Six Favorites from Christmas Day

December 25, 2024

Six Favorites from Christmas Day

1. Probably my very favorite part of Christmas day this year was Brian's thoughtful suggestion to take Christmas dinner over to my parents' house so my dad could join us. Due to my mom's health, she is in bed by 5:00 each evening.  My dad seemed happily surprised, and we had delicious meal together.  He is a lot of fun to be with and we miss him during evening family activities when he is the main caregiver for my mom.  

I must add that Brian, per his awesome goodness/tradition, made the meal as well. Bless him!

2. Another shoutout to Bri Bri, unbeknownst to us, he set up a time lapse video to capture part of our Christmas morning. Aubrey loves making time lapse of her everyday life: cleaning her room, putting on make up, hanging out with friends. Brian is really good about connecting to each of our kids in meaningful ways. Aubrey got a kick out of the video, and I loved it.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/958421546188190 

(Viewing w/ this link is more fun because of the music in the background. I tried to download and add music on YouTube but apparently it's beyond my pay raise. Or you can click here for no music: video

3. Matching PJs 

Tanner, Erin and Kaide walking in on Christmas morning was one of the most adorable things I have seen.  And I never could have pictured Tanner participating in matching outfits so nonchalantly. 

Waiting in the hall to look at stockings

Opening stockings (Frisbee golf disc set for Brinley, Derek & Parker; a travel phone holder and nice flashlight for Tanner & Erin; a sweater and earrings for Aubrey and a small power wheel ride on car for Kaide)  

4. Showing up at my parents to exchange gifts with them at the same time the Bird family did.  We love the Birdies!

Me (Erin), Mom (Laurel) and Britney

Parker, Ella, Braddock, Aubrey, Hud and Charlotte

Mom/Gram & Adam

5. Thoughtful (and Funny) Gifts

Parker gave Brian a fake finger tip!  He's healed!

Although I've suggested on and off the past several years, this is the first year the kids decided to draw names for each other. Instead of giving small $5-$20 gifts to each other, they wanted to be able to put that into the gift for the person they drew.  

6. Game Night! We laughed until we cried while playing Ransom Notes. We missed Erin but were glad Tanner was able to make it. We had a very merry Christmas!

Cousin Gift Exchange & Christmas Lights

December 22, 2024

We wanted to do the cousin gift exchange so my parents could be a part of it, and that was a little tricky.  We decided if we met at their house right after 10:00 church it would work.  It was a little crazy though because we didn't account for Adam and Megan who have 1:30 church in Midland.  

We squeezed a lively lunch and candy exchange in before they had to leave.  It's been a few years since so many people have been at my parents at once, and luckily my mom took the commotion like a champ.

Brit, Ang, Grandpa and I coordinated lunch: hot sandwiches, fruit, chips and drinks.

It was cute to see the young adult cousins catching up.

Let the games begin... The cousins brought their favorite candy and $5 and Grandpa and Ang added a little bit more to make it extra fun.  We put random amounts of money in envelopes, taped one envelope to each candy, and had a gift exchange.  Everyone ended up a winner.  Braddock was the big winner though and went home with the fifty dollar bill.

Joseph...not sure if those socks are the cool thing or if he just forgot to pack dress socks.  I am going with he forgot!

Char making her choice.

It was really sweet to see my mom in the big circle amidst her posterity just snuggling with my dad.  It was a moment of clarity and contentment for her.

The big group

Lft-rt: Adam Bird, Adam, Megan & Gracie Vore, Britney Bird, Brian & Erin Gwilliam, Kate Vore holding Noah (V), Joseph & Benjamin Vore, Grandpa & Gram Vore, Parker Gwilliam, Derek& Brinley Atkinson, Braddock Bird, Aubrey Gwilliam, Hudson Bird & Holden w/ Olivia Vore who you can't see.  Front row: Ella Bird(sucking on her candy), Lincoln & Christian Vore, Charlotte Bird, Erin, Kaide & Tanner Gwilliam, Lauron Vore, Courtney Rodgers & Angelique Vore

The cousins, flashing their cash, with Gram and Grandpa.

We all went our separate ways for a few hours until it was time for hot chocolate and walking the lights at 6:30, followed by our usual Sunday night family gathering.  The Sunday felt a little too busy paced and I was feeling a little bad about having so much packed in.  It especially adds up for the moms who are making and serving the food and keeping everyone on schedule.  Ang reminded me though that it is good to have something to hurry to.  And that is so true!  I think for the kids coming home from the adventurous, exciting pace of college life they at least had a few things on their schedule besides church from 10-11 a.m.

Me, Ang & Joseph serving the hot chocolate

Derek, Bryn & Kate

Aubrey & Bri

Char, Braddock w/ girlfriend Becca, & Ella

Once everyone had hot chocolate, we walked the two block loop together-ish.

Aub, Hud, Lincoln, Char, Ella, Christian, Adam B., Benja, Derek, Bryn, Park, Braddock, Tan, Kaide and Erin

Becca, Braddock, Tan, Erin and Kaide, Brian

Courtney, baby Olivia and Holden, Ang & Brit

We wrapped up the night by hanging at the Birds.  Aubrey has been on a Speed card game kick with her friends.  It spread!  Pretty soon everyone was playing and then Brit organized a tournament.  Just for the history's sake, Aubrey won and Brit placed second.

The Vores headed out around 9:00 but our group stayed two more hours and played in the shop with the Bird family.  I was worried about overstaying, but Brit insisted.  Later she said this was her very favorite night of Christmas break.  It was really fun to watch our kids, who are very different ages, having so much fun together.  Cousins make the best friends.

Adam & Bri

Tan & Hud

Tan & Park

Ping pong was HAPPENING!  Braddock, Parker, Tanner and Hudson played one million games.  Tanner and Hudson were insanely good and very competitive.  They were standing 3 feet off the table and just slamming that ball and returning it to each other.

Derek, Char & Elle playing darts

Braddock & Char, Becca & Elle

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

School Pictures

December 2024

Over the years, we would buy the classroom group pictures but didn't purchase individual school pictures.  In the early years, we didn't really have the money.  They always seemed overpriced.  My dad took great pictures of the kids.  We had digital photos.  All the reasons....

However, Lifetouch for the marketing win.  I received an email with pictures of Aubrey from Junior High and High School, and they were so adorable.  Plus, they were only $5 per sheet.  I ordered 5x7 from each year and then photo scanned them so (hopefully) we will come across them for years to come.

(No 8th grade picture because 1. It was a Covid year 2. She homeschooled the first semester.)

Isn't she adorable?  Can't believe my baby graduates this year.

Gram and Gramps Calendar

December 2024

Many years ago I made a calendar with pictures for my parents.  They loved it, and lucky for me, my dad said that was the only thing he wanted from us for Christmas each year.  It's tricky shopping for parents, right?  These calendars take a lot of time, but it's a good labor of love.  I wanted to include several pages from their because it features lots of my siblings and extended family.

The Birdies (My sister Britney Bird and her fam)

Most of the Chris Vores (his oldest Adam and fam were on another calendar page)

The Kerry Vores

A mix of pics plus my mom's caregivers

(Kerry is SMITTEN w/ his granddaughter Olivia)

My dad getting set apart to serve as a service missionary teaching institute online through Pathways. 

(w/ Stake Pres Hal Mead)

My sister Becky Merkley and her family

Nate w/ his wife Beth (They were scattered throughout on a couple of other pages too)

(Bottom left is our family friend Donna Thompson, She painted this picture for my mom.)