Christmas 2009

 

I got a call from my brother the other day and he reminded me that I hadn’t updated my blog in a long time.  Now that it is almost the end of January I’ll try to get everyone up to date.

Here I am playing solitaire with Trouble in my lap.  If I am on the computer he wants to be in my lap.

Christmas eve Michelle fixed most of the dinner but I helped some with the mashed potatoes.

After dinner we enjoyed mimosas and opened presents.

Since I forgot to bring my camera we made sure that Nola was the first one to open her present—a new digital camera from her Matt, Michelle, and Michelle’s boyfriend, Michael.

We gave Michelle accessories for the Kitchen Aid mixer that Michael gave her.

Matt got a new stereo for his truck so we gave him an adapter for his ipod or whatever it is that he has to play his music.

Christmas day we went to Wayne’s brother Kim’s for Christmas dinner.  It’s the same house we were at Thanksgiving when I did have a camera with me.  As always Kim and Irma put on a feast and Wayne’s brothers, wives, children,  nieces, and nephews all enjoy it along with Irma’s children and grandchildren.

Here is a picture of our motorhome at the Lagoons RV Resort.

Big 12 Championship game in Jerry's World

Saturday, December 5, 2009 a day that will forever be imprinted on my memory. Or at least until I sleep. Wayne and I drove from Rockport, TX to Austin early in the morning. We met four busloads of people at the UT Alumni Center to board buses to Jerry's World/Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX. As we came up to the area where you turn right off Hwy 30 there was this beautiful overpass to the left. I have no idea where it goes but it was beautiful. If you look carefully you can also see a plane getting ready to land at DFW.

This is our first glimpse at the stadium from the bus. It kinda reminds me of a space ship.

Here is a better shot from outside. This is about two hours before game time and the parking lots are getting full. At $50+ for parking I'm glad we took the bus. Plus, the traffic was awful. This place is in the middle of a neighborhood and a shopping center.

Here is Wayne inside. He is in the area where they allow standing room. I wouldn't mind watching a game from this area.

This is the view looking over the railing of the standing area to the field.

This is looking out the windows away from the field out onto the area where they were having tailgate parties in the tents. Note the sunset at the very top of the picture.

Here is a better view. Too bad there was so much reflection from the bright lights in the room.

Here is the giant TV screen anouncing that this was sponsored by Dr. Pepper.

Here are Wayne and I. Proof that we were there. As you can see there is mostly red around us.

Our seats were on the second level right below the first suites. Here is the band at half-time.

And here are the players whooping it up right after we won with my "Hook'em" sign in the picture.

It was a squeaker but a win is a win. Next stop the National Championship game.

After Thanksgiving at the creek

The Friday after Thanksgiving we drove to Sargant, TX to see Marynelle's brother, Murray, and his wife, Sandy. We had a wonderful visit. On Saturday night there is a lighted boat parade on Caney Creek. Everyone decorates their boat houses and piers for the parade. This is a view looking across the creek from their house. You can see their doorway reflected in the water on the lower left hand side.

We went down to their screen house to watch the parade. I went out on the dock to try to get pictures of the boats and they moved by. I was able to get some better than others.

I love the way the lights reflect in the water.

There were big boats and little boats and everything in between.

Lighted palm trees decorated some boats.

I bet that lighting these downriggers was fun.

There were boats filling the creek with lights.

Santa and his reindeer decorated this boat.

I think this was probably the boat with the most lights.

This is the clearest picture I got.

We have watched the North Padre Island boat parade for years but we were always on a deck high above the boats. This was a whole different perspective.

Stamper Thanksgiving

We went to New Caney, TX for Thanksgiving with Wayne's brothers and their families. Wayne's brother, Kim, has two Pomeranians and here's Trouble getting to know them. Later we were able to let them out of the pen.


As we have always said, "He plays well by himself but not well with others." He finally learned.

Kim's wife, Irma, loves to decorate for the holidays. She inherited most of Wayne's mother's collection to add to her own so everything was beautifully decorated.

Here are some of the pies that we had along with our turkey dinner with all the trimmings. My favorite is the chocolate/pecan pie that Darrel's wife, Tammie, makes each year.

Irma had this wall unit built especially for showing off all of the decorative pieces. Wayne's mother made many of the larger pieces when she was doing ceramics.

This is one of the Thanksgiving decorations that she made.

Here is another display cabinet.

The mantle was decorated with houses and autumn trees. Irma will just need to change out the trees to be ready for Christmas.

Two of Wayne's brothers and their wives, Kim and Irma, and Darrell and Tammie were there along with some of their children and the children of one of Wayne's other brothers, Leslie. Everyone enjoyed dinner and went home with a full tummy.

Back in the Austin Area

 

On Friday, Nov. 6 we drove back to Georgetown, TX to go to the next three University of Texas football games.  We stayed at New Life RV park again.  Here is a picture of the coach with the sunset in the background.  Note Trouble in the pen in front of the coach.

 

We had a night of beautiful sunsets when we arrived here Friday night.

We went to the UT vs Central Florida game last Saturday and we flew our colors proudly.

Trouble loves his pen and will play with anything.  Here he is playing with a leaf that blew into his pen.

Now he is ready to get out.

Sunday we took our daughter, Nola, and granddaughter, Michelle, out to Wild Flower restaurant in Georgetown.  Here is a picture of the three generations or women.