Christmas Lights at Windcrest

Each year our family tries to find a night to drive around looking at Christmas light. My friend Kendra recommended driving over near San Antonio to see the lights at Windcrest. I am so glad we took her advice! We certainly saw some beautiful displays. Here are photos of a few of my favorites:


This house was awesome! The lights were set to music and the line of cars waiting to drive past this one was very long, but so worth the wait.


I loved the decorations outside this house and it appeared from what we could see of the windows the inside must have been spectacular as well!



I absolutely fell in love with the Santa on this porch!

Christmas Day 2009

I hope you and yours had a blessed Christmas Day! I know we did. Tradition at our house has us waking on Christmas morning to find what Santa left in our stockings. Anyone can grab his/her stocking as they wake and it is not necessary to wait upon the rest of the household to awaken to do so. The wrapped Christmas gifts are another story. Those have to wait until everyone is up and ready.

When Heather was little she'd wake at the crack of dawn, (or earlier!)and want to open gifts. Now that she's a teenager she's usually the last to get up.




Heather wrapped one of my gifts with so much tape scissors were necessary!

Marty as he unwrapped his gift from Heather:


Digging in to my box from Missouri!



We added some notes to some of Heather's gifts so she had some reading to do!



Marty and I searched and searched until we found the perfect gift we had in mind for Heather. We wanted her very first diamond to come from us:






Marty's family joined us for Christmas dinner and more gifts:



Marty's twin brother Mike joined us from Iraq via skype on the computer. The highlight of our Christmas day was listening to Mike read us the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke:



My sister in law Debbie, my niece Cheyene, and my nephew Tony:



My mother in law began a tradition a few years ago in which each Christmas day she draws the name of a family member to receive next year's "Gifts from Granny." She lavishes that person with many gifts, most of which are gag gifts that must be opened as they make their way to the big gift. This year was my niece Cheyenne's turn:






Cheyenne and Heather cleaning up:



I made everyone an ornament. Here is Billie with hers:



I think Tony loves his gift from Granny! She folded money into the shape of shirts so he could choose some new shirts for himself:



Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

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Photo Story Friday: Sugar and Spice

I took Friday off to catch up on some housework and prepare for hosting my family on Christmas Day. On top of that, I had a photo session for this beautiful baby girl, Elizabeth. This is my first infant portrait session so it was a freebie so I could put into practice some ideas I had. I sure enjoyed this session and snapped a few photos I love and hope her mommy does too!

Elizabeth receives a kiss from her mama, Lanie:

So precious

And yes, what photo session of a little girl is complete without borrowing my daughter's first tutu???

When I saw this tiny foot peeking out from the blanket I couldn't resist snapping a photo of it

Such a precious gift place beneath the Christmas tree!

Such bright beautiful eyes!

Sights like this just make you want to pick her up and cuddle her, don't they?


What a sweet sweet photo shoot! Thank you Lanie for loaning me your precious baby girl for photos!

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Hosted by Cecily and Honey Mommy

PhotoStory Friday~Winter in Texas

Here in South Texas we generally experience pretty mild winters compared to folks farther north, but let me tell you, after days and days of 100 plus temperatures all summer long it doesn't take much of a drop in the temps to make us whine! When I say "I'm freezing" friends and family up north say things like "what did it drop to 50???" They laugh because while we sit in the 30's they are in the single digits, some dealing with snow, and some even having ice on the INSIDES of the windows of their houses. I've been THAT cold, and there is a REASON I moved to Texas. Some days I might miss playing in the snow, but I don't ever want to be THAT cold again! So yes, I will continue to whine and complain when it drops below 70 here (hey, what can I say?! I'm a fair weather kind of gal!)

With that said, it may come as a shock to you (it came as a shock even to me!), that when it SNOWED here last week I was excited! Yes! Excited! I even went outside to watch it fall, and even went out to take some pictures of it. Granted it was very hard to even see the flakes fall, and granted none ever even came close to covering the ground, but when it's been almost 10 years since I've played in the snow, the possibility of it was indeed exciting!


Look closely! There really are snowflakes falling from the sky!

Look even closer, there really are some snowflakes on the ground. Hurry, they won't last long and they'll melt away!

And the best thing about winter....I get to dig out all my cute boots and sweaters! It won't be long and spring will be here so even though many days are still 50 degrees, I'm wearing the furry boots anyway!

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Hosted by Cecily and Rachael

Wordless Wednesday

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Christmas on the Riverwalk

We always enjoy going to see various Christmas lights displays in our town and surrounding areas. It seems to have become a tradition to walk along the Riverwalk the weekend after Thanksgiving to see the lights there. These are some of my favorite photos taken this year as we strolled with family members who were in town from Wyoming.

Come, stroll along with me. Can you hear the carolers sing as they float by in one of the boats? Can you catch a bit of the excitement of Christmas as you see the amazing lights?