Earlier this year, Brian’s dad emailed us with an idea for Christmas. How about Christmas at the beach? Surfside, Texas to be exact. One house for his siblings and their families, his parents, and us.

The house was amazing! It was spacious and comfortable for all 17 of us. We took turns making meals, watching kids, and doing laundry.

Our shoes were caked in sand and our hearts soaked in every memory. It was loud and crazy and silly and wonderful.

The grandkids are 19, 16, 13, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 2. Grandma made ‘Cousin Crew’ shirts that were absolutely precious.

I spent my childhood Christmas vacations, driving from Plano, Texas to Corpus Christi, Texas.⁣

My father’s parents lived about ten minutes from my mother’s parents. They were friends and we celebrated Christmas as a large, loud, always hungry, and always silly family. I had no idea how rare and special this was. I thought every family was this way.⁣

Christmas Eve was meant for taking up four rows at the candlelight service followed by milkshakes at Whataburger on Ocean Drive. ⁣

Christmas Day was for finding more folding chairs to fit everyone who could hold a plate, uncontrollable laughter, and remote control car races. ⁣

Seeing my little ones celebrate Christmas at the beach is something I never expected. Thank you to my in-laws for such a sweet gift. ⁣

There were so many things to be thankful for –

• Brother-in-Laws who can cook. And I mean cook.
• My mother-in-law’s taco soup
• The smell of bacon and coffee in the morning, made by someone else!
• My father-in-law reading a very colorful version of ‘The Night Before Christmas’
• Cousins running up and down the hall, laughing and giggling together
• Card games and cookies
• Walks on the beach
• Snuggles with my nieces and nephews
• Long talks with my older kids
• Late nights and lazy mornings
• A house full of love