Happy New Year! Â Are you all getting ready for a brand new year in 2016? Â I’m always ready for it to get here. Â I don’t take a ton of pictures for Christmas, but do like to document a few things along the way, so these are cell phone snaps of our day. Â It’s fun to have these as family history on my blog, so I get to share with y’all as well!
Once again this Christmas, we all gathered together for family time at my sister and brother-in-law’s house and had a wonderful time. Â Parker, of course, was the star of Christmas and having a child around really makes it fun. Â Even if she doesn’t quite get it yet, it’s still very entertaining watching her open presents and get into the festive spirit. Â She enjoyed taking ornaments off the tree this year and her mom designated one that was her’s only, but that didn’t really stop her from trying the rest of them.
She will be 2 in February and the Terrible Two’s have definitely shown up, but most of the time she is a sweet girl. Â However, they don’t have to learn temper tantrums and saying NO comes easy to them at this age. Â She’s definitely developing her own personality and it’s fun to watch her grow. She’s also talking up a storm now, saying lots of words and putting a few of them together. Â It gives me a kick to hear her call me “Wo-dee”, following in her mama’s footsteps. And she can say guacamole (she loves it!) like nobody’s business. Â That’s the cutest!
On Christmas Eve, most of us went to the candlelight service at the church we go to (mom and dad stayed home) and this little angel looked precious in her Christmas dress. Â Lauren found this dress ages ago on a big sale at Janie and Jack’s, one of her favorite children’s shops. Â It was definitely a great find and she looked so adorable in it.
Lauren, Philip, and Parker at church. Â The bow didn’t stay in long. Â In case you missed the announcement on Baby #2, we’re having another girl and she will be named Iris after our mom. Â The baby bump is growing!
On Christmas morning, we all gathered at my sister’s and got ready to open presents and enjoyed breakfast first. Â My sister has just had hip replacement surgery (one hip) and was still recuperating, so didn’t want to overdo it. Â We tried to make things as easy as possible this year and not stress over anything.
Santa Bruce got ready to hand out presents and Parker was helping him.
Giving a present to Nana.
She opened several of her presents and got in dad’s lap to look at them.
This girl got 3 pairs of boots for Christmas and I understand that this particular pair of boots squeak when she walks. Â Won’t that be fun to listen to?
She got a pretty coat too and modeled it for us.
I got her some new flash cards and she loves these. Â She’s a learning machine and is picking up so many new things.
My sister hunted down a spring horse on Craigslist and this was a hit. Â Lauren had one of these growing up too.
I was going through some old pictures and found this one of Lauren with her springy horse. Â She was maybe a little older than Parker is now, but the similarities are there. Â Like mother, like daughter.
She loved it and enjoyed bouncing up and down. It will take her a little bit to learn how to bounce back and forth on it, she wanted someone pushing her this time.
As usual, we had a feast and although we didn’t have as much food as we normally do, we certainly didn’t starve with all of this. Â It was delicious as usual!
Mom made a coconut cake and lemon meringue pie. Â She is our dessert maker and always makes plenty. Â We love it! Â Some of you asked about the coconut cake, so here’s the basic recipe. She used a boxed Butter cake mix for the 3 layers. The icing is a mix of Cool Whip and sour cream, with fresh coconut on top. I’m not sure the ratio of cool whip and sour cream, but you could probably find that online. That’s how she made this cake!
It was a sweet time with family and I’m so grateful for another wonderful Christmas with this family of mine. Â We savor every one of them with both mom and dad still here. Â I sure hope that you all had a blessed Christmas as well! Â Christmas seems to come along so fast every year, but it’s always a sweet time of blessings.
Great pictures! That coconut cake looks delicious!!
Love the pics !! Beautiful — the pictures of Parker and your dad are so sweet !!
God’s Blessings to you for 2016 !!
Karen in Texas
Thanks for sharing your sweet family. Parker is just adorable and – my goodness – that coconut cake!!! MMMMMMMmmmmmm!
Lovely photos. Parker looks adorable. Love the colour of her little cowboy boots. So nice that she has a rocking horse just like her Mum used to have. Happy New Year to you all .
I love the photos and just love how you share your family with us. Parker is so adorable! Blessings to all of you for a peaceful and happy new year!
what a sweet time , Rhoda! Especially love Parker on your dad’s lap… so precious. Wishing you a very happy New Year and I’ll look forward to seeing you soon.
xo Heidi
Thank you so much for sharing a little peek into your beautiful family’s celebration with us. What a wonderful reflection of Christ’s love you all are! (I can’t say y’all – I’m from the North!) Happy New Year.
Thanks for letting us peek in at your Christmas with the family. I loved all the pictures, especially the one of Parker sitting in your Dad’s lap, with her new coat…So sweet!
Happy New Year, Wo dee!
Love the pictures! Thanks for sharing your Christmas with us! Speedy recovery for your sister! Love how Parker is into the fashion scene just like the other women in her family?
I copied the lemon pie recipe already but could you share the coconut cake recipe? Looks Mmmmmm!
Mary, I just went back and added the cake. It’s not a real recipe, but this how she did it and it’s a boxed Butter cake she used. See above under the cake picture!
Lovely family pictures. Happy New Year! Look forward to your posts.
Happy New Year! I loved these pictures! Parker’s dress and new clothes are beautiful! Love Bruce’s Santa suit, too!! You have a wonderful family……….Parker and G-Grandpa are precious together.
Wo-dee, how precious is your family? Totally!!! Love Parker and your dad. Just think little Iris will be here before you can turn around. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Wonderful pictures! We share all holidays with family! I love it and it very much appears that you do too.
thank you for sharing the gorgeous pictures seeing the little ones makes for a precious time ,Parker is so adorable ,love the dress, and the coat and the boots ,the look of joy giving nanna a present , relaxing with your dad her little hand on his just beautiful .
wishing all your family a happy, healthy new year all the way from Australia .
Love the pictures of the family. Just beautiful! I pray you and your family have a blessed New Year.
By the way, did your dad minister in the Assembly of God? No matter what church he ministered in, I know he had to be a great preacher!
HI, Ann, yes he sure did, that’s the church we were in growing up and his entire ministry.
Hello Rhoda, that is great! I appreciate you answering me back. I enjoy you sharing. God bless you!!!