Oklahoma Moments

W got some precious cuddles from his aunts and uncles. Roxy got a warm welcome from all the kids.

The kids laughed with their cousins over Legos, slime, drawing games, rolled ice cream, bike/scooter rides, epic playgrounds, sleepovers in sleeping bags, and video game sessions.

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We were able to stay with 3 of the 4 siblings here and experience their lives together and new homes.

Jer’s brother Michael gave us a tour of the new office they’re renovating so he can work closer to home, and we got to see all the surgery rooms and a behind the scenes look at running a dental office. We are so proud of Michael becoming an oral surgeon! Jer even got to see our nephew Josh during wrestling practice.

Somehow my sisters-in-law were able to get everyone to sit together long enough for family portraits! Finally all 6 siblings with their wives and children in one photo!!!

We got to meet our little nephew Gavin, who just celebrated his first birthday. I got to hold his toes, and we watched his Dad and Mom love on him in the middle of the night as they prepared his feeding tube or watched him on the baby monitor since he was sick. There are so many sweet family moments we got to experience being with them at their home.

The first Ugly Sweater exchange had us keeled over laughing!!! Jace received the classic “Cousin Eddie Christmas Vacation sweater” with the black dickie to go under. My next favorite was to my sister-in-law Lizzy. It had two characters (a guy and girl) holding hands, and the inscription read “Annoying each other since 2006”. We thought it was Lizzy and her husband Michael since 2006 is when they got married, but the name under the guy read “Grant” (her brother in law)! I couldn’t breathe I was laughing so hard. Such a Grant thing to do when ordering a custom sweater. The most political person received a Trump sweater hahaha, our Vegan sister-in-law got a sweater with a nod to her diet, and there were some cat sweaters and Pom-poms and quotes from Home Alone. Jer and I loved being observers this year while making sides for dinner.

I loved spending time with Lizzy’s brothers who were too young for me to hang out with when we were growing up, but they reminded me so much of their other brothers who I did enjoy time with. It was also refreshing to meet her sister-in-law! We got along really well and even made a killer team at Pictionary. Thanks to my nosy prying ways, I unknowingly outed her and her husband when it was revealed they had met on Tinder! She had made a ton of delicious food for Christmas dinner, so I was helping clean dishes while we talked when Lizzy walked in and was just so happy that we could have those connecting moments together.

We got to taste Jace’s famous fried rice. Jer made his special wings with different flavors of hot sauce for his brother and all of us to enjoy. Ashley made delicious homemade lasagna for the whole clan?! Nic smoked a brisket that was to die for. Audrey helped us experience some amazing salads with kale and pomegranates. Jace and Ashlyne made classic funeral potatoes. Jer made Grandma Enid’s recipe for sweet potato pie and a favorite of roasted asparagus. There were special Christmas pies, and delicious food that we remembered making when we all lived a lot closer. I definitively felt nostalgic having all the kids eating at several tables together.