Christmas Means Traveling

Every Christmas, we head to Utah to spend time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. This year there was snow over the pass, so Sadie and James learned how to put snow chains on our tires and the equally tricky task of taking them back off again. New skills unlocked.

Sadie: "I feel so tough right now."

Yes, she is barefoot

Christmas Means Hosting

For over a decade, the Bankheads who live in California have created a mini Christmas celebration that brings joy to all involved. Word of this happy tradition spread to all of Paul's siblings, and suddenly mini Christmas rivaled actual Christmas. We hosted 23 Bankheads for 2 days of board gaming, cookie-making, carol-singing, and gift-giving.

Christmas Means Presents

 

Snuggled among bounteous Christmas gifts

Post-present chaos

Paul and his luxury toaster, gifted by Amos

Christmas Means Music

So much of the Bankhead family Christmas experience revolves around music. The high schoolers travel all over the community with their choirs giving holiday concerts, and we host an annual singing party that might be Paul's favorite party of the year.

Sadie and the Madrigals bringing festive joy to elementary school kids.

Our friends who can handle singing choir music in our living room.

Singing for the Ladies' Auxiliary

Amos and the A Capella choir singing for the city employees Holiday party.

Family Backpacking Trip in Point Reyes National Seashore

With the extra days off school before Thanksgiving, we backpacked along the ocean to a lovely campsite. Amy and Paul are grateful the children are big enough to carry all their own stuff, set up their own tent, and not whine too much when we required that they attend this family adventure.

A big chunk of the 5-mile hike is right along the water.

Sadie took a break in a patch of ferns.

Amy and Amos hiked an extra mile to get to this waterfall.

Amy Turns 45!

To celebrate her birthday, Amy planned a day of all her favorite things:

A movie with the fam

Hiking with friends

Long walk to the beach

Attending James' choir concert at UCSC

Halloween 2025

Frog and Toad

Ward Trunk or Treat

Candy trading sesh

 

Canyonlands White Rim Trip

Amy and Paul adventured with several other couples to Canyonlands National Park, where we biked, camped, climbed, and hiked through the spectacular landscape.

Day one, we biked down into the canyon

Gorgeous skies at night

Cool rainbow

The rainy weather made for cool clouds for our ride

We climbed a desert tower called Washer Woman

Another view of our climb up Washer Woman

Back on the ground, another view of Washer Woman behind us

Kind of hard to comprehend the enormity of this place

Rappeling

Cool overlook

We cut our trip a day short because of rain: if the road gets washed out, you can't leave, so we braved the mud to avoid an extra few days in the canyon.