Category Aaby Family

Tradition!

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

When Elisabeth and I got married we set out to have our own Christmas traditions and not just bring in the traditions of both families.  We both loved the traditions we had with our own family growing up and for the most part have been able to keep most of these. Now with our own kids, it is so much fun to have firmly established our own traditional roots.  So, without further ado, here is what our Christmas looks like (can’t wait for the festivities to start later today).

Yummy Turkey

Yummy Turkey

Christmas Eve Day:

Turkey Lunch (full Thanksgiving Day spread!)… this is a new tradition today, so we’ll see if it lasts

Final Advent Candle/family devotional time

Christmas Eve service

Breakfast at 67!

Breakfast at 67!

Christmas Day:

Mommy and Daddy prepare the downstairs

Stockings

Out to Breakfast at 67 (The Edgewater Hotel) … This is probably my personal favorite part of the day

 

What the kids love!

What the kids love!

Home for gifts for the kids (Elisabeth and I have never really exchanged gifts, always chose to save money or buy something for the family)

 

Leftover Turkey (again, the new part of the tradition)

Hang out and watch hoops, play games, etc.

Over to my parents for Dinner/gifts/dessert with the entire Aaby-clan

After Christmas:

We are looking forward to some time with Elisabeth’s family coming up north for the next few days after Christmas!

What about you?  Do you have some great Christmas traditions that are unique that we can steal?

Grace,

Brian

Minutes Ago…

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Yep, another one gone.

 

This is getting expensive!

This is getting expensive!

 Now Halle is running around singing, “All I want fuh Cwith-muth ith my two fwunt teeth, my two fwunt teeth…”

She’s quite pleased.  

Grace,
Brian

Farkel

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

images3Have you played Farkel?

Never had heard of it until last night, and would have thought it was some Christian replacement cuss word, but, in fact, it is a dice game.  And in my second game, I won (though I didn’t do as well at Eye To Eye).  

Good times with our friends, the Rocks.  In an impromptu ichat we both discovered there was nothing going on at either house, so they braved the cold, endured 5 more inches of snow while here and safely made it home in two wheel drive car.

Good Farkeling!

Grace,

Brian

What We Did Today…

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

dsc01029dsc01020…okay, not really today (since it is currently 24 degrees, gusting 40 mph winds and snowing), but I was feeling funny.  So, here’s what we were doing a few months ago.  Tomorrow we’ll be sliding in a different way.

Grace,
Brian

First Experiences

Brian Aaby 4 Comments

Yes, I’m 35 and until yesterday I had never experience Thai food.  Man, they love peanut stuff don’t they?  

We were up in Bellingham for the beginning of our weekend.  One of my former C-Group (FEPC Small Group) members, David, wed his sweetheart, Natalie.  I was in the wedding.  It had been a long time since I had been in a wedding and not been just attending or officiating the wedding. I even remembered how to put on a tux!

After the rehearsal, we joined the crowd at the Thai restaurant for the Rehearsal Dinner (never knew why we had to rehearse dinner?).  Thai food, interesting choice, seemed a little trendy or something, because there was a huge group of college students (not with us) enjoying in as a large party, and then all the college age folk in the wedding seemed to really know what they were doing.  I just sat there trying to figure out what ingredients were in each dish (but it was a guarantee that there was some sort of nut).

When all was said and done, I decided I would be willing to do it again, and would even be excited about a couple of the dishes!  

On a side note:  My girls LOVED the rice (that was all they ate, but they did love the rice).

On a different side note: Be proud mom and dad, I tried something new (I normally turned up my nose to new foods growing up).

Congrats to David and Natalie (this means about half of my 2001 Graduating Class C-Group is married now).

Grace,
Brian

Audrey-isms

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

A couple days ago Elisabeth had gotten up before all of us and gone downstairs while she was down there Audrey had snuck out of bed and made her way down the stairs and crept into the kitchen without Elisabeth hearing a thing!

She unintentionally startled Elisabeth. 

Elisabeth: Oh, hi sweetie, you startled me.

Audrey: You didn’t hear any of my footprints?

She’s so cute!

Grace,
Brian

 

Audrey and her pilgrims

Audrey and her pilgrims

Brian Aaby Leave a comment
Wrote my monthly email to our Youthmark Prayer team yesterday, if you’d like to be on that list (which has much more than just the listed requests) I’d love to get you on it.  Please email me at brian@youthmark.com and I’ll add you.  
Anyway, here are this months specific requests:

  • Praise God for the November highlights, the new volunteer position with Young Life, successful launch of Kent/Renton YP network and some wonderful time with my family.
  • Pray for the completion, editing and printing of the Leaders Guide for the Mission Ventures.
  • Pray for the upcoming Colorado consulting opportunity (and specifically pray for more opportunities like this).
  • Pray for more teams to join us on the Youthmark Mission Ventures (about 21-22 teams right now, would love to have 5+ more!).
  • Pray for the students/staff who will make up those teams.
  • Pray for two church retreats I will be speaking at in December and January.
  • Pray for an upcoming trip to LA to talk through some publishing projects and future ministry ideas.
  • Pray for humility, wisdom and grace as we look to serve the greater Youth Ministry field!  We are so thankful to the Lord for the people we get to work with, we want to serve them well!

Grace,
Brian

Thanksgiving Plans

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

We have the privilege of hosting Thanksgiving at our place this year.  Eliasabeth’s sister, Anne, has made her way up from Eugene and have temporarily transformed the kitchen/family room into quite the large Dining Room now!  We’re hosting my parents, my brother (and fam) and sister (and fam).  Should be quite fun!

Friday will be a day of recovery, clean-up and rest (I’m fighting a pretty nasty cold right now).

On Saturday I will be taking part in the first of two Holiday Hearts Tournaments.  Somewhere between 30 and 40 guys get together at these two holiday traditions (one at T-Gving time and the other at Christmastime).  They are a hoot (though I always finish somewhere near the middle–and that is being optimistic).

Looking forward to some great times with family and friends (already got to spend a couple hours with one of my ex-students who is now 25 and back in town from the midwest).  It’s so great to share life with others.  I am thankful for the people God has brought into my life. Praising the Lord for my relationship with him, my beautiful family (immediate and extended) and many wonderful friends!

 Hope you and yours have a wonderful, thankful time this weekend!

Grace,

Brian