Guys Road Trip

Dad and Connor left very early Friday morning (Jan. 18th) to drive to Memphis, TN. After a 15hour long drive, with a couple stops at Bass Pro Shop and the firework store, they finally made it there!! Most of their time there was spent at Memaw and Gramps (Daddy's parents) house in the country riding four wheelers or shooting off fireworks with cousins. After church, Connor, Cade, and Cole rode four-wheelers the enitre rest of the day!! Connor was loving it!! On Sunday evening Memaw made a very tasty, southern, homecooked meal for everyone. Complete with mac and cheese, candied yams, country ham, black eyed peas, and greens. Connor and Dad left Memphis at 4 in the morning on Monday and made it safely back to Chesapeake that night.

Connor and Cole.
Connor riding through the lake in Memaw and Gramps backyard.
Cade and Connor.
The yummy meal.
Memaw and Gramps with their grandsons.

Driving through the mountains.

A Weekend Without the Guys!

This past weekend Dad and Connor drove out to Memphis,TN. So it was just the girls at home. On Friday night we went over to our good friends', the Adams, house (Mark, Susan, Laura, Andrew, Rebecca). Their kids are almost the exact ages as us Richards' kids so we get along with them real well and always love to be with them. There we played a crazy game of Apples to Apples and ate yummy ice cream. Saturday was a fun day for Kara with Basketball games in the morning and 5 of her friends over to play in the afternoon. On Sunday night Kaitlin went to her friend's, Chara, 20th birthday party. A bunch of girls first met at Chara's house were we got all dressed up to go out to dinner. We then carpooled down to the beach to go eat dinner at a pizza place where the guys patiently waited for us (we were about 45min late!!:). After pizza we headed to one of Chara's friends house who lives down at the beach and ate cake and ice cream. It was so much fun!! Another exciting thing that happened this weekend was SNOW!! It started Saturday night, but was a very wet snow. It did not stick in the streets, but there was a light dusting in the yard when we woke up Sunday morning. Mom also continued her tradition of making cinnamon rolls when it snows. They were so yummy, as always!!

At the pizza place.


My friend Kevin in the middle.
Gabe and Chara's facial expressions in this pic are so funny!!

Mrs. Adams and Mom playing Apples to Apples

Laura and Kaitlin
Rebecca and Kara

Happy New Year!!

The party that almost got cancelled turned out to be a great time. We ended up having 26 friends at the Richards' house to help us celebrate New Years Eve. We first ate and played a couple of very fun group games such as, Catch a Phrase and one that we made up. Afterwards we had a time of worship, where Connor and his friend Paul played the guitar for us. Finally it was 12 o'clock and all of us kids walked through the neighborhood streets singing Auld Lang Syne. It was so fun to have all our friends with us to help us ring in 2008.

Christmas Day!!

The Richards' Christmas Day was so great!! Our house rule is no one can go downstairs until 7am, so of course that is when Connor and Kara woke up Mom and Dad, and Kaitlin. Downstairs, under the tree, there was a sweatshirt and Dance Mania mat for Kara, a guitar case for Connor, and an iron and ironing board(??:) for Kaitlin. Mom got a sweet digital camera, Dad some athletic wear (for his coaching), Kaitlin an Ipod dock, Connor a guitar effects pedal, and Kara also got an Ipod dock. Mom made a very tasty breakfast- sausage, egg, and spinach casserole and homemade cinnomon rolls:) We first opened stockings, had a devotion to remind us of what we are celebrating on Christmas (the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ), ate our yummy breakfast, and then opened the gifts under the tree. It was a wonderful day to be together as a family. Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10-11

Christmas Eve

The Richards' Christmas Eve was a very relaxing one. We all did some light household chores and cooking for our Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning breakfast, and also just hung around the house together. Connor, Dad, and Kaitlin had a ping pong tournament.....Kaitlin was one point away from beating Dad for the very first time. We had a very yummy dinner that night before church- Christmas Jello mold, roast beef Au Jus sandwhiches with dipping gravy (so good:), and clam chowder. After our very tasty dinner we headed to church for the candlelight service. Once we got home we all opened our one gift....Christmas pj's for everyone, and Connor and Kara set up their mattress in Kaitlin's room (they also brought up the TV, gamecube, and movies, thinking they were going to stay up all night:). Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

The dinner table all decorated.
Our house all decorated for Christmas.

The ping pong games.

And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great, and will be called the son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."

Luke 1:30-33

Christmas Decorations

Here are some pictures of the Christmas decorations around our house.

Our Charlie Brown Tree.
Kaitlin's Christmas in the City village- a toy store, church, conservatory, art museum, and a bus station.
Our Christmas tree.
Antique Santa-passed down from our great-great-aunt.