A Look Back at 2024

 The years keep flying by, and our kids keep growing up. Each year with them is a treasure. Here's a look back on our year. 

January

We had a few snow/ice days 

Samuel and Elisabeth started their basketball seasons

February

The girls and Matt attended their annual Daddy Daughter Dance

We celebrated Valentine's Day with co-op friends and at home with family

I turned 39, last year until a new decade! We visited the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile to celebrate

March

Samuel turned 11! He celebrated with friends at a trampoline park

The Flamings came for a visit

Matt and I headed to Dallas for a long weekend getaway

April

Katherine started her second soccer season

We celebrated Easter with Papa Joe and the Millers

We watched the solar eclipse in our backyard

Matt received an extraordinary leadership award from FlightSafety which included a trip for both of us to Ohio for the banquet

The boys participated in mock trial. Samuel was the bailiff and Nathan was a defense attorney

We completed our second year at our homeschool co-op.

May

Nathan turned 13. He and Matt spent his birthday weekend riding roller coasters in Texas

For our family vacation, we set sail on the Mariner of the Seas for a seven day cruise full of adventures

Katherine participated in her fourth dance recital, the first at her new studio

We completed our fourth full year of homeschooling. 

Matt and I celebrated 18 years of marriage

Matt turned 41!

We traveled with the Shondelmyers to Texas to visit the Davis' house and the Farm. 

June

Samuel, Elisabeth and Katherine participated in the Music Camp's performance of the Promise Cruise. Samuel was Dr. Bill Rockstone, Elisabeth was a townsperson, and Katherine sang a solo

Nathan spent a week at ORU's STEM camp with his friends Daniel and Jax.

Nathan and I volunteered at our church's Vacation Bible School. Samuel, Elisabeth and Katherine attended. Sam's last year!

Nathan and Samuel attended Red River Valley Honors Camp with their friend Carter. The girls and I watched all the girly movies, and got our nails done while they were away.

July

We celebrated the Fourth of July with our favorite friends

We spent a week in Weatherford attending the Evetts' VBS and visiting family

August

Elisabeth turned 10 and asked to redecorate her room for her birthday

We traveled to Iowa for a long weekend to visit the Flamings

We started our fifth year homeschooling and our third year with CHEER's co-op. I started teaching two classes at co-op

We traveled to the Smoky Mountains for our end of summer vacation and also visited the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum

September

I attended the first annual Share the Arrows conference with some dear girlfriends

Katherine celebrated her 7th birthday! She invited a few of her favorite friends over to celebrate for the afternoon

October

We spent our Fall Break at Silver Dollar City and then on to Kansas City to meet the Flamings

We celebrated Halloween with the Shondelmyers and for the first time did not walk with the kids as they trick or treated

November

Nathan, Samuel and Elisabeth participated in the regional First Lego League competition and surprisingly walked away as Grand Champions!!

The boys attended a KC Chief's game with Papa. They got to witness a crazy win with a blocked field goal

Elisabeth started her basketball season with the NOAH Jaguars

We traveled to Weatherford to celebrate Thanksgiving with Granny and Grandaddy

December

Nathan, Samuel, and Elisabeth participated in the state First Lego League competition and won first place for their innovation project

We participated in all of our favorite Christmas traditions and had a really sweet Christmas season

We ended the year like always with the Shondelmyers celebrating New Year's Eve

Christmas Day

 Our Christmas morning starts early at the Baugher house! The kids were demanding freedom from upstairs before 6:00am

We finally relented and allowed their release from their upstairs' prison.

I hope they never lose the Christmas morning magic. Oh to be a child again! They keep us young.

They immediately ran to open their stockings. 

After stockings we took turns opening gifts. 

This rolling backpack was number one on Katherine's list. 

Needless to say, she was thrilled!

I struggled a bit with what to get Elisabeth, and I came back to her love language being quality time, so I gifted her with a shopping day with mom. I think I was as excited about it as she was. 

Nathan had a lot of big ticket items on his list this year, so I got him a few small things and paired money with each gift, to help him save up for the bigger items he asked for. 

Elisabeth also got a backpack for her basketball stuff that matches her school backpack. 

The kids surprised me with three new blankets. I can never have too many blankets!

Katherine got a new dance bag, water bottle and a lego set. 

Elisabeth got a stopwatch in her stocking and proceeded to use it to time how fast everyone could open their gifts. That girl turns everything into a competition. 

Elisabeth had been asking for a Stanley tumbler for a long time. 

We got Samuel a new camping backpack and sleeping bag for all his camping trips. 

After all the individual gifts were opened, the kids got to work on their group gift scavenger hunt. I always chuckle how Matt makes the kids do math on Christmas morning to earn their gifts. Nathan had to solve equations to plot points on a graph. We homeschool everyday around here, ha!

I think they were pleased with their surprise!! We got them a Discovery Lab membership that allows provides free membership to other science museums around the country. We're looking forward to many exciting adventures this coming year. 

After presents, it was time for our traditional Christmas breakfast of waffles and bacon. Yum!

We played at home with all our new gifts for a couple of hours, and then we headed over to Barry's for more celebrations. 

These kids were having a great day! Love their smiles!

They might have been a little sugared up to add to the excitement. 

Papa dressed up as Santa. Always such a fun, festive touch. The girls love it. 

The kids have sat in these chairs to open their gifts since they were little bitty. I hope they never outgrow them. 

Ready for presents!

The kids got some great loot from their Papa!

He sure had a huge smile on his face opening his Mahomes jersey. 

Nathan hadn't built a Lego set in many months (maybe years). I sure enjoyed watching his enthusiasm as he built his technic car. 

It didn't take him long to finish!

What a great day celebrating with my favorite people! So many sweet memories were made as we celebrated the birth of our Savior. 

Christmas Eve

 Our Christmas Eve was pretty relaxed this year. We don't make any huge plans and usually spend the day as a family. 

One of our Christmas Eve traditions is our sibling gift exchange. The kids draw names and buy a gift for one of their siblings. 

Katherine drew Samuel this year. She gifted him a cardboard cutting set he'd been asking for. 

Nathan bought Elisabeth a lie detector game. 

Elisabeth gifted Nathan a Gatorade bottle and football cones.

And Samuel thoughtfully gave Katherine outdoor soccer games. 

Matt and I also buy the kids a new game each year that they get to open on Christmas Eve.

For this year, they received Survive the Island. They were very excited!

After presents that afternoon, we headed to our annual Christmas Eve Service at church. It's always such a special time remembering the reason we celebrate Christmas. 

After the service we spent some time fellowshipping and taking some photos. 

Then we headed home to put on our Christmas jammies and play our new game.