Ainsley's Sweet Sixteen

It's official! Ainsley is 16! Last week, we celebrated with a trip to Logan's, a "What the Crap!" cake, and presents. Among her gifts was 2.6 pounds of Sour Patch Watermelon candy compliments of Uncle John. She also opened a time capsule that our extended family helped us create specifically to be opened on her 16th birthday. It was pretty neat. There were letters from several relatives that have since passed away. It was heart warming to read what her Great Grandma Bell predicted for her future when she was a baby. Great Grandma was 100% spot on when she wrote about what kind of young lady Ainsley would be at the age of 16.

Once her family party was over we got to work on the friend party we were throwing for her that weekend. She decided she didn't want a huge celebration, so the guest list was fairly small - although, fourteen teenagers in our little house felt like quite a lot of people.

The party went off without a hitch, and I think everyone enjoyed the evening. They played games, ate food, played more games, ate more food, and danced.

Ainsley is about 5 hours away from getting her license and is super excited to start dating. I couldn't be a prouder mama when it comes to this girl. She is a hard worker, she's well rounded, she's a good example of doing what's right, she's talented, she's strong, she's a good friend, and she's so much more. This girl is going places! We love you Ainsley! Happy Sweet Sixteen!

Christmastime is Here

This year Christmas was a bit different than the past few Christmases. We've been spoiled with visits from Grandma and Grandpa Gadd and Uncle John, but this time it wasn't meant to be. We were on our own. Usually we have a family talent show, but with fewer people in the house we decided to try something different - a family Olympics! Landon figured out a point system, and we each chose a game. Landon's game choice was Risk. Kaylee chose Exploding Kittens. I chose Just Dance, Chris chose a basketball shooting contest, and Ainsley decided to play Heads Up. The competition took place on Christmas Eve.

  

Looks like fun doesn't it? Well, it was until the fighting began. I can't even remember who got what place, but I do remember there were some very unhappy people. I think part of that was because we had been passing around what I'm pretty sure was the flu. At that point Ainsley and I were the only ones who hadn't gotten sick, although I was starting to feel a little more run down than usual. By Christmas Eve night I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, but that didn't stop Santa from coming!

We had planned on having Christmas dinner with some friends, but I was too sick. They ended up bringing us dinner, which was super nice. Under the circumstances, Christmas ended up being a pretty nice day.

The day after Christmas, Grandma Yarbrough arrived and stayed with us until New Year's Eve. I was sick the whole time, but fortunately everyone else was healthy. Gingerbread houses and a big puzzle were two activities we enjoyed with Grandma.

After we took Grandma to the airport, we got ready for the New Year's Eve party Ainsley was hosting. We stayed up way too late and had to get up way too early for 8am church - yuck! Let's just say the transition from 10am church to 8am church has been a hard one. Hopefully we'll be used to it in a few more weeks.

December

December was chock-full of performances. Grandma Gadd came for a visit and was able to attend several events. There was a choir performance, caroling at homes for seniors, a dance show, and a ballroom dance showcase.

 

 

Road Trippin'

During our stay in California we decided to drive up the coast for a few days. We visited the Chandelier Tree, Avenue of the Giants, Trees of Mystery, Crescent City, and Fort Bragg. One of the best things about this trip was that I have fond childhood memories of visiting many of the places we toured. Such a fun trip!