We never, and I mean never,do anything for New Year's, but this year we decided to head up to my hometown to visit with some dear friends and family.
First stop was the home of some dear friends, David and Jennie. They are one of the most amazing couples I know, and since even before Chris and I were married, but definitely throughout our marriage they have been a huge help to us as dear friends and mentors, since they several years ahead of us in both marriage and parenting. We love to have a safe place to share struggles and joys, be welcomed with prayer, thoughtful advice, and make fun shared memories with our families.
Thanks, David and Jennie (and the boys too, of course!) for all the fun and for opening your home to us. We had a blast. AND we got to enjoy some Spoons Frozen Yogurt together, so you know that 2016 is going to be a great year...! :)
hahaha!
No pictures, but we were also able to get some nice visits in with my brother Robbie, his wife Priscilla, and their kiddos, Logan and Christiana. Priscilla is scheduled to have baby boy on Thursday, and we were thrilled to get some time to hang out with them before the busyness of a new baby, followed by my sister's wedding, is upon us. Of course, we are super excited to meet that sweet baby in a few weeks as well, but it was nice to spend time together since the weeks leading up to Christmas were filled to the brim. Thanks for hanging out with us, Robbie and Priscilla. We love relaxing, laughing, and chatting with you guys and we (as always) are grateful for the frozen yogurt which you always manage to bless us with when we visit. Love you and your beautiful family!
And the day after New Year's we spent with my brother Kevin, his wife Sara, and their little ones (Lily, Benji, Dominic, and Lucy). They recently bought property up above Springville that borders the Sequoia National Forest. We loved being up in the mountains and exploring their property and getting out in the nice (cold!) fresh air. There is a zip line on the property that Kayla was brave enough to try, but Elise and Ava could not be convinced that it was either safe or fun. haha.
The girls borrowed jackets and we ventured a portion of their 18 acres. It was beautiful!
This is our godson, Benji. They have some incredible views.
We also were blessed to see a friend from college, John Coakley, whom we haven't seen in years. It was so nice to catch up, laugh, and do a little adventuring together just like old times.
We even found evidence of Elsa. Elise said it was her ice castle.
We finally got a more recent picture with our godson, Benji. He's hard to pin down because he's always on the move, but we convinced him to take just a quick picture. Thanks, Sara, for snapping the picture, and for sharing it with me!
Thank you, Kevin and Sara, for such a lovely visit. We can't wait to come up again especially in the summer and perhaps do some camping and definitely do more hiking into the National Forest.
Of all my siblings, my brother Kevin's kids and ours are the closest in age repeatedly. Kayla and Lily are just 9 days apart. Benji (far right) and Elise are 3 months apart. Ava and Dominic (orange striped shirt) are a month and a half apart, and Sophie and Lucy (not pictured: she was napping) are about a month apart. That's what I call close cousins! Love spending time with your goofy, sweet family, Kevin and Sara. Thanks again for all the fun!
Lily (6), Kayla (6), Sophie (1), Elise (4 3/4), Dominic (3), Ava (3), and Benji (5)
