Christmas 2018

Although I prefer to stay home for Christmas, we opted to drive down to Georgia this year, in part because it had been awhile and also we wanted to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. Fifty years--incredible!

 We actually ended up doing a big group chat on the day of their anniversary instead, which was really fun. I am so thankful for my parents and that they are grandparents to our children, sealed together forever if we remain worthy.

We drove down in the evening and got to Georgia around 2am (thanks to Michael's good driving and some Diet Pepsi and tunes). It was great to be there, and my mom had made everything look beautiful.

My dad wasn't feeling well for most of our visit and didn't want to get Benjy sick, but he did enjoy watching him. Benjy enjoys any eye contact and conversation he can get.

Bapa was feeling well enough to do this at the park, though, apparently, when he and my mom graciously took the kids the first morning so we could get some sleep. :-) That evening we enjoyed a wonderful time at the temple with Joseph and Jenna and Erik and L'Anita, thanks to my parents' willingness to watch the kids again.

 We were able to spend some time with the Weilers as well, which was really fun. One morning the boys and Grandpa took the grandkids to the park, enabling the ladies to stay and chat. A big highlight of our visit was talking with L'Anita and Erik.

We hiked Stone Mountain with the Heiss family and Grandpa on Christmas Eve morning, too. I was very proud of Clara for hiking all the way up and down, thanks to the imagination and help of Abigail and Anne whose pretending made the hike bearable and possibly even enjoyable.

One day at the Weilers' we played a hilarious game from Uncle Joseph of "rock paper scissors shoot" using milk jugs and a helmet (you hit the other person on the head with the jug if you beat them while they tried to put the helmet on before you could hit them). Robbie and Samuel were a good match--it was so fun to see them play together, especially since they're only a month or so apart.

At Nana and Bapa's, Benjy enjoyed some tickles and wrestles from Daddy along with Henry.

 And Mr. Fox paid a visit or two.

On Sunday, we went to church with my parents and enjoyed seeing my friend Mandy Tyree and her beautiful family.

 And then that evening, they held the annual Dunford Christmas Eve buffet with Matt and Tana and Clay and Amie's families. It was great seeing all of them.

 Our sweet ugly sweaters. Just for the record, I'd like to announce that this season I won not one but TWO ugly sweater contests wearing this sweater. Thank you.

 Henry and Cailey became buddies, and all of the grandkids loved Benjy (we could have just left him and they would have been happy handing him around the rest of the night). It was very cute.

On Christmas Eve morning, Robbie helped Nana make cinnamon roll Santas.

 Yum!

 On Christmas Eve evening, my parents invited the Weilers to come over, and we enjoyed a Joseph and Mary dinner together. It was special to hear everyone's comments about Christmas and feel the Spirit as we ate and chatted together, reading Luke 2 and a nice excerpt from Elder Holland.

 After they left, the kids took showers and, oh boy, the elves brought them new pajamas! Fortunately, it was pretty late, and the kids went to bed without much trouble.

 Merry Christmas! The kids slept in until about 6:30 or so, and then after lining up on the stairs they came down to see their stockings.

 Stockings really are the best part of the morning.


After breakfast, we enjoyed opening our presents one at a time and giving hugs to each other.

 Clay and Amie graciously invited us over on Christmas afternoon and put out a delicious spread.

 While the kids got a week's worth of screen time, the adults played "Codenames," which was a lot of fun.


Henry was thrilled that Uncle Clay let him hold his laptop and watch Charlie Brown.

 The following day we left for Georgia, but not before Michael was able to grab a quick round of golf with the boys. These pics that my dad took just make me laugh!

It was a full and wonderful time. I am so thankful that we didn't get sick while we were there (although Michael was sick with a cold most of December and most of us got the stomach bug later). On to New Year's!

2018 Family Photos

We got some family photos taken for our Christmas card this year.

 Handsome boy even with the fake smile.

 Getting so old!

 So grateful that we have these beautiful kids.

 I love this pic.

 That lip.

 The whole fam.

 She has really grown up a lot this past year.

 I feel like Benjy's saying, "What have I gotten myself into?!"

 Despite my inadequacies and the challenges, I love being a mother.

 Especially with this guy by my side.

Fall fun and other random pics

We went on a very chilly hike one weekend in early November. This was the first hike we didn't make Clara come on, and I was pretty nervous. Mercifully, I somehow had cell coverage at the top of Hawksbill Peak (the highest point in Shenandoah National Forest) and she called me then. It was pretty windy and cold though, so it was probably a good hike for her to have missed. Still, I struggle with knowing when to give her the option of not participating and when she needs to come even though she doesn't want to.

 The hike is just 1.7 miles round trip, and the boys did well.

 I chuckled at Henry so many times--he had to continually stop to pick up sticks (some very large like in the pic above) or rocks, some of which were half-buried in the path. He definitely likes to take his time.

 The windy summit!

 My favorite hiking buddy.

 Checking out the view--Robbie and Henry wanted to climb all over the slippery, somewhat wet rocks, which made my mama heart quite nervous. Fortunately no accident occurred.

 We had a chilly cookout with our volcano stove, the boys helping to gather kindling and tinder to help the coals along.

 Nothing like the satisfaction of getting a fire started.

 Benjy was quite a trooper, although after a little while I hustled back to the car to nurse him out of the wind and cold. I am so grateful that we have warm cars and warm homes.

The boys came upon my mom's old wig that we have inherited.  Ooh la la!

 We have been having difficulty with the kids in Sacrament meeting (and on Sundays in general, or maybe just in general period!) sitting still during dinner and our very short devotionals, listening, etc. This was the board that Michael wrote during a family council we had. Things have improved a little since I've sent one of the boys up to sit with him every other Sunday for the last fifteen-ish minutes of the meeting.

 One Sunday I had them stay after church to practice being reverent and took pics so I can make them (at some point!) a reverence book to look at during the Sacrament.

Me and my two pumpkins--I think this was Halloween or the day before.

One successful Sunday evening devotional we used the props I made (which Michael had helped design/cut out) and practiced singing "We'll Bring the World His Truth."