What a Month!!

It's been quite a busy month for the Loughrys, as I am sure it has been for you and your family too.  I hope that you all have had time to remember why we celebrate Christmas...that God gave us the biggest gift ever and that without Jesus' birth everything else wouldn't matter.  His birth led to our salvation, our hope, and our reason for living. 

Merry Christmas!

We spent 2 quick nights in KY on our way from TX to WV. We got to have breakfast and open gifts with Matt and Rachel...

...spend a bit of time with forever friends Riley (pictured) and his family...

 ...Palmer and her family...

...Lauren (pictured) and her family...and MANY more!!

 After 20 hours of driving, we ended up in snowy West Virginia.

We have had fun playing games, wrapping last minute presents, going to CandyLand, and playing in the snow!

 Before we left for WV, Donny and I went to his company Christmas party.  We enjoyed our first date out since Donny left in May, dancing, eating yummy food, and winning $75 in gift cards!  :)

 We also had fun decorating our new house (our first mantle ever!) and putting up a new tree, in 80 degree weather!

 We baked and decorated gluten-free sugar cookies and reindeer brownies with our g-free friends Gillian and Luke.  All the kids loved that everyone could eat all the cookies!

 I spent time this month reading Mary Beth Chapman's book Choosing to See.  It has been an amazing and tough read about the loss of their precious Maria.  It is a story of grief, tragedy, and hope.  When I finished reading her account of her daughter's death, I was just had to go and pray over our the kids and take their pictures as they slept.  I know our kids are God's and we have dedicated them to Him but the thought of really sending them to Heaven before we go is tough.

 Oliva had a Literacy Night at her school last week.  The kids all wore their pajamas, had milk and cookies with Santa (the art teacher) and Mrs. Claus (the gym teacher), read books with flashlights in the darkened library, played a memory game, and listened to Mrs. Miller, Liv's principal, read a book.  (Boston refused to have his picture with Santa...)

It's been a great month spending time with new and forever friends, having Donny and the kids on vacation, and seeing family.  We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and wish we could have seen ALL of you this month!