Christmas 2013

I can’t believe that Christmas has already come and gone – what a whirlwind! I was able to travel down to Texas for 6 days around Christmas. It was great to be home with family, but I was sick for most of the time. What a bummer.

I flew into Dallas the Monday before Christmas. My parents and Emily and the girls picked me up at the airport and we headed straight to Mi Cosina to meet Bret for some much-needed Tex Mex and margaritas after a long day of travel. Then we drove around Dallas to look at the incredibly extravagant neighborhood Christmas lights.

Seriously... every single branch and twig on that tree was covered in lights!

On Christmas Eve, we had lunch at the Coleman’s house with aunts, uncles and cousins and then headed to the Christmas Eve service at Highland Park United Methodist. We set out the cookies and milk for Santa, got in bed with dreams of sugar plum fairies dancing in our heads.

Silent Night by candlelight

So glad I got to spend Christmas with these girls!

Just wish these little guys could have been there, too!

Ready for Santa!

I woke up early on Christmas morning to see the girls open their stockings and gifts from Santa. I just love Christmas morning with little kids! Then we headed back over to the Colemans for Christmas dinner with the McCalls. My cousin Brandon drove to Dallas to be with us which was a highlight of my trip. I hadn’t seen Brandon in five years, right before I moved to Portland and he moved to Korea and then Russia. It was so great getting to spend time with him.

My parents and I drove back to Waco on Christmas night. Our immediate family got together the next day to celebrate Christmas and open gifts. I always love when we are all together, since it’s become somewhat of a rare occasion.

Chaos with the whole crew!

Taylor got this cool deer decoy...!?

My dad’s side of the family came in town the weekend after Christmas for my granddad’s 85th birthday. We all went to dinner at Ninfa’s on Friday night, but unfortunately I got real sick later that night and was practically in bed the rest of the weekend. Uncle Les and Jennifer graciously drove my sick self back to Dallas so I could fly out on Sunday. I headed back to Portland to continue recovering. Maybe it was the flu, or maybe the craziness of the holiday season finally caught up to me!

And now it’s 2014! Happy New Year to you – I’m looking forward to what it has in store for all of us.



If this doesn't make you smile...
We kept bribing sweet little Henry to sing these two Christmas songs over and over for our entertainment.  We couldn't get enough of it!  So stinkin' cute!!

Away in a Manger:

 

Santa Claus is Coming to Town (performed in his new Mickey Mouse costume):