Oman Christmas

We spent Christmas Eve with my family in Ericksdahl. This is my favorite day of the year because it is the one time when all of my sisters, brother in laws, nieces, and nephews are all together in my childhood home with our parents. There are now 9 grandchildren with the oldest at 12 years and the youngest at 4 months and it is crazy! It is very hard to get them all to sit still for a picture as you will see...One of these days I am going to get a great picture, but I may have to wait until they all get a little bit older...
The boys- John Thomas, Jack, Josef, & Johan
The girls (minus Georgia)- Rachael, Avery, Laurel, & Emily June
Mor Mor and Pop with all of the grandkids Georgia with her namesake and great grandma Georgia
My sisters and me
The brother in laws
The stockings lined up and waiting for Santa
I was told in secret that Rachael was the princess and Laurel was her "director"- I love being an aunt and getting to hear their fun stories and secrets. I hope they always want to tell me things.
The twins got a new red wagon and they loved it.
Dressed up for church on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve service at Bethel is a favorite tradition of ours. Sutton and I skipped last year and it just did not feel right. There is something so magical and peaceful about being in this beautiful place at midnight on Christmas, hearing God's word surrounded by candlelight and the warmth of all of the people you have known and loved your entire life. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord!

Welcome Bailey and Bennett!

Congratulations to our dear friends, Esther and Phil, who welcomed their twin girl and boy into the world last night. Bailey and Bennett are healthy and doing well. Esther has been on bed rest in the hospital for over six weeks, but was able to enjoy Christmas at home. Many prayers were answered as she was able to carry them to almost 36 weeks. Check out their blog, the Choi Family Adventures, for pictures and more information. Bailey and Bennett join their big sister, Allison, to make up "Team Choi". We can't wait to meet the new additions. What a way to welcome in the new year!

Page Christmas

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas in Midland with the Pages the weekend before Christmas day. Unfortunately not everyone could make it, so the pictures of the next generation of Pages are missing a few very important people including the Hollands and the Prices (Page and Ryan got there just after the pictures were taken.)As promised over a week ago, here are a few pictures...Just click on the picture if you want to make it larger.
Sweet Caroline with Papa Paul

The Page Brothers- Russ, Sutton, & Michael
The Page boys- the next generation
The Page girls- the next generation

Chelsea, Caroline, Becky and Davy
The Davidson's
Sutton's sweet aunts- Carolyn, Kathy, and Patty

Paul, Reed, Sutton, and Randy
Davy and Becky
The future Mr. and Mrs. Reed Gardner
The "new girls"
Chelsea and Caroline
The Prices- Page, Carolyn, and Laura
The stockings were hung...

A Week at Home

We made it back home to San Angelo around 5:30 yesterday. We thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas spent with all sides of our family. Unfortunately, Sutton got the evil stomach bug on Friday night and was out of commission over the weekend. We had to miss Christmas in Eldorado and he did not even get to enjoy spending time with his family in Dallas because he was stuck in bed. We have been together for seven years and he has never been sick with the stomach stuff...It was not fun!

I am excited to be off this week and I am looking forward to an entire week at home! One of my favorite things about the company I work for is that they shut down from Christmas day to the end of the year. It is a wonderful gift they give their employees. Normally we go somewhere during this time off, but this year we are exhausted from being on the road. We have been gone the better part of two weeks. We decided we are going to stay around here this year and catch up on things. I will be posting pictures from Christmas this week. I took over 200 pictures with my new camera, so I need to do some editing... I am also planning to clean out the garage, organize the office closet, clean out my file cabinet, try out some new recipes (I got a new pot that I can't wait to use) and hopefully do some scrapbooking. It will be a great week!

Merry Christmas!

We will be out of Blogland for several days as we begin our tour of Texas. We will be splitting time between my family in Ericksdahl, and Sutton's family in Dallas and Eldorado. We will be back next week with lots of pictures. I had hoped to have pics posted from the Page Christmas before we left but just ran out of time. Also, if you normally get a card from us, don't feel snubbed, just know they are going out at the end of the week. Long story, but I just did not get it all done this year, so they will be a little belated... Have a Merry Christmas! I hope everyone can slow down and enjoy the holiday and reflect on the reason for the season.

Visit from Santa and Congratulations...

Last night we had a visitor...
Santa came by and took time to take a picture with Puffin, Sutton, and me. We joked that it is not every day that you see Santa and the Easter bunny together.

Santa was thirsty and who would have known that he loves beer...He just needed a straw so he did not get it on his beard. This year you might want to leave a Shiner Boch and some cookies for Santa instead of the standard milk....

Actually, Santa turned out to be our good friend, Doug Wilde. Doug just got engaged on Saturday to a sweet girl from Alabama. We are so excited for them.

We also need to say congrats to our dear friends, Lori and Jeff, who also got engaged last weekend. Jeff surprised Lori with a trip to NYC and then proposed on a carriage ride through Central Park. 2009 is going to be a great year for weddings! More pictures coming tonight. Only 3 more days until Christmas!

Back in Texas! (Now with Pictures)

Well, I made it back to San Angelo late on Thursday night. The trip went well with no delays or lost luggage...I thought I had it made, and then a deer ran smack into the driver side of my rental car on my way home from the airport on Knickerbocker Road. They say when it rains it pours! It was a long week with two and a half full days of classroom training. The highlight of the trip was going into the city. I have always wanted to see NYC at Christmas and it really is as magical as I had hoped. I hope I can go back again when I have more time to explore and see a show. Sutton came back yesterday from a trip with the guys pheasant hunting in Tulia and then we flew to Midland. We are here for the weekend celebrating Christmas with the Pages. We will post lots of pics when we get back. I am so excited because my new digital SLR camera came this week while I was gone. I cannot wait to try it out. It is a Nikon D60 and I am afraid it is going to be a little too much camera for me, but I am making it a resolution in 2009 to become a better photographer. Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend and looking forward to a wonderful Christmas. I will work two days next week and then I am off for a week and a half! I can't wait!

Headed to New Jersey...

I am headed to New Jersey today for some training, so I will be out of blogland for a few days. Hope you have a great week and hopefully I will have some fun pics to post when I get back. I would love to go into the city one night to see the tree, but don't want to get my hopes up because we have a packed schedule and my number one priority has to be fully learning my product. Take care and I will be back at the end of the week...

Georgia's Christening Celebration

On Saturday we drove down to Regan for Miss Georgia's Christening. It was so good to be with my family, especially after the crazy week that we had. I just could not get enough of Georgia and the twins. Unfortunately, Jennifer, Jessica, and their families were unable to make it, but we will all be together next week. Sutton and I are honored to be Georgia's Godparents along with my sister, Judith, her husband, Chris, and Jacob's brother, Jared. Here are a few pictures from the fun weekend...

A Favorite Christmas Tradition

One of my favorite Christmas traditions in San Angelo is the river light tour. Every year since we were dating we have gone out to dinner, gotten hot chocolate, and driven through the lights. It is a simple tradition but one I think we both look forward. On Friday night we ate sushi at Nakamura, then got salted caramel hot chocolate at Starbuck's (so good!), and then enjoyed the lights. If you ever come to San Angelo during Christmas you have to check out the lights on the river. Every year they add something new, but my favorites are always the frogs and the mermaids. The lights reflect off of the water and they are just amazing! This year they have added a live nativity scene and big screen showing Christmas cartoons.

Thank you and some fun pics...

First of all, I want to say thanks for all of the kind words and support following my accident. I am overwhelmed by all of the love and support I have received the past few days and I am completely humbled. God is so good and we are so blessed! Please continue to keep the pickup driver in your thoughts and prayers. The last report we got is that he is in critical condition in Lubbock.
Now, I want to move on to some fun pictures. I have been needing to post about the fun girl's night we had here last Wednesday with our youth girls. I hosted a dinner party for the high school girls here at my house and Ashley and I got to talk with them about relationships, dating, and God's word. It was so awesome to see the Holy Spirit at work. Above, the table is set and ready... Below, the table is full. We even had to add seats.
I love when we get to share a meal around our table. Our home just comes alive and it makes me so happy. I especially love when the girls are here because their youthful enthusiasm makes me feel young again, too.
Sutton was with the boys at a different house but he made it home in time to take this picture of the last guests and Puffin. Sutton said Puffin always gets the chicks :). He looked especially handsome in his Santa hat.

Close Call (Edited)

Yesterday I had a scary encounter with an 18 wheeler and a pickup on my way to a lunch appoint-
ment in Big Spring. I kind of got caught in the middle of another accident. I am okay, just a little sore and a bit emotional. Sutton made me get back on the horse today. I wanted to wait a day but he said I needed to go ahead and pick up my rental car. Last year Sutton had a similiar accident where he just happened to get caught in the middle of someone else's wreck. We both drive many miles each year and I know we are both praying for each other's safety every morning when we leave the house. Yesterday was a bit of a close call, but I am so thankful that it all worked out okay. The driver of the pickup was airlifted out, so please keep him in your prayers. Click here for the tv news story (this will show you how we landed) and click here for the link to the Big Spring Herald. Here are a few pictures of my car after it was towed-

The back seat broke loose, so the stuff in my trunk ended up in my back seat. I was taking Olive Garden for lunch and it ended up all over the trunk and in the back seat. The smell of air bags and Olive Garden will forever be in my memory.
This was the crash site late in the day. It took a long time to get the truck moved because he was loaded down. I am still going over it in my mind. I was headed northbound but by the end of the wreck my car was facing south towards Angelo.I am so thankful to all of the wonderful people who reached out to support me yesterday. There are alot of amazing people in this world and we have been overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and concern. A special thanks to my dear friend Ashley who drove to Big Spring to pick me up and just be there for me. She also took the pictures. The Farm Bureau family has also been great from friends driving Sutton home early from convention so he could be with me and friends showing up to be with me at the ER. We feel so blessed and loved tonight...Thank you!