December 31 - “Happy New Year (almost)”

Yesterday was a memorably quiet day for us. We had Hallmark movies going on the TV (most of which we had already seen).  Chris did some laundry. I worked on the latest jigsaw puzzle - the one Josh and I started when they were here. And, to keep our tradition alive, Chris actually finished it. I saw this weird fact (and added a few to it). 

Check out the dates Chris and I have seen:

5/5/55 - I was a toddling two-

      year-old. 

6/6/66 - I was an aspiring 

      shortstop in my last year of 

      Little League 

7/7/77 - I was a recent college 

      grad, married, dad, youth 

      pastor at Langwood Baptist 

      Church in Houston. 

8/8/88 - I was a seminary grad, 

      Minister of Education at South    

      Oaks Baptist Church in 

      Arlington 

9/9/99 - After a ministry stint in 

      Denver, I was 4 years into  

      some on-the-job training as a 

      pastor at Seaside Church in 

      Galveston 

10/10/10 - 15 years as pastor at 

      Seaside. 

11/11/11 - 3 years post-Hurricane 

      Ike. Still at Seaside. 

12/12/12 - Made it through a 

      significant rheumatoid arthritis 

      flareup 

2/2/22 - Made it through the 

      Covid scare to retire from 

      Seaside after almost 27 years

12/31/23 - I survived major back 

     surgery with a side of shingles. 

Does all that make me old? Nah. 

Speaking of Chris, she also made a big pot of soup yesterday. Not for us, though. She took it up to LaMarque to feed Kel and the gang, since Christina is down. 

John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ says, Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

Father, please be with Christina. And take care of Kel and the kids as well. Amen. 

December 30 - “Help me”

Church yesterday was a little different. Kel took the day off, so one of the other elders, Glenn, filled in for him. He did a great job speaking from his heart about what God has done for him and the possibilities of what God can do in the future. My favorite part of his sermon? When he described the most profound prayer he ever prayed: “Help me.”  That’s one worked for that guy in the Bible named Peter, too, Glenn, when he was sinking in the water right after walking on it. 

Gregg and the praise team led us in a great time of worship in music. Gregg also shared the gospel in a pretty compelling way. And the time of prayer for the visitor who opened up about her recent diagnosis of cancer was heartfelt. Oh, and Terry did a great job reading Scripture. Thanks for that, guys. 

Speaking of Kel not being there, Chris texted with Christina to check up on them. Kel was still wavering on the brink of the flu Christina already had. That means it will probably race through their whole family. Keep on praying for them. And you might add us to the prayer list as well. At least me. I spent a good part of the afternoon coughing. 

Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭ says, So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.

Father, please do some healing and protecting in the Vaughan houses. Amen. 

December 29 - “A highly motivated competitor”

We were quite concerned yesterday for Christina’s health. She stayed home from the family Christmas party with a fever. That interloping hot foot (or hot forehead, in this instance)—continued through yesterday, so she went to the clinic. Flu. And then Kel started having symptoms. We’ll see how he’s doing at church today, I guess. 

The Waco boys (including Josh) engaged in a rousing game of Egyptian Rat Killer. Nice, calm, family game, right? Umm. Not so much. Seems calm, cool Josh has the capacity to transform into a - er - “highly motivated competitor.” Read here, “Cutthroat.”  He was an absolute beast. Uh, and did I mention … he won? Gotta reward his methods, I suppose. 

Guess where we went right before lunch? Yup. Walmart. Zak was the interceding factor this time. But once we got there, Christi went into full-on shopping mode. Half-price Christmas stuff, wrapping paper, candles, even a really nice shirt (only 5 bucks!). We grabbed just the 3 items on my list. Well, OK. We may or may not have tossed in one - or maybe four or five - of those Christmas sales. 

Lunch was some Koop’s Barbecue that we had in the freezer. That’s some really good stuff. 

We spent the afternoon planning a vacation with Christi and Josh. Well, their vacation. For sometime in the future. She just wanted to pick our experienced brains about places we have been and seen. Sounds like they are gonna have a memorable trip, wherever they go. 

As far as the rest of the day, we crashed, watched a few movies, and played a few games. 

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ says, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.

Father, thank you for protecting the Santa Fe Vaughan’s and the LaMarque Vaughan’s when the tornado went through there. Amen. 

December 28 - “This wild and crazy nuthouse”

Yesterday was our Family Christmas 2024. At our house we had all 10 grandchildren plus their parents, plus one boyfriend. Chris was in Nana heaven, for sure. 

We enjoyed a lunch of homemade tamales and all the fixin’s for a Mexican food feast. Great stuff. Nice job, all you cooks. 

After lunch we opened gifts, with a family representative handing out the gifts from their family. Everybody seemed really happy with the expressions of love. 

Once all the wrapping paper and empty boxes were cleared, the younger ones disappeared into the office to play games and put together Legos. The older ones gathered around the table for that time-honored tradition of … DadDad gifts. Yes, those goofy, often insane tokens from dear old DadDad that lets them know someone was watching the past year. This year the photos from the past added a note of nostalgia to the celebration. 

Next came what has become a rather new addition to the Vaughan Christmas gathering … The Reindeer games. And this year, for some reason (perhaps all the marvelously sugary desserts), everyone dove right in headfirst to every game. From building snowmen out of marshmallows, to a particularly rousing game of Hungry, Hungry Reindeer, to candy cane noses, all the way down to the crowd favorite, Frosty’s melting, these adults, teenagers, and kids all were laughing and competing (some more than others), all in great fun. That Frosty’s Melting game (That’s the one with the toys and candy wrapped in an endless twisting conglomeration of Saran Wrap, and you have to unwrap all you can before the next person in the circle rolls a double on a pair of giant dice) certainly brought out some “interesting” qualities, especially in Christi. For three or four round in a row, on her turn, she rolled a double on the first try, knocking Frosty out of AnnaGrace’s hands. Ouch, Mommy. But the competitive streak really exploded between Gavin and April. They elbowed and slapped dice, and did all they could to prevent each other from being successful. And of course the rest of us were laughing so hard we almost cried. I sure love this wild and crazy nuthouse we call The Vaughan Clan. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Father, bless our clan. Amen. 

December 27 - “The day after”

Welcome to the day after Christmas. And you know what that means?  Back to Walmart at 8 a.m. Had to check out the half-off aisles. Also needed fruit. We nabbed a few deals, but they were already pretty picked over, that’s for sure. Guess we need to shoot for 6 a.m. next year. 

After lunch we cleared off the table (all the wrapping was done). I think that put us solidly in the hosting for Christmas mode. Well, sort of. We did take time to watch a Lifetime Christmas movie (kinda felt like a traitor to Hallmark). Then Chris went full-on back into Christmas Kitchen mode. She wanted to make a few more of her signature Christmas desserts. Hmm. What might those be? Not sure what she’s saving for when, so for now … it’ll be a surprise. 

Meanwhile, the Waco and LaMarque cousins made their way here. So it has begun. 

Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ says, When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Father, thanks for safe journeys for our family. Amen. 

December 26 - “Kabooom!”

Talk about an early start to Christmas Day! We were awakened with a major “surprise” right around 3:30 a.m.  One of the loudest thunderclaps in recent memory called us abruptly from our deep slumber. 

I very calmly opened my eyes and remarked softly as to the nature of the noise. Well, OK. I may or may not have bolted to a sitting position and loudly exclaimed, “WHOA! WHAT WAS THAT?!” It was one of those two. Kind of hard to remember …

And of course it didn’t take Freddy long to react. She was up on Chris’ pillow in a heartbeat, panting and pacing. Groggily, I made my way to the study to unplug the computer. Freddy joined me. Concerned about my welfare, I’m sure. 

By the time I made my way back to bed, Chris was dozing back to sleep. But … I was wide awake. Unfortunately, so was Freddy. She made a beeline for the pillows again. This time I managed to head her off and pull her between us. That lasted until the next thunderclap. Chris’ mama-instincts finally came to the surface, and she wrapped Freddy in her arms. 

Oh, me? I worked some more crossword puzzles.  Well, until I decided that Freddy’s pacing and panting would never let Chris get any sleep. So I packed up my pillow and crossword book and took Freddy with me to the recliner.  The thunderstorms continued the rest of the night. So did Freddy’s pacing and panting. She settled down a little bit around five, and I think I dozed off for 30 or 45 minutes. But we had to get up at six to get over to Kel’s for their Christmas morning. I headed back to the bedroom to get ready, and Chris was already awake. Apparently she hadn’t slept much either.We both sensed a nap in our future. 

Since we were up anyway, we got ready and headed to LaMarque to be present for the grandkids there to open their gifts. I was able to sing “I’m a nut” to “assist” Josiah and Micah, who were still in bed. I passed Jachin on the stairs, so I think he heard footsteps. Glad I could help, guys. 

After watching them open presents, we left to head to Cailyn’s house. We saw a faint rainbow in the sky, but as we were pulling out of the driveway, Chris glanced to her left and excitedly exclaimed, “see the rainbow now?” It had magically transformed into a Christmas Double Rainbow. Beautiful. 

Back home we discovered Santa had made a stop at our house as well. Chris and I exchanged gifts. I got an Astros t-shirt, some baseball cards from a 1961 set I have been trying to complete, some graph pads and a couple of mechanical pencils. Guess now I’ll have to start actually writing on the pads. There was also a set of travel cases that will more than replace the ones we have that are in pretty shabby shape. And speaking of travel, she gave me a 2025 edition Rand McNally road map book. We use one of those on our road trips. 

Funny thing … Chris found a few gifts as well. One of which was … a 2025 edition Rand McNally road map book. Imagine that. After 50 years being married, we kind of think alike. She also got a table top calendar, the first in a new book series: Claus: The Saga of the Fat Man, a pair of night vision glasses, and of course, this year’s carving based on the story I read at the Christmas Eve services. It was pretty simple. A book. A book with the name “Jesus” coming out of it. I guess that makes it a Bible, doesn’t it?

Our early morning made it imperative that we pop in a movie (1938 version of A Christmas Carol - my favorite), and settle in for a nap. We did manage to actually watch a movie or two the rest of the day. That was in between eating one of the best of all Christmas delicacies: Turkey enchilada pie. Yum. Oh! And Chris made homemade chocolate chip cookies. Yum again. 

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ says, When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Father, thank you yet again for the wonder and joy of Christmas. (I’ll probably say it again). Amen. 

December 25 - “Happy Christmas!”

Well, guess what? We have a washing machine. Delivered bright and early yesterday morning. I mean like 8:30 a.m.  That’s amazing! Of course it was pouring down raining when they got here. They just say in the truck for a long time. We sure didn’t blame them for that. They got everything hooked up and tested and even said “Merry Christmas!” when they left. Sorry they had to work on Christmas Eve, but so glad to have this one behind us. 

So … Chris spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on washing. Almost finished, too. One or two loads were put on the back burner for after church. 

Oh! She did take a significant break in there. She helped me prepare for the final game of our family version of the Reindeer Games. Little different from the home group’s version. Just as fun, though. You’ll see. 

We headed to church a little after 3. Seaside was having two services. One at 4 and another at 6. And Kel asked me to compose and read another children’s story at both services. I mean … I only composed one story. And I did it at home. But I read that same story at both services. 

Kel preached a great sermon. Gregg led the praise team to sound awesome, as usual. Especially three of the songs (Well, 4 if you count my favorite, “Joy to the World”). 

First, Little Drummer Boy was even better than it was Sunday. Nice job, Glenn and Brennan. 

Then there was “Away in a Manger.”  Ezra started things off with a piano solo. Noa sang one of the verses by herself. Corey played through a verse instrumentally on the violin. Gregg and Cathy were their usual amazingness. Gregg on guitar and Cathy on that hand held piano thingie. 

And I have to mention the solo that opened the service by Jesse, “O Holy Night,” played on the soprano saxophone. Impressive. Lots of talent being used by God to lead worship. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ says, Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

Father, thank you for Christmas. Love it. Amen. 

December 24 - “Happy Christmas Eve, all y’all!”

We started off a really beautiful day by heading north to watch Cailyn play some more soccer. 

We were about ten minutes from the stadium when we got a text from Nathan. They were starting the game early. He was pretty upset. Apparently so were a lot of the other parents. But, hey. It was a scrimmage anyway. And we got there in plenty of time. Our girls played really well again. Lost 1-0 to a very strong team not in their district. I think those district teams are gonna be surprised. 

The afternoon brought our final (maybe) pre-Christmas errand outing. First we had to go downtown to pay the water bill for Sam’s Bay Harbor house. The electric bill is in now as well. Sure will be glad to get her will situated so we can pay stuff from her account. 

Next we hightailed it to Walmart. We had to switch out a gift and then finish up the small stuff. It was a mad house. Loved it. Can’t wait to go back today and the day after Christmas. 

Oh! I forgot to mention. We are cautiously optimistic about our new washing machine being delivered today. Is it OK to say, Pray for its safety?

Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ says, Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:”

Father, thanks for being with us through that last Walmart run. It made hectic kinda fun. Amen. 

December 23 - “Real live Drummer Boys”

We had quite the highlight at church yesterday. Our two fantastic percussionists, Glenn and Brennan did a drum accompaniment to “Little Drummer Boy” (imagine that) that was amazing. Yes.  THAT Brennan. The young man who lives across the street. The guy we have watched grow up literally from the day he was born. He’s in high school now, and he plays drums for the high school band as well. Amazing. Just amazing. They are going to reprise their rendition at the Christmas Eve services coming up on Tuesday. 4 and 6 p.m. Come hear them!

After church we drove into Texas to help celebrate Ezra’s eighth birthday. Tacos and cheese dip and guacamole were all served for lunch. The best part, though, came at dessert. Ezra made his own cake. It was a layered affair: ice cream sandwiches as a base, an entire bowl of cool whip was next. Then came chocolate syrup and caramel. Finally, there was a sprinkling of chocolate chips and other candies on top. I gotta say, Buddy the Elf would have been proud.  Well done, Ezra. So now both of our youngest grandkids have attained the lofty position called “Eight-Year-Old-dom”. Their parents must really be getting old. 

After an epic Nerf gun battle, the family settled in for some Gingerbread house making. We got to be photographers. Among the constructions were: a kind of Tudor with a full pool in the back yard and wreaths on the door and walls, a Mexican cottage on the border (wall and all) with border patrol agents and one guy on top of the wall on his way over, an A-frame with Texas flag on one side of the roof and a Christmas tree on the other, and a meticulously created traditional with Christmas lights lining the roof and a full lawn of lush green grass. Pretty impressive community on the table. 

Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭ says, Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough — because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

‭‭

Father, thank you for endowing those youngsters with such amazing talent. Amen.