Christmas 2019

Mimi and Papa came over for Christmas. We would usually have had Phillip's siblings too, but they both couldn't get away from work for that long this year.

This was a fun, full week! 

Phoebe's Nativity drawing from Christmas Eve. 

You're never in want of a canvas if you have an ink pen and some bare skin, I guess.

I really enjoy puzzles. 

I picked out a small 300-piece one that we could put together fairly quickly. It only took us Monday evening to get it done! This is Santorini, a touristy island off of Greece. I checked out puzzles in three different places and there were only two that I can say I liked. This one was a bit muted up close (Impressionistic), so it wasn't super easy to do, but we got 'er done!

Christmas Eve we had lunch at Dienger's in Boerne. Then we walked the downtown shops and picked up a couple of little things. Mulling spice, an ornament, a book. We found a neat little bookshop that we've never noticed before. I was very pleased with their children's section. They had many books that I use for homeschooling. And the curator must love Beowulf because there were several different versions of the book placed in different sections of the store.  We got a copy of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" so that Papa could read it to the kids that night. He memorized that when he was 6 and likes to quote sections of it around Christmas. 

And after walking around town, we had a snack at Dairy Queen (pictured above).

Our church had a candle-light service, and then we came home for appetizers and "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Christmas morning! So fun to watch the kids open gifts. 

Papa praying for our meal. 

We did answer the Conversation Questions after dinner. I thought it went well! And we learned things about each other that we did not know. Like Liz doesn't mind spending too much money on yarn. Or Papa would pitch a game at the World Series and win if he could have any job for a day. Or that Phillip can quote the Oreo commercial from when he was a kid. 

Post Christmas we had breakfast at IHOP before Mimi and Papa hit the road for home. 

It was a fun family time full of food and laughter. 

I wanted to add a couple of recipes that were a hit. They're appetizers, but very good ones:

Brown Sugar Bacon from Cook's Magazine: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/11374-candied-bacon (Easy! I made this ahead of time and then zapped it in the microwave before serving.)

Jalapeño Poppers wrapped in Crescents: https://howtothisandthat.com/jalapeno-popper-crescent-rolls/ (I'm not sure if that's the exact recipe Mimi used, but it's close. Super yummy! You can stuff the poppers ahead of time and keep them refrigerated until time to wrap them in crescents and bake.)

and Mimi's Apple Salad:

I don't have measurements, but here are the ingredients:

~Apples with lemon
~Celery
~Chopped pecans 
~Cool whip mixed with slaw dressing and miracle whip, and maybe a little sugar if it tastes too tart 
~Miniature marshmallows

Conversation Questions for Christmas

I like to have topic options at the ready when we are having company over. Christmas and family over is no exception to that, although most people probably know their family pretty well and have conversation starters at the ready. 

But if you have aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and you haven't talked with one another in a while, it might be a good idea to have something ready with a specified time for sharing thoughts and memories. It's also a great way to get your kids to open up with grandparents and other family they haven't seen in a while. Yes, everyone will groan, but it sure gives you some sweet memories. And it seems these memory moments are tasked to us mothers.

So here is a curated list of questions from the internet that you can print out and cut up and use for conversation starters. 

• Do you prefer gingerbread cookies or sugar cookies? 

• What’s your favorite Christmas song? 

• Would you prefer snow on Christmas or sunshine? 

• Which family tradition do you want to pass down to your family? 

• Do you like getting gifts or do you feel awkward about it? 

• What is a Christmas song that makes you cringe? 

• If you could have any job in the world for one day, what would it be? 

• Finish this thought, “It wouldn’t be Christmas without……..” 

• Share something about yourself that you think no one else knows. 

• What commercial from childhood can you say or sing from memory? 

• What has been some helpful advice to your marriage? 

• What is something you don’t mind spending extra money on? 

• What is one ritual you have in your everyday life that you love? 

• What fashion trend do you want to come back into style? 

• What is your favorite way to serve others during the holidays and beyond? 

• What is a favorite Christmas memory that has stuck with you through the years?  

• If you could choose your age forever, what would it be and why? 

• Pick something out of your pocket or purse and tell why it’s important to you. 

• What is your most memorable trip? 

• What is one question you wish people would ask you more often? 

• What’s a top thing on your bucket list? 

• Which celebrity would you like to have as a friend? What would you buy them for Christmas?

A lady from church mentioned their way of doing this for parties, so our family tried it for Thanksgiving and enjoyed it: The first person takes a question and answers it; then the next person answers that same question and a new one that they pick. Then the next person answers the last person's new question plus another one that they pick out. And so on around the circle. Everyone answers two questions at a time this way.

If you keep the questions light-hearted and not too sappy or personal, you learn a lot about one another and it gives everyone a chance to talk.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Doings

If you live near San Antonio, University of the Incarnate Word is gorgeous at night around Christmas time! Liz was there taking dance classes with a friend, and we needed to pick her up early. This was my first time on campus, and I really loved all the lights in the trees. It would be a neat place to walk around and just enjoy. There was a large chapel there also with beautiful stained glass windows. We didn't try to go in, but I would love to see the inside sometime. 

And then we three girls got to have a night out downtown at The Nutcracker Ballet.

This was a special treat. I took Elizabeth when she was 5 or 6, but we had not gone back since then. I feel like my girls should see a ballet at least once. Just for the experience. I'm also considering that maybe we should all go see an opera at least once too..... 

This looks like such a homeless picture! 

But we were really in this beautiful building, and they are sitting against a marble pillar, and there were dressed up people milling about everywhere. But it was definitely a mixed bag in the dressed-up department. Some were super fancy: long evening gowns and suits. And some were just in jeans and t-shirts. The little girls were super cute in their gorgeous dresses. 

Waiting for it to begin.

The only picture I took of the production. 

Phoebe enjoyed the first half where there was more of a story line. Liz and I love the Russian dance from the second half. 

Some of the cast out in the lobby as we left. 

And we had Star Wars Day yesterday! 

We took this picture after the movie was over. I have to say I enjoyed The Rise of Skywalker much more than I thought I would given all the reviews we'd been listening to before we saw it. It was a great story! Very Star Wars-y. The characters had a great time together, you can tell. 

Christmas has been very enjoyable. We finished school on Friday. We'll take two weeks off. We're prepping for Christmas snacks and meals, for family to be here soon. We have a new oven from the owner of our duplex. I think he got one for the neighbor too; I think he just wanted to give us a Christmas gift! He's so great. We have a working van which is running great. The kids are all moving along in their "adulting" ~ Liz visiting colleges, Jon getting driver's license, Phoebe doing great with her art. Thank you, Lord, for all these good things. We look forward to Christmas next week!

Botanical Gardens and Christmas Decorating.... and Elizabeth is 18!

This girl. 

Oh my goodness, I can't believe she's 18! She had a full birthday week. She worked on her actual birthday (they gave her flowers and a balloon!) and then came home to bake her cake (which had to bake across the street since.... oven was still broken). She stayed at a bed and breakfast which was this cooking/garden/country place she won a gift certificate from years ago. Then the family all went out to eat at Avocado Cafe on Friday for her birthday lunch. She has applied for voter registration and is waiting for her "real" license to come in (in Texas, you have a provisional license until you turn 18; she hasn't been able to drive more than one non-family member at a time, and that's been a point of contention in her life).

So Liz-typical. 

Sitting on our bathroom countertop drawing.

Her green-themed cake with sugar-glass flames.

And then that same week, a neighbor came over with 6 tickets for the Botanical Gardens. Her sister worked on the current Bug Display there (or something like that) and wanted some kids to enjoy the displays before they were taken down. She just asked that we get pictures so her sister could see the kids having fun. So we invited some friends and went Friday afternoon. 

I must say that there is plenty to do at San Antonio's Botanical Gardens. You could easily spend the day here if you brought a picnic lunch. 

Rolling down the hill. 

The hobbit hole. 

It was nice and cool in there. December and it was almost 80º that day.

Connect Four. 

And Jenga and Corn Hole. 

These marble slab seats were nice and cool. It was a good resting place for a while. And they had an ice cream vending machine nearby, so....... ice cream.

One of the bugs. 

There were three of these giant ants in this yard area. 

Giant chairs overlook a recessed lawn. 

Phoebe and I snatched a few winks of sleep while some of the kids played chess.

This is my favorite part. Just a little hiking trail that goes around a small lake. This area is reminiscent of the Piney Woods area of East Texas. The kids liked fishing for turtles.

That was a very enjoyable day. I didn't get any pictures of the kids' favorite part: the green houses full of ferns and cacti and orchids. Phoebe would really like one in our backyard. She wants to sit in there by herself and read and draw. 

Well, Christmas decorating is allowed to begin as soon as December hits. December 1st was a Sunday, so that Sunday night we commenced. 

I've been hearing two different perspectives about Christmas. Some say you should spend time in quietness and darkness remembering the world which had waited for the Light to come. You should celebrate Advent and not rush into the busyness of "the Holiday Season." And then others talk about celebrating to the fullest the season of Christmas. That while it can be tiring for moms, they should make it the most joyful time of year for their children because of Who we are celebrating.

I do not enjoy a super busy life, but Advent is also a newish idea to me. So I wouldn't say I'm an Advent advocate exactly. I do love all the Christmasy ideas I see around. But I also don't like being too busy. So I'd say we try to take it slower than many around us but that the celebratory nature of Christmas is our aim. I kind of feel like the rest of the year is like Advent. Dreary. Waiting for lights.

My mom gave the kids this calendar many moons ago. 

And they still love getting their turn to put the magnet on. 

They all take turns putting one ornament on at a time. And then Dad (or this time, Phoebe) will rearrange it all later "when no one is looking."

Their first gift to open for the year. 

I mean, it's really for Dad and I. Decorative stockings with their names monogrammed. 

And last night we drove around Windcrest looking at Christmas lights. 

That little town goes all out. These few were favorites of ours. 

Star Wars! 

Thanksgiving Meal without an Oven

But first, Jon started a fire for the neighbor kids one night this week. If you've never had bacon fried over a fire, you need to try it! It's so good. We had s'mores too, but the bacon stole the show.

And onto Thanksgiving without an oven. 

We were in the process of baking cookies Tuesday and realized the oven had not heated up. We fiddled around with it and finally emailed the property manager to ask for someone to come over. Of course no one got the message because of holidays. 

So then we figured out how we could do everything using stove top, microwave, and crockpot. The baked goods (rolls and desserts) were just store bought from HEB. We all love King's Hawaiian rolls, so that wasn't a problem. We got a lemon tart and frozen chocolate pie for dessert. The earlier requests had been brownies and lemon bars, and I thought these were close. But they just weren't as good. But it was fine. 

The pork loin was done in the crock pot. We did a cream cheese/jalapeño/bacon stuffed pork tenderloin. I thought it tasted pretty good, but presentation was lacking. I'd like to figure that out. The picture on the internet looked so good, but mine was pretty messy. 

Everything else was cooked on the stove. Even the sweet potato soufflé (I left out the egg) and green bean casserole. We had way too much to eat, so it was a successful Thanksgiving meal.

And High Noon was our chosen movie of the afternoon. A good, simple plot; cowboys....

At Grandma's growing up we would cycle through Meet Me in St. Louis, Les Miserables, Princess Bride, Fiddler on the Roof, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I feel like there may have been others, but those are the ones I remember the most. I have lots of nostalgia for those movies now.

Alec came over after cooking for his Navy fellows. 

We quickly lost a game of Pandemic together. (It's all the players against the game.) 

Had some good conversation, watched an episode of The Mandalorian. 

It's been Seattle kind of weather this past week. Gray clouds, just cold enough, a dreary tint over everything. I don't mind this every once in a while, so I'm enjoying it while it's here. 

My parents and siblings and I were able to text each other back and forth all day. I kind of love that. We can share pictures and short messages and little videos. I think Dad had 3 or 4 different message groups going that he had me tacked onto. (smh) It was fun though. 

Happy Thanksgiving 2019!