Christmas Part 3: Colorado

To have friends like the Mays is a blessing that cannot be measured. This was our second time to go to Colorado, share a home with them nestled in the mountains, ski, snowboard, laugh and eat with them. It was even more peaceful and fun than the last time! We did have to drive until 2am one morning, on icy roads, trying to outrun a storm to get there...but it was all the more wonderful to drive up to the house having been through the uncertainty of the roads. Thank you God for these friends and your beautiful creation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Part 3: Mountain Home

Christmas morning = Mountain Home, monkey bread, stockings, pictures in front of the tree, and then gifts. Next: lunch prep, family arrives, lunch and clean up. The familiarity of this routine is both comforting and comfortable. No matter who comes to the lunch, the day is well spent consuming calories and family lore. I'm thankful my mom hosts, with all her other responsibilities at work. I'm thankful to have a place to go where my kids feel loved and accepted, safe and secure. So many don't have that, have not experienced or seen it, and don't even know it is possible. "I bring you good news that shall be for ALL PEOPLE."

 

Christmas part 2: Conway

We celebrated Christmas Eve on Saturday with the Rogers gang in Conway. Richard's fabulous family gathered to partake in a wonderful meal and share gifts and laughter. Nothing is ever quiet when we're all together, but that's half the fun!

 

Christmas Part 1: Home Sweet Home

 

 

I love Christmas tree lights, pretty wrapping paper, curly ribbon and sitting on the floor with the whole family. I love reading our Christmas love notes, watching the kids as they open surprises, and Christmas music in the background. We celebrate at home whenever we're all going to be together and this year it fell on a Saturday, December 22. It was lovely outside and a perfect day for the kids to try out their new mopeds. Richard gave me a Brighton "R" charm...He KNOWS I love letters, and my name. Sheridan got a new handheld game (possibly her first game not a hand me down). My favorite gift that I gave (and received) was a personalized binder filled with our love notes, Christmas pictures and Top Ten lists from the last 10 years. We think it's so funny that Sheridan can't believe we had pictures or Christmas before 2003. It's really bothering her...Lauren says, "You weren't born!" It's been a good exercise for us to realize that if/when we adopt, those children won't have the memories we have, their own ziplock full of personal ornaments, love note binders...or even stockings that match ours. We're thinking on all that, and it made us more thankful and more grounded than ever before.  

 

 

 

Made these on Friday night...on Saturday morning, someone was missing!

Up on the Rooftop

They do it for me. It's the "free day" of the Thanksgiving weekend and they get out the ladder, the tubs of lights and the bucket of clips. This year they walked on a new roof, and because the lights were getting old and becoming a pain to get to all work at one time...there are some new lights too. Richard, Erin and I unbound and stretched the new lights and Ryan and Lauren put the lights up. They forgot you can't plug in 9 strands in one extension cord and it was a bit of a disappointment when they went out last night after being on for less than an hour. It was too cold to solve in the dark so today Richard went out and changed the fuses so they would come back on. He also added the timers. I love our family and seeing them make choices to do things they don't really want to do, but do anyway.

Christmas in Wisconsin

Home of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers, and cheese. Gramps and Mimi treated the WHOLE Rogers clan to a WEEK in the fun-filled Wisconsin Dells (Water Park Capitol of the World). We thought we were just going to ski, but the Dells are FULL of fun things for everyone in the family. Eleven grandchildren ranging in age from 22-2 found skiing, swimming, and amusements to pack into a full 5 days. My kids loved being with their cousins, in fact, Sheridan's highlight was dinner time each night: "When we got to see everyone in the same place and visit." How about that?

I'll be honest: I married into a glamorous family full of beautiful ladies and smart people and I often feel very frumpy and dull around them. It was also hard for me to share my kiddos with cousins all day and sometimes into the night, right in the middle of the holidays! I have so much to be thankful for, and I really had to work during the week to keep my eyes on the reason for the celebration. I didn't always succeed and I'm thankful my kids never seemed to be affected by my pity party. We even came home unscathed by the 12 hour car ride!  Happy Anniversary Gramps and Mimi and Happy Birthday Jesus.