The Reason for the Season

Before she went to bed this evening, Brenna insisted on adding the kneeling Santa to the Nativity display. She wanted to make sure that we remembered Santa was coming tonight to worship the baby Jesus.

Twas the Night before Christmas

And all through the house,

not a creature was stirring....

except for Bryan and I finishing up cooking the pies, the breakfast casserole, and cleaning up all of the kitchen, sweeping the floor, and moving wet clothes into the dryer.

According to NORAD's Santa Tracker, the big jolly guy himself is in the US, heading up and down the New England coast. Somewhere in Queensland, Australia, a dear friend is already tucking into his Christmas dinner.

Brenna insisted on adding a bag of carrots to the Santa cookie tray -- for the reindeer of course -- and her letter to Santa on the top. Then it was off to bed with them!!

As bright-eyed as she looks (at 9 p.m.) I assure you that she is fast asleep at the present moment.

This one was asleep probably before the flash stopped - I could have put her to bed at 7 p.m. (if we'd been home) and she would have been fine.

Earlier this evening we drove around looking at Christmas house lights throughout the neighborhood. We'd heard of this one house we just had to see and it sure was worth the time we spent looking for it. The family had converted the entire garage into a multi-layered Christmas village extravaganza. I wish I'd had the camera. There were probably 150 small village scenes/sets from the simple to the detailed, with lights and moving parts, skiiers, skaters, dancers. it really was incredible. They had constructed a special plexiglass garage door/front (including security camera.) The rest of their yard looked like a Lowe's or Garden Ridge Pottery advertisement.

Rest easy everyone - we're settling down on the couch watching Patrick Stewart's Christmas Carol (easily the best version I've ever seen!)

Coming Home!

Bryan has spent the last 10 days in Aberdeen, Scotland for work. We've missed him like crazy, and haven't blogged about it. But he's finally on his way home!! He flew from Aberdeen to Amsterdam while we were sleeping. His flight from Amsterdam was delayed in leaving this morning, but he is finally in the air - somewhere just below the tip of Iceland.

As you can see from the tracking map, he'll fly over the tip of Greenland and come into the continent across northern Canada, coming into the US through the midwest. When he left - he flew straight up the Northeastern Seaboard - over Maine and Nova Scotia.

His landing time has already been pushed back to after 6 p.m. but we'll be waiting (somewhere) at Bush IAH Airport for him to come through customs.

The girls are very ready to have Daddy back home.

Walk Through Bethlehem

Every year, on one weekend for three nights, the Methodist church does a special Walk through Bethlehem. They transform the gym into Bethlehem, complete with a variety of costumed vendors, shops, hay/mulch, ending in a live nativity. Outside are camels, goats, a donkey, and sheep, with costumed Wise Men, shepherds, and dancers. Everyone in costume greets you "Shalom. Peace be with you." There are beggars, entertainers, musicians; everyone asking if you've heard about The Child.

You wait in line out front, and enter through a tent, where a woman reads from a scroll from the prophet Micah about the coming Messiah. Then you go into the town, passing the Wise Men - who let you smell frankencinse and myrrh. The "gold" is a piece of chocolate in gold foil. Small "gifts" are given to the children. Inside, the vendors let you sample their ware, show how people lived in the year Christ was born, and let you try your own hand at things like grinding wheat, weaving reeds, pressing papyrus, molding a piece of clay. The girls love it.

When we came to the end, and went into the darkened stable to see the child, Cameron gave her bit of clay (shaped into a bowl) as a gift. It was a very sweet gesture (and I noticed quite a few plastic beads and other trinkets in the bottom of the manger). Brenna looked at her sister and looked at her own clay - and I could tell she was NOT going to give it up. But she couldn't let Cameron out-do her. So she quickly added the other thing in her hand at the time - a sample of the basket weaving.

Afterwards, we came home and ate dinner. After they were ready for bed, I let them open their Webkinz exchange gift. Cameron has a husky she named Hawk (after Heather's own husky, Hawkeye.) Brenna named her white bunny Claire.

All in bed - thought not until almost 10 p.m. CCE is going to come awfully early in the morning!

Nutcracker

Cameron received an invitation from one of her best friends to attend the Houston Ballet Nutcracker matinee performance. Erin & Cameron were best friends in 2nd grade - in the same class and Girl Scouts together. Even though they are in different classes this year and Cameron doesn't attend Girl Scouts, they are still friends and see each other at school during recess.

Erin's mom took both girls (aren't they adorable!) and they had snacks and bought ornaments before the show. Erin loves ballet, and is a Junior Patron . This membership included a reception in the Green Room where they could meet the dancers afterwards.

Cameron, Erin, and the Sugar Plum Fairy (Kelly Myernick)

They also toured backstage and got to see the props up close!

Erin's mom sent me the photos and clearly they had a fabulous time! I wish I'd been there too!

Texas "Snow"

Yesterday morning we woke up and were surprised to see we'd had a near freeze overnight. North of town they did freeze, but we think it was only about 35F-37F on the coast.

When I opened the kitchen blinds, we discovered a thin white sheen of frost glistening on the grass, the playset, and the (used-to-be) golf course out back. It was really pretty and if you didn't know better, you could squint a little and pretend it was a light dusting of snow.

The girls were so excited to see it. Naturally they called it snow, though I had to correct them and explain that it was just a little frost. As we drove to school, the rising sun's warm rays took care of any remaining frost. (It actually warmed up to 65 yesterday.) But it was very pretty just as the sun began to rise, all white and glistening.

I wished I had a camera with me on the drive to work. Horsepen Bayou was steaming. Literally, white steam rose from the warm water in the cold air. Just beautiful. It was definitely our coldest morning this fall and it felt great!

The Wedding

I have been remiss in posting about Brad & Amanda's wedding last month. Here are just a few of the images.... We really had a lovely time and Amanda is now officially a "Kelly girl".

Brenna & Cameron share a laugh with Amanda while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Brad, Debbie, and Bryan. As much as we missed Donna at this event, we are very blessed to have Debbie play such an important role in our lives.

(More later....)