Onya Christmas Party

Teri so graciously hosted an Onya Christmas Party with nine of twelve “Onya’s” present.  We missed you LaJuan, Katie and Sally! Can you tell that we had a great time?  Laughter is one of the best parts of our get-togethers….good food being another.  I love each of you “Onya Sisters”.  I pray that there are many more years of celebrations.

Heather’s 34th Birthday Party

Since Heather’s birthday(12/15) is so close to Nathan’s (12/12), they celebrated together.  Heather received a beautiful green cashmere coat (among other gifts) which she modeled for us.Hope you had a special day!

Nathan’s 4th Birthday Party

Nathan celebrated his fourth birthday on December 12th.  Family gathered for dinner, dessert and gifts. We had a great time at your party and hope you had a very good 4th birthday!

Birthday Wishes for Heather

Heather, we sincerely wish you a very special birthday.  Your Dad and I just can’t be old enough to be the parents of a 34-year-old!  I am in the list mood lately, so following are a few things that make you so special:

• you have joyful spirit
• you are a loving wife and devoted mother
• you do not hold grudges
• you look for the positive in people and situations
• you learn from your mistakes
• you live in the day and trust God for the future
• you love the Lord and desire to grow in Him

Heather, we love you and so appreciate your joyful spirit in our lives.

I Love You Most First

Got ‘cha Nathan.  He loves to say “I love you most first” and then just burst out in a big smile.  Nathan is the second “joyful spirit” in our lives.  His mother being the first.  Following are some of my favorite things about Nathan:

• you are always smiling
• you are not moody
• you are very loving and affectionate
• you are a good sport…not always insisting to be first
• you have gorgeous blue eyes
• you don’t mind being the baby of the family
• you are all-boy and love to roughhouse

In the midst of the Christmas season, it is a joy to pause and say Happy Birthday to a very special grandson.  We love you Nathan!

Austin’s 13th Birthday Celebration

Austin celebrated his 13th birthday with family on Thanksgiving weekend.  We went bowling and had a great time.  Melissa led all bowlers with a 172!We then headed for Wings for dinner.  Followed by cake and ice cream at our house. Austin opened his gifts which included movies, Aggie shorts and wall sign, video games and a surprise gift of a metal detector.  His pappy (Billy Hodge) has promised a trip to east Texas to go treasure hunting.  We had a great time honoring Austin on his 13th birthday.

Family Photos

Every Thanksgiving (whether they like it or not) we have our yearly family photo.  The following photos are from the photo shoot.  The whole family:  Steve and I:Hodge family:Hodge Boys…Austin, Nathan and Ty:

Alexander Family:Andrew and Kylie: Melissa and David Hollon: Grandkids…Andrew, Kylie, Austin, Nathan and Ty:  Shauna, Melissa and Heather:    Steve, Jana and daughters: We love documenting the years with family photos and hope to continue this tradition for many more years.

Thanksgiving

Another holiday come and gone…..a wonderful day to remember to be Thankful!  Here are a few pics of our day.

First, my sister Kay and niece Stephanie.Our brother-in-law Dennis came after work…we were just glad that he could come.Austin, Ty, Kylie and Steve enjoyed a game of bean-bag toss.  Austin was doing a little boogie dance to celebrate a bean-bag victory.   Ty was really catching on to the technique.Papa and Kylie fist-bump after a great toss.

And following are pics of my three favorite daughters and their husbands.  Heather and Kevin…Shauna and Mark….      And Melissa and David.We had the traditional turkey dinner, played games which included: the aforementioned bean-bag toss, Wii Sports Resort and Catch Phrase.  But most of all we just enjoyed being together on Thanksgiving.

Austin’s a Teenager!

Austin has added so much joy to our family from the moment he was born.  It is hard to believe he is thirteen!  Following are some things to note about Austin:

• He has an infectious laugh
• He loves food….so much so that he may become a chef
• he loves Jesus and is learning to trust Him more
• he is concerned about his friends’ salvation
• he is a handsome dude
• he LOVES football
• he is good at math
• he loves video games
• he frequently does not feel well, but he rarely complains about it
• for the most part he takes what the Lord has given him (even his chronic illness) and does not dwell on the negative, just takes life in stride
• he is loved greatly by his parents, brothers and his extended family

Austin, Papa and Nanie love you and are praying all God’s best for you.