2024 Hills Christmas Card

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HILLS!

I love looking back on our Christmas card blogs! I know there are more pictures than you’re probably wanting to see, but these are mainly for our family to have cataloged. If you’re interested, you can read our digital Christmas cards from the last few years at the links below. We’re praying for so many blessings to pour out over you and your family in 2025 and that the Lord would do more than you could possibly ask, think, or imagine!

As always, I start these posts from where we left off, so you’ll see a few pics thrown in of how 2023 ended for us. I posted the pics, and if you didn’t notice, Bry is responsible for the captions. Ha! Enjoy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, friends and fam. We love you!

2023 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2022 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2021 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2020 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2019 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2018 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2017 Christmas Card: Click HERE
2016 Christmas Card: Click HERE

our favorite moments from 2024

12.4.23 Brian didn’t have permission to use the thermostat

12.6.23 Brian is starting to realize that Julie’s lunch budget has a couple more zeroes than his does

12.9.23 It looks like Julie punched Brian’s two front teeth out at the Hintons’ annual murder mystery Christmas party, but his large brain created a shadow on his mouth

12.12.23 Julie found these two children and unaccompanied adult in the wild. She named one of them Katierose.

12.16.23 Chey’s best friend came up to hang with the niblings

12.16.23 Peep the date on this picture— Chey is now actually 18, but they wanted to prove to the world a year ago that they still have all of their thumbs

12.16.23 One of the rare moments in the space-time continuum where Chey shows a real smile for a picture! It’s probably because Quartino’s homemade alfredo pasta was on its way.

12.16.23 Here you see Chey barking at a squirrel that was running up a nearby Christmas tree among the Grandscape shopping district holiday decorations

12.17.23 Monthly photo tradition with the doge when Chey leaves us to head back home— but for the first time, Dakota gets a new friend in the goodbye picture

12.18.23 They had a holiday craft fair at work for the many small business owners. Julie didn’t sell very many of her famous ketchup popsicles, but she sold quite a bit of her great gifts, shirts, and custom stickers

12.20.23 Holiday party with some of Julie’s work friends

12.22.23 Don the King sure has a lot of words on that shirt to read for someone who doesn’t want people loitering within 20 feet of him

12.25.23 The Snider Christmas tree (Santa was generous) with a Seeburg jukebox photobomb

12.28.23 Julie’s 40th birthday present request was to go to an AirBnB in the country with her best friend’s family outside of Waco in Aquilla, TX

12.30.23 Wow, everything in that AirBnB was sticky that weekend!

1.1.24 Celebrating a 2nd Christmas with the Hills, taking orders from the niblings

1.1.24 La familia de la nuestra cuñada le gusta lotería. We don’t remember who won, but I’m sure Julie tried to cheat.

1.6.24 We spent a lot of money a few years ago to let Brian act homeless a couple weekends per month

1.6.24 We found this elderly couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary

1.9.24 We still can’t believe this is our home! We love our town (Melissa, TX), and our neighbors still haven’t figured out we’re super weird and actually talk to us still. This picture was taken when we finally “finished’ our living room decorations.

1.9.24 Somebody turned 40 and still has a smile on her face. She’s definitely Brian’s favorite, and they both talk about how we are surprised how many benefits come from getting older: you care less what other people think, you have much more wisdom, and you value the people around you more.

1.13.24 So many kind and gracious friends from work, church, college, and life drove halfway to the Choctaw casino to show us how much they love us. We fit 52 people in our house, and it was exactly how we had hoped and dreamed it would feel when we walked our house six months earlier when it just had 2×4 boards up.

1.13.24 Lots of sweet reunions happening around tables and hallways that evening

1.13.24 Brian likes it when his coworkers bring their cool husbands to events because he works with 1,000 women

1.16.24 Matchy matchy parkas when the temps fell below zero and our pipes froze

1.18.24 Brian’s cowboy grandpa in Wyoming said he never had tequila, and no God-fearing Texan could go home without fixing that. It was “spicy.”

1.19.24 One of Brian’s favorite places in his favorite state with his favorite younger brother (Curt Gowdy State Park between Laramie and Cheyenne)

1.19.24 This is Brian’s favorite place to fly fish for rainbow trout in the summer, but he wasn’t prepared for ice fishing and went hiking

1.19.24 Brian and his cousins surprised his grandfather with a cousin sleepover. Everyone randomly started to show up and wouldn’t leave— we got everyone to show up except for Brian’s older brother (who had to stay in Texas to work). Grandpa loved it so much he went to bed at 8 PM.

1.25.24 Another cute picture of cousins— and an ice cream store llama

1.27.24 Chey’s monthly goodbye picture with Dakota

2.3.24 Brian lured his friends Eric, Schlack, and Ryan to the land so they could freeze their tails off and get put to work with chainsaws

2.10.24 Our friends Fabian & Liz came up with their fun boys to the land, where they had a blast. They hid Brian’s three garden gnomes so well he still hasn’t found them.

2.10.24 Our mountain always has the best sunsets

2.21.24 Exploring our new community— here, we are in downtown McKinney (about 10 minutes from our new home)

2.23.24 Night one of the IF Gathering with Alyssa and her two friends from New Hampshire

2.24.24 Precious time with friends—old and new

2.24.24 Luigi got separated from Mario, so we had to console him. Brian meeting some college hombres at Truckyard at Grandscape to send off a buddy who was moving out of state

3.1.24 Picking up dudes at the local park

3.10.24 Dakota was born to run around on our mountain

3.12.24 Chey and her BFF didn’t burn our house down when they came up together last time, so we let them party during spring break on the mountain. In case weather rained us out and the crazy offroad trail up to our property got washed out, the ladies got a cabin at Robbers Cave State Park (about 45 minutes from our land, Jackson Ridge). They appreciated the indoor plumbing each night.

3.12.24 This was basically them ALL WEEK. They had a lot of fun. And probably took 2,000 selfies.

3.13.24 When they weren’t showering and taking selfies, they were riding around on the four wheelers

3.14.24 I think they approved. Dakota approved of having double the number of teenagers to pet her.

3.25.24 Dakota needs a boyfriend so she can stop asking us to play fetch all day every day

3.26.24 Look at that cute, tiny little pink tongue

3.29.24 Even though she only studied the night before, Julie still passed her pregnancy test. Brian went to the land so he didn’t get pregnant that weekend, too.

4.6.24 One of the niblings at his cage-fighting match

4.6.24 The UFC lets the fighters use baseball bats now. It’s crazy.

4.8.24 You can imagine how popular we were in high school. We were watching the total solar eclipse here, which was pretty cool. The birds and bugs started chirping for a couple minutes before the light came back.

4.12.24 Proof that Julie does give PD for her job

4.22.24 Chey’s youth group band at a big See You at the Pole worship event

4.25.24 Hello, we like to take picture of tasty food…

4.25.24 …especially at our 20 year engagement anniversary

5.2.24 We stopped by Shreveport “Leeseeanuh” on our way to the coast to visit our amazing friends from college

5.3.24 One of the best vacations on record at Gulf Shores, Alabama. We invited Brian’s parents and his aunt/uncle that live in Alabama, and this was our first meal together in many, many years. (The Gulf restaurant in Orange Beach, AL)

5.3.24 That’s the look of three men that just realized they wouldn’t be checking their work email for a week

5.4.24 LuLu’s is our favorite, favorite, favorite at Gulf Shores! This place had the BEST rum drink: it was basically a peach rum smoothie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

5.4.24 This view! And the water’s pretty, too.

5.6.24 Brian went deep sea fishing for the first time with his dad and uncle Mike

5.7.24 If Brian had asked me to buy another motorcycle in this moment, I would have said yes

5.7.24 Almost 18 toes on our almost-18 year anniversary

5.17.24 Holy smokes who is slappin’ da bass at the Wildflower Festival in Richardson, Texas and opening for Williams Clark Green *and* RANDY ROGERS? Apparently Brian hasn’t lost his bass gitfiddling skills and was grateful to play with some righteous dudes. Ask Brian about the pineapple shirt he wore.

5.17.24 Look at everyone from Julie’s team that came out to support Brian and Julie’s coworker (in the middle- Nicholas Altobelli)

5.19.24 That same weekend, Brian’s best friend from high school and his family (The Pailes) came to stay with us in our new house! Ask Brian about the time he made a little girl cry.

5.19.24 For a surprise early anniversary date, we went to a blackberry farm and had a blackberry lemonade in 147* heat while watching the sunset

5.20.24 On our actual anniversary, we went to Quartino (obv) to each eat this dish that we love almost more than each other

5.20.24 And in a close 2nd place is this chocolate cake that will make you religious even if you aren’t

5.24.24 Chey came up to hang out for the weekend and support the boys’ baseball teams

5.25.24 KatieRose turned 3, and Miles put his name on her cake

5.25.24 Chey is so amazing with all young kiddos

5.26.24 Life.Church McKinney! We love this place.

5.26.24 Chey petting Dakota, which was petting Buc-ee

6.6.24 OHMIGOSH WE LOVE OUR FRONT PATIO SO MUCH! This was the most perfect, slow Saturday morning.

6.7.24 Julie judging someone at Texas Rollhouse. I mean, Texas Roadhouse.

6.8.24 Our favorite local bakery in downtown McKinney. Their danishes are amazing, but they sell homemade bread that makes bomb French toast.

6.8.24 This blackberry farm near our house holds events where you pick flowers, paint the flowers, then eat the flowers…I mean, take home the flowers. Such a fun night with Kele and her daughter while Bry was practicing his masculinity around the land in Oklahoma.

6.15.24 When you buy land, it means you get to do chores at home AND at the land

6.15.24 Bry and his dad took the long way home from the land to an offroad lookout opposite Beaver’s Bend State Park outside Broken Bow, Oklahoma

6.22.24 Dakota is basically an honorary cousin around here

6.22.24 These boys were obsessed with Chey and her best friend (and they are so good with them)

6.24.24 Day one of the Carnegie Learning Institute in San Diego, CA with three of Julie’s teammates

6.25.24 A moment for the beachy dress in a beachy town

6.25.24 In one of our many Lyft rides to dinner

6.27.24 It really was an awesome math training with awesome people!

6.29.24 We did a “nesting party” for baby no. 3 for Katierose! These ladies came over for brunch and then helped prep her new house for the new babe. It was brilliant!

7.1.24 So fun spending time with old friends

7.9.24 Happy birthday to Pops! This was a rough day for everyone, but we still wanted to be sure to celebrate his bday.

7.9.24 Earlier in the day, the best legit Wyoming cowboy grandpa was laid to rest with military honors.

7.9.24 Bry, his uncle, and his cousin found some of his grandpa’s whiskey in the cupboard, so they did a toast to him in grandpa’s old corn patch.

7.10.24 Right before Brian left his grandpa’s house (for the last time), Brian played his great-grandmother’s piano one last time, and they took one last family picture (except for his older brother, David, who couldn’t come up). Little did he know that his cousin ended up buying the house! It won’t be the last time they see the house after all.

7.12.24 Great friends from college stopped by with their 400 cute children to have a great dinner with us

8.2.24 Grabbing a quick lunch with some of my fabulous teammates before heading back to facilitate our sessions

8.21.24 My first time meeting my newest, tiniest bestie!

8.25.24 Brian teaching Chey how to parallel park! She said it was the part of the driving test she was most nervous about, but she passed! She’s a great driver.

8.25.24 If you can’t tell, we’re foodies. We took her to Hutchins BBQ (which is famous around here).

8.30.24 Our favorite lookout at our favorite place on earth. Bry and his friends spent several months clearing trees here so we could see the mountains.

9.6.24 A beautiful Friday night for fraaaands and burgers!

9.6.24 Kota loves our neighbors SO much that when we went to return a dish to them, she RAN into their house and did not want to come home

9.7.24 Brian hanging with the homies— the group of close college friends nicknamed the BAMFs that Marco Polo 1,000 times per day.

9.10.24 Sister’s event at our church with these beautiful ladies

9.10.24 A few days before Haylie became a momma! I love our life group so much.

9.14.24 Bry and his dad cruising for a bruising up at the land

9.18.24 Fun times at work. With 20 people on my team, there are always friends around.

9.20.24 Brian and a few of his coworkers at Region 10 who pretend to play music turned into the Region 10 band to play at a work event

9.20.24 Kent, Ben (friends before they were coworkers), Staci and one hot bassist

9.27.24 This is what a high school football game in Texas looks like in our town

10.4.24 Oh man, the best time of year to visit the mountain: great temps and the leaves get ready to turn colors

10.5.24 If Brian gets a hernia, that log pile will be why

10.5.24 I spy on Brian while he’s there working without me

10.6.24 One of our favorite niblings at his baptism

10.6.24 As you can see, he has a big fan club

10.12.24 Chey turns into a traveling babysitter because they love her so much

10.15.24 Obligatory church pic when the fall backdrop is this stinking cute

10.25.24 Brian met up with some great buddies from graduate school at SMU

10.19.24 Julie was inspecting Brian’s work at the lookout

10.19.24 This cotton candy mustache reminded us of Chey’s grandpa, whom we deeply miss

10.19.24 That’s one happy doge. She always wants to be close.

10.20.24 Brian at the breakfast fire pit, and Dakota sporting her fleece onesie

10.20.24 I can smell the campfire again already!

10.20.24 Waiting for my Uber driver at the outhouse

10.21.24 So many fun lunches with my teammates this year

10.27.24 Bry stole this picture of an average Sunday afternoon, hanging around while Bry works in the garage

10.30.24 My team led our first 2-day curriculum symposium!

10.30.24 Look at that Wyomingite and that clean garage Julie isn’t allowed to touch

11.1.24 The best dinner for my baby bro and my new almost-sister-in-law

11.2.24 The elevator ride up to the courtroom!

11.2.24 A rare picture with my gorgeous momma

11.15.24 This pretty much sums up our marriage

11.15.24 Christmas tree snuggles at Braum’s with C and one of our niblings

11.15.24 Celebrating our oldest nibling playing the Tin Man in his school play

11.23.24 C driving in downtown Dallas…watch out, world!

11.24.24 Gang’s all here…for brunch that is! Hanging out with our besties.

11.25.24 Our 10th annual Christmas setup day

11.26.24 We made a quick stop at Gruene Hall before having lunch at the Gristmill in my hometown

11.27.24 Hanging out at my mom and dad’s house

11.28.24 A rare sighting of my daddy smiling

11.28.24 Thanksgiving at Sean’s with the whole fam

11.29.24 Our Christmas tree finally “died” this week, so we had to get a new one. Sadly, it doesn’t spin like our last one did, but we still love it!

11.29.24 C and I took the downtown McKinney trolley to their Christmas festival.

11.29.24 Taking selfies while we waited for a table at Cadillac Pizza

11.29.24 We had a great convo over dinner about life, her future, and all the things. It’s so hard to believe she’s really growing up.

11.30.24 After Thanksgiving, Bry went to the land with his brother and our two niblings

11.30.24 Our littlest nibling helping to dig a trench behind the outhouse

11.30.24 What a beautiful day at Jackson Ridge

11.30.24 The fall colors are just breathtaking

12.3.24 This one has been sick since Halloween. I took her to the vet *again* to try to figure it out. Turns out, it’s pancreatitis. Poor pup!

12.5.24 The morning light pouring through these windows combined with the Christmas decor made my heart happy

12.5.24 …and the ladies (with one tiny, precious guy!)

12.6.24 Holiday celebratory lunch with my work team, or at least most of them!

12.6.24 This pic is so blurry because we had to throw 4 adults, 2 dogs, and tons of stuff into our truck to get up the mountain

12.6.24 After a rocky start (no pun intended), we enjoyed a campfire and time with sweet friends

12.7.24 Kota always crashes the party when people try to take pics at our lookout!

12.13.24 80s-themed Friday the 13th Hinton-party-ready!

12.13.24 20+ years of friendship with most of these fine folks

12.15.24 After a crazy busy seven months at work, I took a few days to spend some time alone in this little spot. I stayed in bed for 48 hours before emerging back out into the world.

12.20.24 Brian played bass with his work friends for our work holiday party

12.20.24 The party was cowboy-themed…our fave!

12.21.24 One last trip to the land before the year ends. And with friends again. How lucky are we?!?!

12.21.24 Ending the year in our favorite spot. So long, friends. See you next year!

how can i pray for you?

FaithJulie HillsDecember 24, 2024FaithComment