1. To help our families back home in the south feel more connected to us and know what is going on in our lives.
2. To have a little something to look back on in a few years.
But mainly, I blog for reason number one.
However, today I am blogging for reason number two because we wrapped up 2010 by spending it with our families, so they already know everything I am about to write =)
I left off with celebrating my 27th birthday and getting no so favorable news about Daddy's cancer. So I'll pick up with that...
Dad has started his new chemo and so far is not having any too terrible side effects. In fact, he feels better because his last treatment left him swollen, tired, and achy all of the time. When I talked to him last week, he was downright chipper compared to how he has sounded these last several months. So I am very happy that he is feeling better and hope he continues to feel better, but just continue to pray that his new chemotherapy will do what it's supposed to do and shrink those tumors!!
While I was in Texas with my parents, Derek had flown in and was waiting for me back in Louisiana. One of the first things we got to do when I got home was have a little lunch with some of our most favorite people!
Our friends Kevin and Ashley, who were also in for the holidays all the way from Las Vegas! We laughed about how we all live on the west coast now, but it took coming back to good ol' Bogalusa to get to see each other.
I was so happy to see Ashley! We were bridesmaids in each other's weddings and it was just so good to spend some time with her!
Then it was on to our first Christmas celebration with Derek's family in Denham Springs. Just look what his Aunt Donna made:
The most adorable penguin appetizers! Too adorable to eat =)
And after taking that picture, my camera battery went kaput, and I'm so sad I don't have any pictures from the rest of the day, but trust me, it was the most wonderful day and we absolutely LOVED getting to have a Christmas celebration with our family. We had more food than we'd like to admit and played a fun Stealing Santa game, in which I walked away with my very own LSU Snuggie, and a large can of popcorn, yay! What more could you ask for?
So I charged my battery up to get ready for Christmas celebration number two with my family.
Helped my sweet baby cousin Jax open up some presents (He celebrated his first birthday while we were home!)
He's the most squeezable baby I know =)
Here's Our Taylor Family Snapshot =)
And of course we did lots more eating...and then some napping, too.
Christmas with our families was just wonderful! I am so thankful we got to be home with them =)
And here's our Thomas family picture. Derek and I had arranged to have a photographer come out to take a portrait, but she became ill and couldn't make it, so we set up the tripod and took it ourselves...and I think it turned out perfect!
We got to spend some time with more of our favorite people while we were home, too.
Michael (not pictured), Kimberly, and Noah!! They are dear friends and we just can't get enough time with them when we are home. They are expecting baby #2 in March so we can't wait to meet Luke the next time we are home. And isn't Noah the cutest? I tried to get a picture of him by himself, but when I pulled out the camera and said "Say Cheese," this is what I got...
Now that's a cheesy face! So cute!!
And I also got to see another of my very best friends and meet her sweet baby girl, Eden, who live in Arkansas now.
A million "hoorays" for getting to see these beautiful girls! I love and miss them so much!! Hopefully, they will be making their first trip to Washington this summer...another hooray!!
Took Zack to see his first 3D movie, Yogi Bear!
He was not a fan of the much too large glasses, but he loved the movie. It was cute to watch him reach out toward the screen and try to grab the things that were popping out.
Loved spending some time with three of my favorite fellas!
Aren't Zack and Jared getting so big? They are growing up faster than I'd like them to.
And I loved spending time with my G =)
We really did have such a great time and look forward to our next visit, though it just can't come fast enough. We're so blessed to have such wonderful families.
There's one special lady that I can't help but think about every time we're home because I miss her so much...my Granny. One of my very special Christmas presents was a Willow Tree figurine called "With my Grandmother." As soon as I got home, I found the perfect spot for it.
And I just love seeing it everyday.
So that's how we wrapped up 2010 in a nutshell. We flew back to Washington on New Year's Eve and slept the night away...didn't even make it to midnight, guess that means I'm already "old" at 27, ha! =)
No comments:
Post a Comment