friends.

Here are a few other pictures from our day.

It was so fun to have Christmas with our Kaider-bug this year.  Erin's Midland mom, Darlene, gave us this adorable ornament.  The perfect gift from one grandmother to another.

Erin and Tanner showing off the cute diaper bag and handsome jacket from her mom.

The kids really wanted Brian to make a list of what he might like.  It had a lot of random woodworking gadgets that we know nothing about.  They were pleased to buy him gifts that they thought he would really like and use.

Bryn and Aub did a lot of their own shopping which was AMAZING and fun all around.  She found this Kendra Scott necklace, which she fell in love with, and I might just need to buy a duplicate for myself.

The kids are always good about getting thoughtful gifts for each other.  

Erin surprised the girls with these super soft holiday socks!

This awesome guy gets me a stocking every year.  He also gives the family the gift of a yummy breakfast and dinner on Christmas.  He may have started the cooking tradition out of self-preservation.  My family was not big on having a Christmas dinner and cooking isn't high on my list of favorite things to do....so, Brian stepped in/up to make that happen each year.

Aub Daub turns 16 in 15 days and is all about the gift cards.  She can't wait to drive and eat and be more independent.

Woodworking tape!  To Dad, From Aubrey

Crocs with socks!  It's the rage.  Tanner and Erin love their Crocs, so I knew we needed to get some for Kaide.  I actually just bought these previously owned off of FB Markerplace.    It's a good thing too because I think this may be the only time he wears them.  It was really cute to see Erin and Tanner's expressions of excitement/disbelief when they opened the package.

During the middle of everthing, we were able to video chat with Parker briefly, but he had plans with missionaries in his area.  

This is a picture of a toy car Parker sent in an email a few weeks ago.  It is made from a sardine can and four water bottle lids.  Very humbling. 

I am really glad Parker had some activities he was looking forward to in Ghana.  And because we get to visit with him every week, our quick Christmas day visit was just fine.

Tanner, Erin and Kaide headed out after church to be with her family, and Brinley, Brian, Aubrey and I stopped by to visit Gram and Grandpa.  (And yes, I put my pjs back on after church!)  They gifted our family a Soda Stream machine, and Aubrey especially was in heaven.  Since Bryn doesn't live here, they gave her some BYU gear.  (socks and a towel)  We gave them the traditional Shutterfly calendar filled with extended family pictures from the past year.  I think I had a couple of other gifts for my parents, but I don't remember now!  They also give their adult children awesome stockings filled with all sorts of treats, fun stocking stuffers and cash.  Woot woot!

Grandpa gave Gram this tile of Jesus painted by Anthony Sweat.

Aub whipped out her nail kit and did Brinley and my nails while we watched a show.  Also, some Christmas day naps were definitely taken.

One kind of fun thing that happened that night, we decided to build the gingerbread houses that we just didn't get to before Christmas day.  I purchased a variety from Walmart at about $15 a kit.  I had a little "left/right" passing game we played to see which kit we ended up with.  Also, a few trades were made and everyone seemed pleased with their house.

Tanner fake smiling for the picture.  I love that boy and his big smile which he rarely gives.

Let the fun begin.

Tanner was intense.  He put a lot of effort into making his house beautiful.

Bri made his igloo and headed to bed quite a bit earlier than the rest of us.

Erin made this adorable dog house.

Bryn's kit was a choo-choo train, and it turned out really cute.

I can't remember who liked the kit I got and traded me for the oreo house, but it was the one I secretly wanted, so I was pleased.

We spent hours talking and building and laughing and perfecting our houses, AND here is Aubrey's for the win!  She posted them on her Instagram and asked people to vote.  Her house got the most votes, and she was thrilled.  (She swears she did not tell them which one was hers.)