Seeing the Christmas sights

WARNING: Lots of pictures in this post!

Click on the picture to enlarge any of them.

Welcome to a Texas Christmas. I guess this is the jolly Santa that visits those of us in the Lone Star State. We visited a local hotel today to see their Christmas decorations. They have just a few - and we plopped my cute grandchildren down in front of all of them!
My favorite people.
Isn't she the sweetest girl?!
Joined by 2 pretty sweet little boys. I just love how they hug each other. I wish I had gotten a picture of them walking around the hotel, often hand in hand.
One of the pretty trees.
Elizabeth and Benjamin.
Ben, Cooper, Elizabeth, and Jackson.
Jackson had had enough!
What is in here?
Nothing---lots of false fronts -that are good for climbing and posing for pictures.
This gingerbread house is something. I should have taken a picture of the list of ingredients. I think I remember that they used 500 pounds of flour! Those are blue m & m's and real candy on the whole house. The kids wanted to pick it off and eat it.
These are some Texas sized cookies!
Elizabeth snapped this cute picture of Jackson.
This is a picture of the side of the gingerbread house - all m & m's.
The boys loved these reindeer. And loved to hug them - they were prickly!

Waiting for Laura to pick us up.
We had a great time and then headed to my house for lunch. Fun day. Come back Friday to see pictures of our St. Nicholas Tea Party.

Christmas Open House - Part II

Here we go - more pictures. I think only my daughters and sister read this blog and it's a good thing, because there are going to be a lot of pictures this December. I decided to get all of my decorations down this year, as I haven't done that since we moved here 2 years ago. We've been married 32 years and I have gotten rid of a lot - but much remains. If I can't find a home for it this year it's off to charity with the remainder. {hopefully} These pictures will help me next year to put things up quickly.

This is a sampler I stitched many years ago in my cross stitch phase. {my eyes were younger then} I still love it and am glad it found a home in the hall leading to the guest room.

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This is our library - not a lot going on in here.

My nutcracker carolers found a home on the mantel though - we are going to start the tradition of the Nutracker Ballet next year {Elizabeth will be in kindergarten} for all of the women in our family. The children do have stockings, they are hanging in the family room.

Now we are back in the living room. No rhyme or reason to the order of these pictures ...
...because here is a picture of the windows in the hall to the guest room. This is actually right outside the library and as I sit at my desk this is my view.
Back to the living room.

Window sill in living room.
Tiny hall leading from the living room to the family room.



One more shot of our lovely snow - I thought it was so pretty on my patio arrangement.
This is the side door - a little bit of snowmen.
Next up will be the guest room and bath, and the kitchen. We have a busy day shopping tomorrow, but hope to post by Monday.

We went to the company Christmas party on Thursday night. Sure wish I'd had my camera. We ate dinner on the field of C*wboy stadium, right under the giant TV screen. It was pretty nice! I am sure it will be the only time I get to the stadium so it was a great way to see it.

Thanksgiving Week - Part 2

My sister was taking pictures as I caught this candid shot of her family. They were all watching us take our annual Christmas card photo. Here is the result. I think it is a good picture of everyone.
The kids are ready at their table for the Thanksgiving feast.
After dinner we opened a few gifts with our Minnesota family as we won't be with them on Christmas. Emma didn't nap, so she was all ready in bed and her mom had to open her gifts. Evan was up though and I love the expression on his face. Can you tell he is excited to get these race cars? He LOVES cars.
Can't wait for that box to get opened!! {I think there is no shirt on because a really messy cupcake was eaten right before this}
A good shot of the girls and their children.
Elizabeth and her pilgrim cookie.
Cooper {Ben had all ready made a mess of his by the time I got the camera}

Christmas Open House - Part I

Merry Christmas and welcome to our Christmas house! I have been busy for quite some time getting all the tubs down and put out - I'm still not done, but I'm getting there.

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Today I was going to finish our Thanksgiving post, but look what I woke up to- SNOW. We just don't get much of that in Texas. In fact, in the time it took me to get dressed and ready to go out and snap a picture the big fat flakes had quit falling. I had really wanted to get a picture of the house with the snow coming down but I still got a shot of our Christmas house. For those of you who live in the north you just don't know how exciting this is. I had to have air conditioning on to put up most of my decorations and it can sometimes be hard to get in the Christmas spirit. But this helps! Of course it'll be gone by noon, but it's pretty while it's here.
Come on in to my Christmas house...poinsettias out
or in? I finally put them inside the protective porch after I read somewhere that they don't like drafts. I would like them to live for most of the month, so we'll try this spot. I covered them with a sheet for our icy blast of winter:-)

I don't have an entry - you come right into the living room.
This is our tree with the glass ornaments. The grandchildren have to be careful around this one.
I don't usually put the presents out so I brought this little table down to try to hide the cords. It needs some little dolls to enjoy the tea party. I'll get Elizabeth to help me with that.
The dining room. I could not get a picture of the hutch - this new camera makes everything too bright - even without the flash. I put some tin toile plates up in front of my regular dishes and it looks very festive. The chandelier could use a few more baubles I think.

Elizabeth's favorite decoration. Baby Jesus is in the drawer waiting to be born on Christmas, but every time she comes over she gets him out and puts him in the manger for awhile and then puts him back. She loves baby Jesus. The nativity people are newer {last 20 years or so} but the stable was my grandma and grandpa's and very special to me. It plays Away in the Manger.
That's it for today. The kids are all coming over to play and have lunch and then I have to go buy a dishwasher:-( Mine is making some funny noises - but I have to be home by 3 because the garage door people are coming. That broke yesterday too! Merry Christmas to us I guess!

Thanks for visiting. I have linked this post to Hooked On Houses Holiday Tour and Deck the Halls at Thoughts From Over The Rainbow. Both blogs are hosting holiday parties and are such fun places to visit. Please check out Part II and Part III of my Holiday Decor if you're interested, and have a very Merry Christmas!!

Thanksgiving Week

We had a houseful of family for the week of Thanksgiving. My sister and her family, and my 3 brothers were all here from Minnesota to enjoy the warm weather in Texas. It was a beautiful week - mid 70's most days. It was perfect timing too, as this week the temperatures are only to be in the 50's.

We had 6 children under the age of 4 here most of the time. Sleeping was an issue often, so on this evening the solution for part of the time was to watch a movie in our bed, and hopefully fall asleep. Didn't happen, but they liked the show!! In the picture below is our grandson Ben, my nephew Evan and granddaughter Elizabeth.
One warm day we walked up the hill from our house to our neighborhood park. {one of the many things we liked about our neighborhood was the park right near our house} Here is Ben, about to go down the slide.
My niece Emma likes to go down the slide feet first. The only problem with that is that you can't see her cute face!!
Here is part of the gang feeding the ducks in the "pond" next to our house. {the pond and ducks were another thing we liked about this neighborhood} That's my brother- in- law Jim, my sister Amy and our daughter Laura - along with the grands and Evan and Emma.

We had a good time and it was fun to see the Texas kids playing with their Minnesota "cousins." We aren't sure exactly what they are - 2nd cousins or once removed or what. I can never get that straight. I do know that Emma and Evan are Laura and Jessica's cousins, but what that makes them to Elizabeth, Ben, Cooper , and Jackson I can't figure out. So, cousins works for me.

I'll post the rest of our Thanksgiving pictures tomorrow. I didn't take many, but I do have a few more. Then it will be on to Christmas! I have been busy decorating, but still have 2 trees to do. So... I'd better get to it!!

{click on any picture to enlarge}