Christmas in Pictures

Our Christmas started off with a swoosh as one of Jake’s former players gave us tickets to his game in which his team (Lipscomb) came to town to take on the Cyclones!

That’s Jordan aka Burgie there shooting the three. Jordan was on the first team that Jake ever coached in AAU basketball. Jake coached Jordan starting in 7th grade, and then on up through high school. On this particular night Jordan’s team lost to ISU, but he had an amazing night, racking up 30 points which included 9 three’s. Jordan has a high passion for the game, and is quite the competitor making him so much fun to watch. I caught a lot of pictures of him shooting the three-ball!

After the game it was off to Grandpa & Grandma Sullivan’s house in Minnesota to celebrate Christmas a few days early.

Jayla and cousin Dakota...

Me and my cute-as-can-be nephew Chase...

Uncle Nick teaches Justice how to work his new remote control helicopter...

Grandma Sullivan with all her grandkids!

Jayla and Grandma like to keep track of this squirrel throughout the different seasons.

Everyone always asks me where Jayla and JJ get their red hair from….now you know!

Right before we left it snowed about an inch so we got a little glimpse of a white Christmas after all!

Before long it was Christmas Eve and the whole gang was dressed up and ready to celebrate (If you’re wondering where our Rosebud student is, she goes back to the reservation to be with her family during holidays. Yaw and Peprah are hanging with us over school break).

Our tradition!

The next day at Grandma Lori’s we did some more celebrating, and as my Grandma always says, “It’s just so nice to all be together.” :) I am thankful everyday that my grandparents get to enjoy their great-grandchildren! What a blessing!

My mom made a turkey for dinner, and Justice was so excited to see what an actual turkey looked like once it was cooked! He missed out on this part during Thanksgiving because it had been carved before we got there!

This year Jake had a couple of super-dooper gifts for me that he had been keeping a secret. Usually I can guess ahead-of-time what he’s gotten me (he hates that!) but not this year. This one totally knocked me off my feet, and I have to share….it’s a picture canvas with the verse that God has used to change and refine me….

That’s me and my future daughter (can’t show you her face yet) just moments after I was confronted with the reality that there was no mother for me to hand her to or to console her as she cried. I had not seen this special picture!!!!! One of the other trip-sters had snapped it and after all these months I had not come across it! What a beautiful and tear-inducing surprise. I so desperately wish that I could just blink my eyes and have them here with us. Jake is off to Ghana tomorrow but I am sitting this trip out and it is killing me to not be going. Jake will get to see our girls and we’ve packed some special things for them including these…

Love 'em! I’ll post more trip details and be back to somewhat ‘regular’ blogging on Wednesday....see you then!