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A Christmas Surprise

Christmas 2015

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I’ll be the first to admit that we didn’t get to where we are today without help. The truth is, Michael and I owe SO much of what we have and what we have accomplished to our parents. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to graduate without massive student loans… without them we wouldn’t have grown up in Christian homes with examples of Godly marriages…with them, I wouldn’t have started a business at age twenty. This Christmas, I stood up in Michael’s parent’s living room in front of all four of our parents sitting on the couch and tried to thank them for all of these things.

It didn’t go well because as soon as I started to try to explain why we’re so thankful for them, the tears started. However, right when I started to get teary and the words failed to come out… my GranGran said (yelled) to Nanny… “I THINK THEY’RE EXPECTING!”. Well, since we’re NOT EXPECTING… that made this surprise that we had for our parents just a tad less exciting! ha! In true GranGran fashion, he giggled afterward and had no idea how loud he was speaking.

So then I tried again. In a nutshell, I thanked our parents for sacrificing so much for us and enabling us to grow and pursue these crazy dreams of ours. Our parents have sacrificed so much for us and when I started listing out some of the things we’re thankful for, it became so obvious that we will never be able to repay them for all they have done. So, since we can never repay them…. we can at least take them on a trip.

Michael and I have been saving and planning this for a while now. We had a crazy idea that we wanted to take our parents on a trip together and this year we decided to make it happen. So, on Christmas Eve, we sat them down and we told them……

THAT THE SIX OF US ARE GOING TO HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daddy just shook his head, Michael’s mom said “Nooo…..Hawaii?!”, my momma cried and Michael’s dad said “Alright!!!” and put on his cheap teal sunglasses we had just given him. We’ve kept this secret since the summer and we’re so excited that the cat is out of the bag!!! We’ve built up a ton of Delta miles and Hilton Honors points for this and we can’t wait to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip with our parents this spring!!

And in other exciting news…. my sister and her husband Joe are getting a PUPPY!!!! Michael and I got a MAILBOX (you know you’re getting old when you get a new mailbox for Christmas and are excited about it!) and my Nanny and GranGran got a recording of my brother Corey and I singing How Great Thou Art… GranGran cried. It was a beautiful Christmas. I’m thankful for time with the people we love most and I’m also thankful that the secret is out and we can finally start planning our trip!!! Happy Thursday friends! Enjoy this peek into our Christmas in the country!

So first, we gave them all gifts to open that told them what kind of climate they were heading to! Sunglasses, a beach towel, and sunscreen…..

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Then, we had them open another gift… and they started to put together where they were going! I love these faces!!

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You’re going to HAWAII!!!!!

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And then momma started crying! :) It’s going to be her first time! And she LOVES waterfalls!!! If any of you know where the big waterfalls are on Hawaii Island and Oahu, let us know! :) Brenda James needs to see them!!!

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Gran Gran and little Molly girl!

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Michael’s Grandma!

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Bokeh getting his stocking from his grandma!

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We were really surprised that these two were able to come. We thought that last year was going to be the last year that they felt well enough to make the trip but they did it again this year!

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Michael’s even cute with his glasses on:)

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Auntie Em made Bokeh Boy his own sign to put over his food and water bowl!!!

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YAYYY for a new mailbox!!! That we’re praying we’ll get to use one day soon! … Long story. :)

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Gran Gran tearing up listening to his song. :)

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Joe and Emy got their puppy crate!!!! And I think it’s obvious… but their puppy will be MUCH bigger than ours! :) And there’s Sarah! Michael’s older sister! Rocking her penguin PJ’s from my mom! Momma buys ALL of us PJs and it’s one of my favorite traditions… when they fit. :)

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Christmas at Michael’s parents! Yay for new undershirts!!! haha

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“Where’s my present?!”

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Bokeh literally sat like this and watched Michael open his presents! He’s weirdly human!

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Christmas naps are the best! :)

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Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

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