LAST POST

This is my last post for 2016. I love this pic of the girls. We've all been through so much this year, but what always stays the same is the love my kids have for each other. We pray for each other, keep each other up to date on our lives, celebrate the good things in each others lives, and truly love each other.

This didn't happen by chance. We worked hard to come to a place where we don't love because of duty, but out of devotion. I'm most thankful for this family trait and I pray it always is the norm in the Rogers' house.

Mountain Home Christmas

It took 3 cars and 2 motel rooms, but we ALL went over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house for Christmas. We attended their Christmas Eve service and had Christmas lunch with my extended family. Mother always is the best hostess and is never bothered by the noise and the amount of people we keep bringing! (Well, the noise is sometimes bothersome!) 

I'm so thankful my kids want to spend time with their grandparents and that even though my married ones needed to be in 2 different states...they made it a priority to be there for our time with my parents. Ryan and Katelyn headed to Texas after lunch and Ian and Lauren headed to pick up his parents and head to Tennessee sometime in the afternoon. 

My children are blessed to be loved by many and to be able to call many family. 

Rogers family Christmas!

It was our privilege to host the Rogers family Christmas! There are a lot of us and we're loud! It was fun to have the house full of family having sweet conversations, taking pictures, running through the house, playing games and eating!

Mimi telling the kids about the ambrosia salad her grandmother and mother passed down from Louisiana.

The girls showing Mimi a video of a Christmas when the kids were all little.

Silly picture, but this is the island I dreamed of lots of people eating from!! 

Cameron likes gifts. 

All the littles get presents from Mimi and Gramps. Annelise, Audra, and Jordan get ready to open. Rebekah and Rob cheer them on. 

This is a room full of chiefs...playing a game! It was loud, with lots of barbs, humor and laughs! 

Girls team wins! 

This is my favorite picture. These are the grandkids! What a legacy! 

Family Night

Thursday night, December 23. After Candlelight service at church we headed home to read love notes. MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR: reading a love note from everyone in the family. Yes, there are 10 of us, yes there were a total of 90 love notes. Yes, it took us an hour and a half. Yes, Cameron was patient, although antsy to get to the gifts as it got later and later. Yes, IT IS ALWAYS WORTH IT.

After love notes each of the kids opened up a gift from one of their siblings.  They all love each other and know each other so well, buying one thoughtful gift was a great way to give this year.

For the record: Katelyn bought razor roller skates for Cameron. Cameron bought two silver rings for Jordan. Jordan bought two Razorback tees for Ryan. Ryan bought a blanket scarf for Erin. Erin bought slippers and flannel sleep pants for Ian. Ian bought personalized stationary and a Russellville tee for Sheridan. Sheridan bought fuzzy socks and a necklace for Lauren. Lauren bought Katelyn a gold clutch purse, gold journal and a cookie cutter (for her collection). It was SO SWEET!

I love it when we're all together, smiling, with pretty paper all over the floor, Christmas lights on the tree, and our hearts filled with love from the personalized notes.

ONE HUNDRED!!

It's just a little thing to most people, but it's BIG to us! When we lived in C'ville we used to have a sign in book during the summers and encourage our kids to bring over as many of their friends as possible. We'd always try to get 100 kids over, but usually hit only around 60 (which is still A LOT of kids). When we built this house, we started thinking how many people had started coming over with our kids, our life group, our family, and our neighbors and made a list.

Christmas week Ryan and Katelyn's friends from Fayetteville came over and Emilee was our 100th guest! I wanted to have a trumpet fanfare, confetti and a live video...but instead, we gave her one of our favorite things - Peanut Butter M & Ms - and took a picture.

It's fun to be able to open our house and know that we use it to welcome, love and serve others. I'm not always good at it, I often discourage my kids from inviting people over when I don't "feel like it" but I know it's what we are called to do. It's not our house, we dedicated it long ago to HIM and don't consider it our own.

WHOBILATION

Well, this year we decided to do something totally different from the norm. Ryan and Katelyn were going to be with us for 5 days, Erin was going to be at home, and the kids were out of school the whole week before Christmas so we decided to plan some events to have fun and family time! 

Our first event was a WHOBILATION! Our family loves the Grinch movie and can quote WAAAYYYYY more of it than any other movie! Last year we invited about 10 people and spent the day cooking fun food. This year we upped our game and added decorations, invited more friends, and well...we cooked all day too! It was a blast to have the house full for just FUN!