Christmas Day 2025

Christmas Day 2025

We had a very relaxed Christmas Day. It didn't start until about 10:00 am because we were working around Tanner and Erin's schedule. First, they started by opening gifts at their house and then went to Erin's parents' house. Park and Aubrey were happy to sleep in, and after opening stockings, we enjoyed a delicious Christmas breakfast that Brian made for the family.

I found snackle boxes and filled them with sour candies, goldfish, chocolates, and a cheese and caramel popcorn mix. Parker's stocking included knives and a Carhart beanie. Tanner's had Mexican Coke, slippers for Erin, and a gift card, and Aubrey's had an Owala water bottle and a sweater.

I asked the kids to send me their wish list ideas with the link to the items included. LIFESAVER! I thought of my mom and my mother-in-law going from one store to the next-for years- to try to make everyone's Christmas magical. Bless them. I'm so grateful for the internet.

In addition to lots of regular gifts, I did a little bit of Thriftmas shopping this year. I found some books for Kaide, Erin, and my dad, and brand new golf shirts of Facebook Marketplace for the boys. 

Tanner with his new golf shoes. He had a golf Christmas this year and received lots of golf accessories from the Flores family, his family, and us. 

Erin showing off her cute pink Owala. (And their Christmas jammies are the best!) We also gave her some clothes,  puzzles, a travel hair dryer, etc.

Parker got this cute weighted bunny for Kaide. His big gifts were a rifle bag and a Carhart jacket.

I wasn't great at taking pictures this year...but Aub was in her usual spot on the recliner. She received lots of clothes and fun accessories like socks, earrings, and hair clips. 

We sure missed Brinley and Derek on Christmas Day. It was fun to see the kids exchange gifts with each other over Thanksgiving when they were in town.  They were also very thoughtful in the gifts they chose for Brian and me. (I want to have a record of some of what we exchanged because I think it's fun to look back on.) The kids gave some woodworking items. We all chuckled because nobody was exactly sure what they were giving him....so I'm just going to leave that there.

Here are some kind gifts they gave me. Aubrey: Bath and Body soap and a mascara she loves. Tanner and Erin: a soft sweater, pretty layered necklaces, a candle, and chapstick Parker: the new Survivor game (He knows I love games and that show.) Brinley and Derek: several pretty gold bracelets and new cookie sheets.

For several years, Brian and I have decided on a budget and buy and wrap our own gifts. It has worked well for us and helped simplify such a busy time of year. We also know just the gifts to give-hee hee.  

I think giving and receiving thoughtful gifts is one of the many ways Christmas brings us closer together.

Bri, me (Erin), Tanner, Erin, Aubrey, Parker & Kaide

It's a bit blurry...but I sure loved chatting with Brinley and hearing about her Christmas day with the Atkinsons.

Kaide LOVED his 49ers helmet and new football. He also loved his new soccer jersey from his other grandparents.

Also...it's very clear "who wore it better!" (Sorry Parker...) 

Tanner and Erin were moving on to their next family gathering (!), and we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Vore's to say hello. It was so fun to end up there at the same time as the Birds.

Brit, Hudson, Adam, Grandpa, Gram

Bri, Parker, Braddock, Ella & Aub

I sure love these two. They are the best parents a girl could ask for. We got my mom some matching green pajamas, and of course, made a Shutterfly photo calendar for them. We also gave my dad a little Jeopardy calendar that has daily questions and the book, "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom.  Someone shared part of that book in their talk, and my dad had never heard of it. Now he is reading it to my mom each day.

It's so weird to come home to a quiet, bare house for Christmas afternoon. We rested, read, and Park and I went on a long neighborhood walk.

Brian and I made dinner together. (I mentioned next year maybe we should just do a simple breakfast so he had more downtime on Christmas day. I hope he will consider it.) For our second year in a row, we loaded everything up and headed over to enjoy the meal with Grandpa. My mom goes to bed at 5:00, and so he is pretty homebound each evening. It was fun to be together. 

We finished our relatively quiet Christmas day by trying out the new Survivor game from Parker. He was so sneaky and deceptive in his game play, and if I am remembering correctly, he was the sole Survivor. 

 

More Christmas Gatherings

December 21 & 24, 2025

We enjoyed our usual Christmas family festivities. We had the cousin Christmas party on Sunday evening and then our Christmas Eve gathering at noon on Wednesday. Brit and I are still trying to tweak the cousin party to fit our current group. For years, the kids drew names and exchanged gifts. Over the last couple of years, we switched to a candy bar trading game. This year, we decided to just try viewing Christmas lights and playing games.

The cousins are growing up and moving away. Britney's crew is the last of the original Vore cousins, but luckily, we have some second cousins, who are local, coming up through the ranks. I guess all of this to say, I'm not sure how long the cousin Christmas party tradition will last. Maybe passing the reins on to the next generation or just tabling it for the time is the answer.

The weather was pretty mild. I think the high was 58°, but we all still enjoyed some hot chocolate before our Christmas light walk. 

The Kerry Vores were not able to make it this year. We were glad Grandma and Grandpa Honey were able to join in the fun.

Charlotte, Becca, Braddock, Britney, Adam, Grandma and Grandpa Honey (aka Shari & John Martin), & Brian

Parker, Aubrey, Ella, Char, Hudson w/ Gracie, Braddock, Becca, Megan, Adam
Front: Lincoln, Noah, and Christian

This neighborhood goes all out in decorating, and it's nice to visit while we walk the short two blocks.

We headed back to the Birds for the game portion of the night. We decided we should have games for the littles and then a different one for the older cousins and adults. 

Duck, Duck, Goose was a hit. I love Gracie in her little chef's hat making the rounds.

Kaide, Christian, Gracie and Char in the circle w/ Brit, Adam & Tanner watching

Ella (10) was willing to help with the littles but definitely wanted to be included with the bigs. 

Ella dashing to her spot

Noah's turn!

I had planned Fish Bowl, a charades game, for the older group. I tried to get it going, but it was a flop. I felt a little disappointed, but I think everyone enjoyed just hanging out like we do most Sunday nights.

Christmas Eve

Cheers to milder winter weather. This screenshot was taken on Christmas Eve. It's wild.

 

Our Christmas Eve gathering was nice, as expected. We enjoyed pizza, salad, and treats. The pizza was a little gift to the ladies from the ladies...less to have to plan for and prepare. We visited and then shared talents and enjoyed listening/watching the nativity. 

Kaide and his family shared his talent of dribbling a soccer ball through cones. He was so cute. Erin's family is very into soccer, and Tanner has been taking Kaide to "train" at the park.

The Birdies each shared a Haiku they had written. The poems were cute and witty.

I absolutely LOVED Nate's talent. He shared a five minute video of the joke we played on Britney and Adam at the sibling gift exchange. It was fun to laugh all together while we watched the video. 

We loved that Chris and Ang were able to join us from Cote d'Ivoire. They shared some about their mission, and we were able to ask questions.

Their grandkids were waving and waving when they were on the big screen. 

For their talent, Chris and Ang shared a video of children from one of the branches doing a dance.

I love the nativity. It is beautiful to listen to the story of Jesus' birth while watching the little and not so little ones act it out.

We had our gathering at noon, and so when I heard that Nate and Beth were going to her family's church for a Christmas Eve candlelight service, I decided to go too. I am really glad I did. It was a small gathering of maybe thirty people. There was Christmas music by their preacher and two other members of their congregation. Then Beth's mom, Ilene, did the reading and then we lit our candles and sang Silent Night. It was beautiful and filled my heart. I loved seeing and being with other children of God celebrating the birth of His son, Jesus Christ.

Nate & Beth

December Days with the People I Love

 December 2025

For the past year, I’ve helped care for my mom two days a week. As of January, I’m stepping back from that role. I’ll be shifting gears to help with Kaide instead when Erin starts nursing school. We don’t yet know what that schedule will look like, but I’m excited for her—and I know Kaide and I will have plenty of fun days ahead. 

We have had beautiful weather this month. It has been unseasonably warm with very little wind, and my mom and I have been able to get out of the house quite a bit. We've gone on walks, drives, to Hobby Lobby, and to the mall. She loved looking at all of the pretty Christmas decorations inside stores and out in the neighborhoods. I loved the outings too. It made our days go by faster and gave us some interesting things to see.

I seriously LOVE this December weather. Warm, sunny, windless days=bliss.

Brian was able to go to California to be with his parents for several days in early December. Bruce, Kyle and Sarah were there as well. They were able to enjoy visiting all together and also were able to get lots of big and small projects done around the house. 

Bruce & Kyle

Bri and Kyle

Joyce & Bri

Jerry woodworking in the garage.

We didn't plan it this way, but when Brian was out of town, our friend, Alma Merriman, came in to town for a few days. She stayed at our house, and she and I had a few fun filled days together. On Thursday, we went to the Merry Mojo Christmas concert at the Wagner Noel and were so impressed. Permian High School's orchestra, band, and choir groups put on a phenomenal show. Braddock performed with the band (euphonium) and Hudson (cello) with the orchestra, which made it even more special.

On Friday, we visited my mom. To be honest, this was the main reason Alma made the trip. She was one of my mom's sweet caregivers, and she dearly loves her. Alma says she thinks they must have been friends in the preexistence, and I believe her. They have a beautiful bond. We ran a few errands and picked up food for a yummy dinner...which Alma made for me. (insert face palm) She is one of the most giving people I know. Luckily, Tanner and family were able to come over for dinner because there was a ton. It was also really fun to all visit together. 

Alma reserved Saturday morning to care for my mom. For lunch, my dad took me, Alma, and Julie Proctor (another former caregiver) to Rosas for lunch. On Saturday afternoon, Alma went to Cathy Bonifay's choir concert while I decorated for the ward Christmas party, and Saturday night we enjoyed the ward party. Then, bright and early on Sunday morning, I took her back to the airport to head home to Pennsylvania. It was a quick trip, but I loved seeing her again. We made use of those 2 1/2 days!

I think one can tell from this picture that my mom is loved. Lft-rt: Alma, Mom, me, & Julie

The ward party was nice and especially nice when it was over! The RS activities committee was asked to be in charge of it, and I am currently the counselor in the RS presidency over activities. The committee did an outstanding job of planning and making it all happen. These events are so. much. work. There were beautiful table decorations, good food, lots of desserts, a hot chocolate bar, a small musical program, lots of visiting, and a visit from Santa. Bishop Bird agreed that organizations other than Relief Society would take care of clean up. My favorite part was not staying until the bitter end of a very long day to clean up afterwards.

It was Kaide's first time visiting Santa. He stood in line for about 10 seconds, slipped closer to observe, and then cut in front of everyone for a turn. It was so innocent and pretty cute. He did it so fast that Erin hadn't even made it to the line yet, so 15 minutes later, he had another turn. 

Tanner took a turn also.

Aubrey filled her last few weeks of the semester with friend outings, temple trips, volleyball, working out, ward activities, and finals. I think this picture is from an evening in SLC shopping and looking at the Christmas lights.

Katie, Aubrey Gwilliam, Charlotte Erickson, Macey, Hannah Turner, Hannah

Brinley and two other students from her cohort had the opportunity to present their research at a conference in HAWAII!!!! So she and Derek spent part of their December enjoying the island life. I'm so jealous. One day I hope to make it to Hawaii...my dream vacation. They loved having a week there to relax and explore. They especially loved the Polynesian Cultural Center. 

Also, a big congratulation to Derek for graduating from BYU in December. He and Brinley will both walk the stage in April.

Parker offhandedly mentioned a cool hat he received after doing a modeling job on campus. What? You are supposed to tell your mother these things. They make her feel proud that other people also think her son is handsome. He said he was very uncomfortable the whole time. Ha! When I expressed a desire to see the video, he couldn't find it anymore, but he found a thread with a few screenshots. Kind of cool.

Top left

Top left

Park is wearing the navy shirt.

Bottom right...please ignore the mustache...this mama is not a fan...it was no shave November

As far as what has been keeping me personally busy this month, I made some Santa bags. some personalized shirts and sold several of my bracelets. I've been doing lots of online shopping (bless that invention) and wrapping of gifts. I've enjoyed lunches with friends and family, my monthly book club, and working out with Britney 3x a week.

For friend/neighbor gifts, we did Christmas puzzles or cinnamon rolls. We added a cute ornament for Erin Noel's family and Derek's family.

Our college kids' turnaround from Thanksgiving to Christmas break came fast, and it was so nice having them home again. This picture was from a family lunch (aka Taco Villa Monday on Wednesday at Fuddruckers). It was especially nice that my mom was able to join. After lunch, my dad took her for a walk around the mall while the young adults visited and watched their children play on the indoor playground.

Another bonus about having this handsome boy home from college is that he is a worker. I looked out the kitchen window and noticed him finishing up the leaves that Brian had been working on. I about cried tears of joy. He also asked me several times over the break what he could do to help. He made my day everytime!

He and Brian also worked on reroofing a little storage building we have out back. 

Park got lots of playing in also though. He was a good buddy to Kaide.

Tanner and Parker also went golfing or to the range a few times over the break. Brian hooked them up with an early Christmas present: golf lesson's w/ Mike Winfrey. Mike is probably Brian's best friend, and he was an All-American golfer at Texas Tech back in the day. Brian and the boys enjoyed the afternoon.

Aubrey came home a few days after Parker and had her wisdom teeth taken out right away. So, she has her very own blog post, which you can see here. After recovering from oral surgery, she hung out with Charlotte, (girl) Parker, and Maci quite a bit. She also left her wallet at the Odessa College gym one day and had to replace her driver's license, BYU ID, and dorm key. 

My dad snapped this picture of us at church. The original was not very flattering of me or Britney (humped back, bellies out-trust me!)  Luckily, he went with a Christmas AI trend and came up with this cute photo. 

Brit, Mom, me

We were able to have FHE as a family a couple of times. (We missed Bryn and Derek who spent Christmas with the Atkinsons in Delta, Utah.) Duck, Duck, Goose is still reigning as the current FHE activity of choice.

A few days before Christmas, we enjoyed bowling with the Bird cousins. We invited the extended family, but they were the only ones who made it. We took advantage of the "spend $10 at the snack bar and get two free games" special. It was fun to snack on pizza and drinks, visit with cousins, and enjoy bowling. 

Grandpa stopped, by after his lunch with Kerry and Nathan, to say hello to the group.

Parker, Kaide, Erin, Braddock, Hud, Ella, Char, Aubrey, Tanner & me

As we head into Christmas week, I’m realizing how much I appreciate this slower season of life. There’s still plenty going on—family coming and going, church activities, visits with friends—but it feels calmer than the years filled with sports, concerts, and packed calendars. I’ve loved the extra time for walks, simple outings, and being together without rushing to the next thing. The first few weeks of December were full in all the right ways, and I’m grateful for it.