Reunion of Friends & Merry Christmas!

Y'all... Christmas is so soon! 

  We recently were able to be reunited with some friends along our road trip.

These are some good friends and teammates we served with in Bogota and we were able to see them stateside and meet their new baby.  

These sweet friends we have known for 12 years.  They were our first introduction to Colombia and we have all lived in the states together and Colombia together, and we were able to see them while they are stateside.   

These are also some teammates we served with in Bogota we were able to see while they are in the USA.  We met them during training and also spent a month with this couple in Brussels, Belgium.

We are so thankful for these friendships we met on our missionary journey!

This is a picture of our girls with some of our dear friends.  We love this family and they have been great friends and also supporters of ours in many ways while we were on the mission field.

While on our trip, I was also able to visit with other dear friends, but just forgot to get pictures then because our time was so brief.  

I love catching up and seeing old friends!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a great weekend with family and friends.

So thankful Jesus came for all mankind.

"A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices."

In our weariness of this life, may we all rejoice at the birth of Jesus.

Road Trip to the Carolinas!

We went on a road trip this past week to visit with Avery's family in the Carolinas.

We start our road trip with snacks....

And Chick-Fil-A!

After we arrived, we went to a place called Sports Connection where we ate pizza and played games, including laser tag.

We had a Christmas brunch and the kids (and some adults too) played a game beforehand.

Time to open presents!

My cute little niece

And my cute, cool little nephew :)

Isabella and Avery's dad

We spent a little time in Ft. Mill, SC too.

We also traveled to Boone, NC, which reminded us all of a little Hallmark town.  I have been here before and it is a nice little college town. 

Me and Fiona :)

We ate lunch at the Daniel Boone Inn Restaurant.

Our girls with their grandparents 

Our group of 11 at lunch 

We enjoyed our time away, but there's no place like home!

What's Up Wednesday ~ December Edition

What we're eating this week..................

We've been on a road trip, so we have eaten junk food :(.

As far as the rest of the week at home, it will be probably leftovers.

However, we will have a good home cooked meal Christmas Eve!!

What I'm reminiscing about...............

At this time of year, I always think back to Christmas' when our girls were little and the sweet excitement of Christmas.

What I'm loving....................

I am thankful my congestion and ear pain has cleared up, even though it took about 3 weeks for my ears to feel back to normal.

What we've been up to..........................

We've been spending time with family friends this past week. And making one last Amazon order!

What I'm dreading...............................

Taking the lights and decorations off the tree are never too fun, but maybe I can put on a Hallmark movie and it will go by fast.  In one strange way however, I don't dread the actual organization of our Christmas things.

What I'm working on........................

A few gifts more to wrap,  grocery shopping and cleaning for company this weekend.

What I'm excited about................................

Having my family here for Christmas, especially my greats!

What I'm watching/reading..............................

We will watch our annual movie this weekend, The Nativity Story.

What I'm listening to........................................

Christmas music, mainly Gwen Stefani's new Christmas album, which is my favorite!

What I'm wearing......................

Leggings and sweaters until upgrading to jeans and a shirt for Christmas Eve, ha!

What I'm doing this weekend............................................

Christmas celebrations with family

What I'm looking forward to next month.................................

Cleaning the house post Christmas and celebrating 1 year in our home!

What else is new.........................................

 We have a few house projects we are completing and I will do some post on our home next month showing some before and after.

May your day be merry and bright!

Friday Favorites

This week we went a Christmas lights event at our local Botanical Gardens.  It was a great night to walk and see the lights, and as a bonus, we went on the free community night!!  Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded either.

I had a first happen this week.  Now that I have a teenage driver (seriously, how can that be??), my girls drove to the store, picked out and paid for my Christmas gift all on their own.  It was the sweetest gift yet.  They wanted me to open my gift early, and Avery opened his early too.  I received a dress, canister and a delicious bin of flavored popcorn with Christmas sprinkles!  This is definitely a favorite!

Y'all, I am kind of obsessed with Gwen Stefani's new Christmas album and am a fan. We loved watching her holiday show and was a reminder of variety shows of my childhood.

As the week progressed, I didn't take as many pictures, but one of our favorites this week was eating our favorite local pizza with our 93 year old former neighbor.  We enjoy spending time with him and he even served us on cute Christmas plates!

We had visitors one night this week, Leah and Lucas.  Leah is our dear friend we met in Brussels, Belgium in 2014 and we have been in touch since then.  She attends a university a few hours from us and brought her boyfriend with her on this visit for us to meet.  We had a lovely time getting to know him and eating pie in front of the fireplace!  Sadly, once again, I forgot to take a picture.  

Happy Weekend!

Favorite Holiday Recipe

Today I am highlighting a few favorite holiday recipes.  When I think holiday recipes, I think sweet and savory!

First, is this fruit tree.

I have made this for Christmas morning before and it is very easy, festive and healthy.  I bought a styrofoam tree and used toothpicks to attach the fruit.

Second, a savory, hearty appetizer.  I plan on making these possibly for New Years Eve, or maybe even before then. 

Bacon Wrapped Cocktail Sausages

Third, this is a classic appetizer that I also make around New Years.  I like that this recipe calls for cream cheese.  It makes the sausage balls extra good :). 

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

Fourth, this is another easy, healthy appetizer.  I think I will prepare this for our Christmas Eve appetizer.

Fifth, I will end with one of my favorite sweet treats.

Oreo Christmas Bark

This all makes me hungry and ready for more Christmas and New Years celebrations!

Christmas Home Tour 2017

We are so excited to celebrate Christmas in our new home this year!  We returned to the USA last November & were staying with family & friends last holiday season & also the Christmas before we left the USA (we were missionaries in South America for 3 years), so this is our first Christmas in our own home as a family in the USA since December 2012.  We moved into our current home the beginning of this year, so it is our first Christmas in this home.  It was fun to bring out old Christmas items and buy new ones that we didn't have (like a wreath and Christmas tree stand!) and to figure out "where we will put things" in our new home.  I decorated the weekend before Thanksgiving and have no regrets.  Quick warning....lots of pictures below :). 

 Welcome to our home tour!

Entry way table

(I am putting our Christmas cards in the gold basket).

We have a ledge upstairs and I purchased this tree at a yard sale in our neighborhood this fall. 

On this table, I have garland with lights & ornaments on it and my nativity sets. 

This is a little one made in Colombia. I love having touches of Colombia in our holiday decorations! 

Mantle and tree 

This came from Colombia.

This was a small stocking I made when I was a child for my grandfather, one of my heroes in life.  I like to display it every year in his memory. 

Sofa pillow and blanket

Coffee table books 

Basket of old kids books and Christmas DVD's   

Below are some ornament highlights: 

Colombia and USA ornaments 

This picture features our Home for the Holidays ornament I bought last December, a wooden cross Avery bought me for my birthday and the matchbox ornament (with the small stockings on it) we bought the year we got married. 

Sea World ornament (we loved the dolphins and dolphin show when we went). 

Harrods bear (from London) and ornament from Colombia 

Red ornament from Peru, crosstitch ornament made by my mother, snowman painted by Brook, and Mickey Mouse 

Wooden bear ornament I've had since childhood and Elvis :)

Ornament from our friends who live in Bangkok, Thailand

Our kitchen

Holiday dish towels :)

Christmas kitchen candle

Breakfast area

Dining room table

Guest Bath touches of holiday soaps and hand towel 

Our back porch table 

These small decorations sit on a table upstairs. 

These are decorations in the girls' rooms. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit & looking forward to seeing all the home tours!