Christmas 2019

For years Beth has been wanting to do matching pajamas for Christmas. This year we finally did it!

We have glasses that make lights into different 3-D shapes. Debbie and Beth were looking up at our recessed lights. 

Family pictures!!! Including Daisy and Santa Cloey.

Ally went to sleep at 830 and Debbie and Dave were sound asleep by 930. The 3 Santas did our work and we all had a great night of sleep. 

Christmas Morning!!! Stockings first.

Dave got a Dave mask

And didn’t know what that was!


Becky got a “hipster Pug” or ornament.

Debbie got a reindeer toss game. And is wearing a beautiful scarf that Beth knitted for her.

Ally loves the plaque and gift cards from Great Aunt Martha and Uncle Phil (and another gift card from Gruncle and aunt Suzie).

Beth also knit this gorgeous hat for Dave.

Even Daisy got a gift!

Debbie was all in for Christmas cheer

And thrilled with gift from Poppy

A Sherpa fur body pillow for Ally

And then finally her last gift from Santa.

It was double wrapped

Utter delight and glee 










The Apple AirPod wireless ear buds she has been asking for for months. I told her she had to ask Santa. Because mommy and mama were not going to buy them. 

So happy and thankful. 

3 hours of gift opening. Lots of wonderful presents. I am so very blessed. 

After a break it was time to eat 

We ordered from a couple local restaurants for dinner and only had to heat everything up. Delicious. This might become an annual tradition.

After cleaning up it was time for a rousing game of Rudolphopoly.

Love her so very much. 

Photoshoot

 We have had family pictures taken by the same photographer since Ally was 2. We try to get professional pictures done at least every two years.

This year we met Kristin in her studio. Our schedule is insane with gymnastics and it was something new.

It sure was new and different

The teenager attitude is on full display in most of these.

The photographer does print work for a T shirt company so she had Ally do a few poses in a shirt.

And she played with backgrounds

Some headshots for Becky and me

And just for fun a few more of Ally. Check out those lashes!

And the picture for our Christmas Card:

It was a pretty awesome experience.

Gymnastics Meet

Ally had her first meet for her level 6 season today. She has an injury called Iliac Crest Apophysitis which is basically inflammation around the growth plates at her hips. That means she hips hurts every time she lands from jumping or leaping. 

The doctor says a few weeks of rest and physical therapy and she will be fine.

So today she only competed on bars.

Picture above is from her Instagram feed.

So much fun with these girls. This is their 4th year competing together. 

Well Ally rocked it!

1st place in her age group. 

She was pretty happy. 

Stella who did not compete because she has a broken foot and a teammate from last year Kavi. Ally and I went back to the meet after lunch to watch Kavi compete.

It was a pretty good day.

Thanksgiving 2019

Grandpa Frank is still in a rehabilitation facility so this year we brought dinner to him!

Kurt and his family and Frank and Trish all flew in and we spent the day together.

We left our house at 7am for the drive to NY. Ally and Cloey slept for about 2 of the 3 hour drive.

The cousins played games before heading to see Grandpa Frank.

Girls in the backseat. We talked to Aunt Suzie in Arizona in the car blue tooth and listened to her play Happy Birthday on the oboe. Meredith kept talking about it all day.

Kaitlin and Ally really wanted canned jellied cranberry sauce. 

Ally’s plate. The only thing left was some corn.

Playing Spot It with Grandpa Frank after dinner.

Group photo time



Ally wanted some apple pie with her whipped cream for desert.

And she ate every bite of pie and cream.

We then played Heads Up for about an hour. Lots of fun with this family friendly game. 

Later after we said good bye to Grandpa Frank for the day and Uncle Frank for the Holiday we want back to Grandpa Frank’s house to hang out, watch the Cowboys football game and wait for Target to open.

It is a tradition that we go shopping on Thanksgiving. This year Jackson joined us too. 

Quick note that before we left Ally and Kaitlin finished off the canned cranberry sauce. Crazy! The 2 of them are the whole can.

Target! 

I give the kids a set amount and they shop for their Burthday Christmas gifts. 

Jackson finished his early and so Becky brought him

back to the house. The girls and I had a snack break and then shopped some more.

One big request they had was for matching pajamas. It’s something I have done for them every year we spend Thanksgiving together. I had thought they were too old for this tradition but I was wrong. 

Above is this year 2019. Below is 2016. 

And of course they wanted to recreate their iconic hold Meredith pose. 

It was a different Thanksgiving from years last. We ordered a full catered meal, had it in a rehab but we were together and being together is more important that food or location.