Merry Christmas from the Gallion’s 2009

From l to r -Warren, Martha, J.B., Sheryl, Skylar, Peyton, Brady, T.J., Tiffany, Ashley, Andy, Nathan, Koleta, Luke, Abby, Lindsey, Charles, Clara

In 2008 our family grew. Luke gave us a daughter-in-law with Lindsey. Koleta and Andy Hatfield gave us a new grandson named Nathan and Sheryl and J.B. Nicholson came into our life along with six more grandchildren.

Koleta and Sheryl Meet for the first time

This year has not been as newsworthy, but has been a great year as our new big family has been working to get to know each other.  Luke and Lindsey have an apartment nearby so we get to see them often. Koleta, Andy, Abby & Nathan lived near us for the first few months of this year. It was such a great time to get to know our grandkids before they had to return to North Africa.  Sheryl & J.B. still live in Kansas, but we are all getting very familiar with the highway between Wichita and Dallas.

Sorry Andy, Koleta’s is always the biggest.

Over spring break, Warren rented a house on the coast and his parents, along with the Hatfield’s and Nicholson’s spent a great week together catching fish and having fun together.  We made a quick trip down to Padre Island so T.J. & Ashley could say they had spent spring break at Padre Island, but I doubt their version of the story includes the grandparents. As always, Koleta gave us a clinic on how to catch speckled trout, and Sheryl mastered catching sheephead. Later in the summer to prove it is in the blood, Peyton and Abby both caught their first fish.

We got to do a lot of new grandparent things this year.  We watched Tiffany cheer at a college football game.  We got to see Brady and Skylar do competitive cheerleading a couple times this year.  Also had a chance to watch T.J. play high school baseball and we watched Peyton do gymnastics and T-Ball.  Ashley worked at the Rib Crib so we took every chance we could to meet her at work.  We got to watch Nathan grow from a bed baby to a walker/climber.  And to see our daily lives through Abby’s eyes was always great fun.

This year we did have a couple tough moments.  We lost Martha’s Auntie Lois, the last of the older McGuire generation, but we did see a lot of relatives at the funeral we had not seen in years.  Sheryl had to have her back and neck operated on this summer, but both surgeries appear to be doing well.  Luke and Lindsey were hoping to buy a new house this year, but it will have to wait until next year.  Although, we knew the day would come, we had to see the Hatfield’s off at the airport in mid-July. Since their return, Abby and Nathan have both been diagnosed with Malaria.  Praise God for medications to stop the symptoms before damage occurs.

Beautiful North Carolina

Warren’s parents still live across the street from us and are doing well. Clara, walks over daily while we are at work and lets the dogs out and feeds them.  Warren made a quick trip to the always beautiful North Carolina in October with his mom and dad to visit relatives. It was a quick trip, but they had a great time. If you are reading this on the web click on the picture to the right to hear Warren’s cousins sing a Christmas Carol for you around the kitchen table.

Click on picture to hear them sing a Christmas Carol

Abby loves her Uncle Luke and Aunt Lindsey.  She managed to wrap them both around her little pinkie while she was here.  So, this Christmas Warren is going to escort Luke and Lindsey on a trip to visit Abby. Uncle Luke better remember the bubbles!  Mary Kay, Martha’s friend, is coming from Happy, TX to stay with Martha and they will celebrate Christmas with the Nicholson’s

God continues to bless our family and we trust he is doing the same for you. If you would like to follow us more closely, visit www.wgallion.com .  Warren has added new stories to his Vietnam site and we will try to post some pictures of Luke and Lindsey’s trip early in the year. There is also a link to Sheryl’s and Koleta’s pages.

Have a Merry Christmas and Christ centered New Year!

Warren and Martha Gallion

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