Family Friends

Well, today is our last "Felony Tuesday" of the year here at the courthouse -- get excited!! (I know me and Laura are!)  =)  Only 5 more work days and 11 total days left to 2017... craziness!

Here are a few pictures from our family friends dinner on Sunday night...

Rach decorated the cups and wrote everyone's names - super cute - "You get a gold star for coloring the cups!" as Clint put it. lol Then it's the Parrish fam + me + Clint photobombing us. Then Ty, Me, Rach, and Clint (and Jesus, per Clint's request -lol) -- we grew up with the Wallaces and have so many fun memories with Clint and Ty!! Top right is Kyndal Faith pushing her toy back and forth with Cayden. Then the dessert table. Then J&K being precious!  The fire and ice shoes still catch me off guard (it looks like he dressed himself and messed up there), but his "Christmas Tree Rex" shirt is very appropriate - he's obsessed with T-Rexes lately! :) And the pink Uggs and side ponytail on K-Faith are the cutest ever!

Bill and Jill, Rick, Bill Wallace, Dad and Mom, Debbie Wallace, Terri and Bob Wallace - all long time family friends I'm very thankful for - LOVE!  Then Preston, Me, Ty, Andrew, Rach, and Clint (all the kids who spent many Dirty Santa Christmas parties, Super Bowl parties, etc. hanging out together!) Then Ashley, Ty, and Debbie at their table. :)

Rach and Joshua washing dishes, Miss K wanted to pull the cokes out so she could stack them together and "make them be friends." PRESH FACE. lol Bottom right is Mom chatting with Bill and Debbie, no doubt listening to one of their famous Wallace trip stories! :)

Between the SF staff dinner and this dinner, Mom and Dad served brisket, ham, polish sausage, chicken, catfish, scalloped potatoes, mac n' cheese, so many rolls, green beans, corn, broccoli cheese and rice casserole, and cheese pepperbread. There was every kind of pop known to mankind plus coffee, water, sweet and unsweet tea. Then there was ice cream, 3 kinds of fudge, sheet cake, lemon bars, cupcakes, brownies, candy, brickle bars, peach and French silk pies, chocolate chip and no-bake cookies, etc.  (And that doesn't include the cinammon rolls, biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, etc. that they served when they had the MWC LifeChurch staff over yesterday morning!)  All that to say:

Clearly, the food was awesomesauce and the Christmas decor was perfection. And there were several moments where I felt struck by the joy and meaning and richness of having everyone together again. I'm so very aware that every feeling and emotion seems to be magnified through the holidays, which can be good or bad, obviously. There are definitely moments of real irritation or feeling loneliness or loss or just needing breathing room and space, but this year, there have also been a great number of happy, thankful, nostalgic, special moments with friends, family, and family friends, so I'm very grateful for that!!

"This season matters.  Christmas is a time when God's presence is more palpable than any other time of year.  It's also a time when what we've lost is more present to us, when the pain or the loneliness or the fear are more present than any other time.  It's a glorious, beautiful time and also one in which the smallest kindnesses can transform us.  It's worth more than pushing and rushing and perfecting your decorations or your homemade cookies... Walk closely with people you love, and with other people who believe that God is very good and life is a grand adventure.  Don't spend time with people who make you feel like less than you are.  Don't get stuck in the past, and don't try to fast-forward to a future you haven't yet earned... Life hands us opportunities at every turn to get over ourselves, to get outside ourselves, to wake up from our own bad dreams and realize that really lovely things are happening all the time." ~Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet