MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE HILLS!

I love looking back on our Christmas card blogs. 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 2023 and that the Lord would do more than you could possibly ask, think, or imagine!

Since our last Christmas card ended at Thanksgiving last year, I thought we’d throw in a few pics of how 2021 ended for us, so the first few pics start there. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, friends and fam. We love you!

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 2022

12.8.21 We got a truck so we could access our land more easily. Bry was in love. :)

12.11.21 The truck’s first time on our land in Oklahoma. (This was before we got a driveway.)

12.15.21 Our next purchase was a UTV that would help us get around the 17 acres, pull down trees, etc.

12.22.21 New Braunfels Christmas with my family

12.25.21 Christmas morning at my momma’s

1.1.22 Ringing in the new year with these two was our favorite!

1.4.22 After another Covid surge, the grocery aisles were completely bare

1.8.22 Joint birthday party with my bestie, Katierose. Her bday is Jan 6th and mine is Jan 9th.

1.8.22 80’s night in The Colony, TX with our best friends

1.9.22 My birthday wish came true - I got to see Dear Evan Hansen in Fort Worth, TX on my actual bday!

1.10.22 Went on a shopping spree at IKEA to redo our bedroom decor

1.17.22 A very happy guy. The pink strings on the tree marked out the driveway we would have cut a few weeks later.

1.17.22 Wondering how long we’ll have to wait to get another one of these. They’re so fun!

1.29.22 The first pic we received of our driveway; the culverts were installed!

2.13.22 A night with our small group friends

2.20.22 The “Soup Swap” - such a fun night! You bring 4 quarts of soup and trade with friends so you get to go home with 4 different soups.

2.21.22 My guy wearing Bry’s Ushanka hat!

3.4.22 Bry’s trip to the land to watch our barn be delivered

3.5.22 Delivery day and they got stuck in the mud. Oops!

3.5.22 They made it up the mountain and got the barn installed!

3.13.22 A few days later, we all made the trek up north to see it for ourselves

3.13.22 The pups’ first trip to the land!

3.13.22 We worked on the road for a bit during this trip

3.18.22 Sunset at our property in Oklahoma

3.20.22 Bry and his fam went to the land to build a ramp to the barn

3.20.22 Along with building a ramp on this trip, Brian also built a gate with the help of his dad and younger brother

3.21.22 Aubrey’s Senior Art Exhibit at Dallas Baptist University. (After this, we drove through a tornado on the way home!)

3.26.22 We took her 15yo pics at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

3.27.22 My second visit to LaRue, TX to the Getaway Dallas cabins

3.28.22 It was nice to take a trip alone and have time to scrapbook

4.2.22 After my solo retreat, I headed to east Texas for a girls’ weekend for my friend Beka’s birthday

4.3.22 Praying for my own lake house someday; it was perfect.

4.9.22 The pups’ second trip to the land

4.9.22 Exploring the mountain on the ATV

4.10.22 Lunch after church with my best friend

4.17.22 C with my two precious nephews :)

4.23.22 My bestie and I touring the spot for Bry’s surprise 40th birthday party

5.2.22 An evening walk through our neighborhood with the pups

5.15.22 Bry and his brother got to work on building the outhouse at our land

5.16.22 Getting the inside of the outhouse prepped for a seat. Not pictured: The 3x3x3’ hole in the ground we paid someone to dig out for the you-know-what.

5.17.22 The outhouse pre-paint and finishing touches

5.18.22 Rangers game with my work friends

5.20.22 Our 16 year anniversary weekend trip to downtown Dallas

5.20.22 Dinner at our favorite restaurant, Dakota’s Steakhouse, in Dallas

5.21.22 Leaving our beautiful AirBnB in Dallas

5.26.22 End-of-year party with my work bestie Christina!

6.4.22 The finished outhouse at our land!! Have you ever seen a more beautiful bathroom in the woods?

6.27.22 Our June visit with C and her first trip to Fredericksburg, TX!

6.27.22 She kept calling him her boyfriend

6.29.22 Dinosaur Valley State Park (see the dinosaur prints in the back??)

6.30.22 Bry went to the land, so we had a few more days for girl time

7.3.22 Bry traveled to Wyoming to celebrate Grandpa’s 90th birthday!

7.10.22 I took a solo trip to New Braunfels, TX to see my parents and see my cousin get married. Favorite family pic ever.

7.15.22 Summer pool party at Dawn’s house

7.24.22 Finishing out the last few days of summer with my guy

8.25.22 Celebrating Bry’s 40th at Pizzeria Testa in Frisco, TX

8.27.22 We pulled off the non-surprise surprise party!!

9.17.22 I reconnected with my favorite professor, Dr. Snyder, at the memorial service for Mark Worley. It was a disastrously beautiful occasion filled with so much joy and so many tears. He will be forever missed.

9.30.22 My guy and his mama came to my work event!

10.1.22 Bry went to Oklahoma for a boys’ weekend

10.8.22 Went down south again to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday

10.14.22 Took myself to the theater to see C.S. Lewis

10.15.22 The view of our property from the trail Bry made to the camping area

10.26.22 Most of 2022 has looked like this for me. At this point I was 12 months into my 14 month program at UTA for my Masters and I was very much counting down the days to being finished.

10.30.22 C with her Dallas bestie, Laurie Ann

10.31.22 Trick-or-Treating with the Flinstone’s!

11.12.22 Bry went on a backpacking trip with his friend Ben

11.12.22 They found this contraption in the woods

11.20.22 November visit with C and more sweet baby snugs

11.21.22 Dressed up for our movie date to see the first two episodes of season 3 of The Chosen

11.22.22 We take a Polaroid pic every year of C helping us setup Christmas. It’s my favorite tradition.

11.24.22 We took C with us to New Braunfels to have Thanksgiving with my family

11.25.22 Surprised C with an early birthday party at the house for her 16th!

12.2.22 My first time seeing the outhouse in-person

12.3.22 We love our little slice of Oklahoma, especially in the fall

12.3.22 Checking out this hottie and the local state park

12.3.22 “Rock shopping” on our property to find the perfect rocks to put around our new metal sign

12.3.22 We finally installed the gorgeous sign I had custom made for the land. It’s about 3x3 feet and it is absolutely perfect!

12.4.22 One last solo trip of the year to this cabin in east Texas for the year. This was my “I finally finished all my graduate work” trip.

12.16.22 My whole family came up to watch my UTA graduation!

12.16.22 I got to meet some of the friends I’d only spoken to online daily for over a year. I’m so proud we made it through!

12.16.22 Celebrated graduation with some close friends and family that evening.

12.19.22 A last minute trip to the land with Bry

12.20.22 We got a propane heater for the barn and the pups and I loved it!

12.20.22 Exploring the rock formations around our property with the pups. Kota was a huge fan!

12.24.22 Christmas Eve service at our church. Brian volunteered on sound behind the stage and I worked the cameras.

12.25.22 And then for Christmas, I got Covid for a second time this year. :/

That’s about it, friends! Brian and I love each and every one of you very much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!