It’s time for the holiday season once again! This is the time of year when families come together to celebrate. I am very blessed; the members of my family love to spend time together year round! I really think that my family is truly remarkable and I love them dearly. We do things together that most people don’t have the opportunity to do. My grandmother has done an incredible job of keeping this family very close and making sure that we spend fun, creative time together. Every Easter, Grandmother dresses up like the Easter Bunny and hides eggs for our family. And it isn’t just an ordinary Easter egg hunt! No, she plans several different themed hunts that involve money, bible stories and prizes! A few days before Christmas, we all dress up in matching sweatshirts, ride around town in a trolley, and take gifts to different families while singing Christmas carols (in four part harmony, no less). On Christmas Eve, we all come together for dinner and Santa even comes for a visit! We always celebrate birthdays, special events, and even not-so-major holidays together. This past year, we all came together for lunch on Father’s Day. We then formed two teams and played an awesome game of softball in my grandparents’ yard (yes, my family is big enough to form two teams). We had such a blast and played until we were all dripping in sweat!  It is a memory I will always cherish. Anyway, here is a picture of the entire Troutman family! It was taken on Easter Sunday of this year. I am crazy about my family and consider myself very lucky. I’d love to see your family photos and hear about your family traditions!
Beth