Christmas 2012

Today is Sunday, December 30, and we just got home from a wonderful week celebrating Christmas with our families.  Though it was a lot of driving, we had such a great time with family. This past week just flew by!  We ate lots of yummy food, including brisket, lasagna, turkey & dressing, and of course plenty of sweets!

Our week consisted of packing up and driving 5 hours to Milam on Saturday afternoon, December 22.  First stop---a couple of days at my dad's house.  While there we played lots of 42 and ping pong.  On Christmas Eve, we headed over to my Gran & Papa's house to do our usual gathering with his side of the family.  We had a wonderful time, and I even got to meet my cousin's new baby boy, Dallas.  He is SO cute!!!  :)  Christmas morning we exchanged gifts with my dad and then packed up to head to Tyler for the next couple of days at my mom's house.  This year we changed up our gift-giving tradition of buying everyone a gift, and instead did a white elephant style gift exchange.  While we were opening gifts it started SNOWING!!  We were all so excited, even though it didn't stick.  :)  For the gift exchange, I ended up with a popcorn/movie night basket and Trent came home with a computer lap desk and accessories.  After dinner, we played Minute to Win it, Christmas style.  We had so much fun doing the games that mom had planned, but unfortunately Trent and I found out we are not the best at it!  We got dead last!!!  :)  The next day, my mom's family came over and we had our traditional Christmas dinner of homemade lasagna!  Mom and Kristen made the lasagna this year and it was probably the best I've had!!  I always look forward to it---so much that I don't eat lasagna any other time of the year!  We played card games and enjoyed visiting with everyone the rest of the day.  On Thursday, we (Kristen, Jason, Trent, and me) loaded up and headed to the DFW airport, where Kristen and Jason were dropped off to fly back to California.  Then Trent and I continued on the road to Bluegrove to visit his family for Christmas.  Thursday night we had turkey & dressing and exchanged gifts with his family.  We enjoyed visiting and seeing all of the fun gifts everyone got for each other.  While in Bluegrove, I did a lot of relaxing while Trent helped feed and work cattle with his dad and brother.  Last night, Trent and Keith decided to build a doghouse for Keith and his dad's dogs.  I think they did a great job!  It's like a dog mansion!!  :)  We watched a few football bowl games and enjoyed our time with the Phillips' the past couple of days!

That was a very brief overview of our week!  We enjoyed every minute of it!  We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family, and thankful that we are able to spend that much time with them!

Trent's gift from me--- T-Shirt quilt
(front)

(back)

Christmas Eve - Jason, Kristen, Kalyn, Kandace, me, Trent

Dad and his girls

Cousins - Jana, Clint, Kalyn, Kandace, Sam

Erin's baby boy - Dallas Rawley Brush

Christmas Day

Mom and her kids - with our Christmas pajamas! :)

Minute to Win it Winners!!!

THE lasagna!  So good!!!

Christmas dinner with family

Cousins - Clay, Kalyn, Kandace, me, Marisa, Kristen, Troy

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of Christmas in Bluegrove.  I did get a picture of the doghouse, though!

Doghouse for two--porch included! :)

Not sure why there is a glare in the middle of it!

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year!!!

Tis the Season

Thanksgiving break is here!  We are enjoying our week off for Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Thursday---saving room for turkey and dressing. :)  We have so many things to be thankful for, not just now, but all year!
Not to rush through this holiday, but I also love that Christmas is right around the corner.  The weekend after Thanksgiving has always meant decorating the house for Christmas, and I am looking forward to getting to put up our Christmas tree, decorating the mantel, addressing Christmas cards, finding/buying gifts, wrapping, baking, and the list continues....are you getting excited with me?? :)
Yesterday, some girls I work with came over and we all made Christmas wreathes.  This definitely got me in the Christmas spirit and I can't wait to hang it on our front door next week!!  Here are the final products:

Mine

Lisa- she went the "non-traditional" route and did an elegant
peacock themed wreath.

Adina

Jayme (she is my partner teacher, ELA/Social Studies)

What do you think?  Oh, and these wreathes cost us less than $20 each to make!!!

Latest Creations

Pillowcases or Trent's Memaw...Hard to tell, but they are actually
a light purple, with gray thread.

Spirit scarves

Blanket I made for my cousin Erin's baby--Dallas!

For Dallas

Blanket for a co-worker's granddaughter.

Onesie and burp cloth for co-worker's granddaughter, Olivia.

College t-shirt for one of Kalyn's teacher friends.  

Another college t-shirt for a teacher Kalyn works with.

Welcome, 6th Year!

It's official....Trent and I have started back for our 6th year of teaching!  Yes, Granbury teachers had their first day back today!

In honor of getting ready for "the real world" and getting back into the swing of things, I am needing your help!  I would love to know what you do for lunch each day.  Do you have any helpful tips to get lunches ready for the week?  Any easy to prepare, healthy, filling, and yummy lunch ideas that you would like to share?  We get 30 minutes to eat, so it would need to be something that doesn't take long to make/heat.  :)  I'm interested to hear what you do for lunches each week....  :)

The Lights of Vegas

The last weekend of July, Trent and I had the opportunity to venture out into Sin City---Las Vegas!!  My dad goes to Vegas twice each year for furniture market.  Last summer I had mentioned to him that I would like to experience market, and of course Vegas, one summer when he goes to market.  So....we went!!  It was definitely a great time, both the city and market.

We were there from Thursday-Monday.  Our days consisted of Ashley Furniture market Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the day, then out on the town seeing the lights (hence the title of this blog)  and such of the city.  It was a fun experience seeing and hearing of the Ashley furniture company, and we also met several people who my dad has worked with throughout his many years of being in the furniture business.  It was a little crazy to me how many people know my dad, who don't even live in East Texas!  haha  I enjoyed seeing all of Ashley's new products that will be coming out at the beginning of the new year.  There are so many new pieces, so if you're in search for furniture--go to Ashley!!  :)  Or better yet, give me a call and I can get you hooked up! :)

If you have never been to Las Vegas, let me just say that it is everything you probably think it is---both good and bad.  The hotels were beautiful!  Tons of people!  Casinos in every building!  Lights, lights, lights!  Because my dad has been so many times, he was able to take us all around town and show us the popular places.   I enjoyed the experience, but I decided it is definitely a guys kind of trip. :)   One night we decided to go to a show.  We all decided that we would like to see Cirque de Soleil, but unfortunately they were all sold out.  We settled with The Blue Man Group instead--it was great!  They were very entertaining!

On the plane to Las Vegas.

Our hotel--Planet Hollywood.

Paris---lots of lights!

This was downtown, the older part of Vegas.  These are some of the original casinos and shops.  At night, the archway above the streets are solid lights.

The roller coaster we rode at New York New York.

At furniture market.

This was inside the Venetian hotel! Yes, INSIDE!!!  The water ran
throughout the hotel, and the ceilings were painted to look like the sky!  Beautiful!!

Please excuse my hand--not sure what I was doing.  This
was before The Blue Man Group show.

Waiting for the show to begin.

View from the  building at market.  The closer set of buildings is an outlet mall!!  Notice the TALL white building in the background...this is the Stratosphere.  

Standing on the top of the Stratosphere building.  The lights up there made us look yellow!

View of the Strip from the top.

One of the rides on top of the Stratosphere.  Yes, this is a roller coaster
that shoots you out over the edge of the building, and then drops you at a 45 degree angle, 4 times!!  No, I DID NOT ride it!!!  

Another ride on the top.  Sorry for the bad picture quality.

Inside Caesar's Palace.  We ate dinner one night at The Palms restaurant inside this hotel.

Inside the Bellagio hotel--this is from the movie Ocean's 11.

The Bellagio, just gorgeous!

The fountains in front of the Bellagio do a "routine" every 15 minutes.