Home Group Christmas party

Our second home group was last week. It was a Christmas party mostly since any serious discussion with 50 people in your house is hard to do, but it was a very nice time, and I hope we will have lots more events just like it. It showed Clay and me that the house was built exactly how we would eventually use it.

We had a table set up outside for smores. From Suzette's stance, one little girl was coming back a few too many times. ;-)

This picture is of Rockie and Emili, the youngest couple in our church so far.

Emili and her sister in law Jenny

Matthew with his spiced cider! Maybe it was the hot cocoa?

Again, Matthew eating....a smore!

Kids unwrapping the loot from the Christmas bags that we gave to the kids under 12. You'd have thought it was Christmas night.

Zack, Jimi, and their mother Cindy Polyak

Part of the group upstairs in the media room watching football.

Athena Tidwell and Jenny Robinson

Clay reading the Christmas Story from various parts of the Bible to the kids in the living room.

Then, all the kids went outside for a hayride pulled by Clay's truck. ;-) They loved it!

Jack and Josh manned the two firepits.

More of the kids unwrapping gifts.

Baptizing in Lake Grapevine

It was a balmy day in October, and the water was not yet TOO chilly. Southlake Baptist had its first baptism service. We catered BBQ for everyone, and then had baptism. The lake is behind Clay. I had Abby covered because the wind had kicked up and was cold.

Clay explaining baptism.

Patrick (music leader) and Drew distracting Clay from his BBQ. ;0)

On Wednesday, December 2, we had snow! It is probably going to be the only snow we get all year, so I took lots of pictures. You don't see any Michigan Reeds posting snow pictures, do you? ;-) This is special! The white splotches are the snowflakes.

The 2 1/2 foot snowman.

Matt trying to catch snowflakes. "They taste like water!"

It was very lovely to watch.

We even had to sweep a couple inches off the top of the van.

We went to Heritage Homestead the day after Thanksgiving. It is a working farm with 50-100 families working and worshipping together. They are open year round for school trips, but the weekend after Thanksgiving is a big fair they put on.

Tyler got brave enough to grab a baby chick.

Abby, on the other hand, did not!

A little photo editing of a picture of the guys marching ahead of me.

Abby snuggling with Daddy.

Someone was kind and took our picture by the gristmill.

Driving into the event.

Kaylie's Week

This week I am thankful for Heaven, Jesus Christ, our loving family, and the redemption story. Kaylie would have been 3 already. I actually have no idea the date she went to heaven, but the Friday after Thanksgiving is etched permanently as a very dark, rending day. She is in such a wonderful place now that it really is silly to remember it that way, but that's the way it is.

She will always be remembered as being a perfect, sweet baby. Perfect.

What a tiny munchkin she was.

One of my favorite pictures of Abby and Dad. She was holding him captive!

Abby and I dug into the cake later in the day. ;-)

Tyler and Jack enjoying the rather chilly pool. ;-0

You know it's cramped conditions when the only quiet place for the baby is by the toilet.

More polar bear swimming!

By the time Jack took this photo, we were quite famous. Yes, everyone, they are all mine. ;-)

On Eric's 8th birthday, we were still living in the hotel. And just like every year, Eric had the best birthday of the whole family. First off, it was the week that NASCAR was racing at Texas Motor Speedway (about 20 minutes from us). The men who drive the trailers hauling the cars stayed at our hotel. The first day they were there, they opened the trailers, pulled out lawn chairs, and sat in the parking lot looking alot like tail-gaters. Eric and I went over and asked if they'd let us see the cars. They were super nice, and Eric made out like a bandit. He scored three hats and three signed posters. Granted, he knew NONE of the drivers nor has he ever watched a NASCAR race, but it was fun anyway.

The staff at the hotel restaurant knew us quite well after two weeks of daily breakfasts, and they felt bad for Eric spending his birthday in a hotel. So, on the morning of his birthday, they came out with a bag of goodies...check it out. They raided the hotel store!! Eric's favorite was the shaving cream, and my favorite was the single tea bag. ;-)

The chef, 3 waiters, 2 cooks and the restaurant manager all came over to sing for him. It was in three languages, and sounded horrible, but was super anyway. The three languages were English, Spanish, and Finish. ;-) Yup. The cake was a HUGE pound cake, and that was in addition to the birthday pancake.

View from the road of the house on Quail Run. All those vehicles are construction workers'.

A closer view of the front door.

This is the piano room. In the above picture, this window is the one to the right of the front door.

The kitchen, in all it's construction glory. ;-)

The kitchen in all it's unpacking glory.