So, I am not sure where to begin or how to organize my thoughts for all that I did over the past 2+ weeks in Texas. I had a great time, that is for sure. It was relaxing and fun and busy, but not too busy. I spent a ton of time with my family and got to see most of my friends at least once. So, I suppose it will be easiest for me, and you readers, if I blog the trip in pieces, starting with the big events....this post will be Christmas Eve!
My family joined together again this year to serve the community in West Dallas with Brother Bill's Helping Hand. We went out on the morning of Christmas Eve to pass out gifts to the children at their annual Christmas party. There were over 600 children who came out with their parents this year. We were in the same room as last year, which works well because Ryder & Beau are contained! We handed out gifts to all baby boys aged 0-2 who came. It was fun! My mom got pulled away to be a "Personal Shopper" as they needed more help, so she got to help 2 families make their way through the "store". Ryder and Beau were a bit of a handful this year - we may need to leave them at home next year.
My mom doing her Personal Shopping Gig
Lots of people making their way through the shop 
Beau found a place to play! 
Ryder found a soccer ballOn the table are the bears - each baby got 1 bear, along with 4 other gifts.
He is quite the kicker!
Ryder hijacked Beau's bus - this is when it began to get rowdy
At 3:00 on Christmas Eve, my mom and I met B&B at their church for a Christmas Eve service. It was a very good & powerful service. Their church has really seen some life transformations in its people. A ton of these people went up on stage with pieces of cardboard they had written on and were projected on big screens for us all to read...on one side of the cardboard read the struggles they'd each previously had and then they would flip it over and on the other side it would say the life change they had experienced as a result of investing in their relationship with Jesus. I was amazed at the humility of all the people who went before a huge room of strangers and admitted their past issues. There were broken marriages that had been repaired, alcoholics that are now sober, singles dealing with loneliness who have found completeness and love in knowing Christ, etc.... so many stories! What a way to glorify Christ and celebrate His birth that led us to the possibility of knowing Him and experiencing such life transformation.
After the service, we had some time before dinner, so my mom and I got Ryder from the nursery to take him home with us to play. He fell asleep in the car, so we decided to keep driving around and let him sleep. Where did we go?!? The Bush's new house, of course! This was my 2nd time to drive by while I was home, but the 1st time in the daylight. Their house looks very normal and not too big from the street, but apparently it goes back far because it's over 8,000 square feet. It is in a very normal neighborhood...not super ritzy. My favorite part is that the neighborhood is full of little entrepreneurs! One little boy created "Welcome" signs for people to place in their front yards and is selling them to the neighbors. Another little girl opened a lemonade stand and made over $200 on her first day from all those people driving by to check out the Pres's new house.
We thought it was funny that he
slept with his legs crossed
The President's House
These were scattered all over the neighborhood!
For dinner, we went to Melissa & Robert's house. Robert is Brian's twin brother. They have 3 kids and also Melissa's parent's and some other family members of hers were there. I think there were 20 of us for dinner. Melissa made White Bean Chili and a salad...it was really good. I took my Black Bean/Corn dip and it was almost completely gone! Melissa's mom made a yummy dessert called Sopapilla Cheesecake that is very similar to the Cream Cheese Danish my friend Danise makes for brunch! Beth made costumes for a Christmas story reinactment and all the kids and some of the men participated. It was really cute!
I helped Beth dress the kids up. Here
I am with our little sheep (Beau)
One of the Wise Men (Ryder)
Mary (Harper, R&B's cousin)
The Inn Keeper (my dad) greeting Mary
(Harper) and Joseph (Robert)
The angel (Jordan) announcing Jesus' birth
to the shepherd (Brian) with his sheep (Beau)
The twins with their youngest kids
The whole cast!
Cousins! (Beau & Harper)
It was a very fun Christmas Eve leading up to Christmas Day!
I think Beau just spotted another train!
So exciting!
Ryder could not get enough of the snowboarders
I took the boys to another mall on New Year's Day so that they could ride a little train. They were SO excited. It was probably my favorite day with them over the break - we had a blast! As soon as the train came into sight, Beau started standing up in the stroller, squealed, and began stretching out his arms and hands like he was grabbing for the train. They loved it! It was funny because I was not expecting to ride, but the lady working there insisted, so I did. I wasn't sure I could fit in the tiny thing, but maneuvered my way on board. 
Can you tell what he's saying? 
After the train ride, Ryder started saying "Me go round". I thought he was trying to tell me that he wanted to ride the train around again by himself. Finally it dawned on me that he had spotted the Merry Go Round downstairs and was actually saying "Merry Go Round". When we got there, no one was there to start it, so I spotted a smaller merry go round and put the boys on that. Then, we played in the children's area for a while....the boys were so cute and independent in there! After that, the big Merry Go Round was starting back up, so we went for a whirl on it. On the way home, Ryder said he wanted to eat and Beau started to get fussy....poor boys were starving. I was surprised because they never are hungry and never eat much! We picked up chik-fil-a and they ate EVERYthing! 
Beau looking tiny in this big car!
The boys in the canoe
Now for the big Merry Go Round!
Ryder and his new tricycle
Beau's bells from his Grandma & Grandpa
