happy new year!
Here we are in 2010! Champagne sipped, brownies eaten, calendars updated and resolutions made. Here’s to a wonderful new year. We’re going to make it a memorable one, without a doubt!
christmas travels
the girls were up at 4am this morning, but we managed to hold them off until 5am. After the frenzy of gift opening and happy dances, we got busy with cleaning up and packing to head to the airport. The girls did take a few breaks to play with their new toys and to show
the days are getting longer
in addition to our yule party and our solstice fire, I celebrated the return of longer days by heading down to the lake to watch the sun return after the longest night of the year. Being down by the water in the early dawn was a wonderful, peaceful moment.
winter solstice
while we enjoyed ourselves at our Yule Party, I wanted to start some family tradition for the solstice as well. On the eve of the longest night, we set up the fire pit and roasted marshmallows. To set this fire apart from others, I read a meditation from the UUA website; I was surprised at
yule party
last friday was our yule party! I planned and planned, but then ran out of time to make all the food I had planned to make. But we did do most of the crafts, and I like to think that everyone had a great time…I know I did. I’m going to record all that I
pine lake pageant
on saturday, we joined our Pine Lake neighbors for the Cookie Exchange and the Lighting of the Lake down at the beach house. Both girls had parts in the little pageant; Camille read the “reindeer report” and Chloe was both a mouse and a reindeer. The girls just loved it, and the event reminded me
cookie exchange
i’m not a baker. so when it comes time for the cookie exchange, i’m really quite lucky to have a daughter that loves to bake! This year, Camille decided to make four dozen snickerdoodles for the Pine Lake Cookie Exchange! After breakfast yesterday, she and her two helpers took over the kitchen for a couple
chloe’s snowpeople
for our pizza party, chloe decided she wanted to have a project for kids to do — make marshmallow snow people. At the store on Tuesday, she bought big marshamllows, mini marshmallows, spice drops and pretzels for assembling them. I have no idea where she came up with the idea, but they sure were cute
o christmas tree
last night, after rob worked on trying to fix the lights that have been broken for two years and finally gave up, he and the girls decorated the tree. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I just don’t enjoy it. I’d prefer a tree with some nice white lights and ornaments made of
gingerbread village
we’ve tried a gingerbread house and a gingerbread tree, but I think this year’s gingerbread village is our all-time favorite. We buy a prefab kit from Target, and the girls assemble the pieces and decorate. Last night they had a great time putting together the five little buildings and decorating them all. That wasn’t enough
tree time
after we finished unpacking from being away for a week, we headed out to get our Chrismtas tree! The first year we lived in Pine Lake, I asked around for where we should get a tree and heard about Hall’s Nursery. We headed over there and found a great selection of trees and some very
happy thanksgiving!
as most people know, Thanksgiving is not high on my list of holidays. I don’t like the production of cooking a big meal (especially not the turkey). I’d gladly give up the meal and the football. My favorite part of the meal is having apple pie for breakfast the next morning. fortunately, the day was
three weeks of autumn
how does that happen? isn’t autumn 13 weeks long like all of the other seasons? apparently not. my autumn/thanksgiving decorations, what few I have, only get to escape the storage room for a couple of weeks each year. On September 27th or soon thereafter, we decorate the house for Halloween (the rule is we wait
halloween 2009
how did Halloween come and go so fast? Maybe it was the fact that we were out of town so many weekends in October? Maybe it was the fact that I’ve been sick with a cold/sinus infection for so many days now? I have no idea, but I really hope that next year we manage
happy birthday, camille!
Yikes! A week has gone by without my updating the blog….I guess I’ve been preoccupied with other things, like getting us to Austin and working. Last Saturday, Camille turned 11! To celebrate, we tried to get her a new passport, but that plan was quickly scratched. Instead, we went out for brunch at Thumbs Up.
Memorial Day, Pine Lake Version
Pine Lake celebrated Memorial Day in its traditional manner yesterday. Around 11:30am, we gathered at the clubhouse to decorate our bikes, our scooters, our wagons and ourselves in red, white and blue. At noon (or maybe noon PL time), the mayor gave a little speech to honor our soldiers and police officers, then raised the
Pine Lake Easter Egg Hunt
While planning our trips to DC, the girls were insistent that we not head to DC until we had participated in the Pine Lake Easter Egg Hunt. So we booked plane tickets to head up to DC in the afternoon AFTER the hunt. Even though we had stayed up to after midnight the night before
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
On Saturday, the girls and I got up early and headed to the airport in the rain for our 8:40 flight. The weather was bad, but not bad enough to delay the flight. The plane was tiny, so Camille had to sit in the row ahead of Chloe and me. There was a medical emergency
St. Patrick’s Day
As the “religious conservatives” that I know don’t celebrate Halloween, the “pagans” don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. At our house, we take any excuse to have a little party. St. Patrick’s Day for us is not about casting the “snakes” from Ireland, but instead a celebration of Ireland, pagan roots and all. Last Friday, we
Chinese New Year
Like last year, the girls did a few activities for Chinese New Year. As we are planning to have a potluck (if you read my blog, consider yourself invited) on Friday night with a Chinese New Year theme, we will probably end up doing all these crafts, along with the ones from last year, again
GBK Gwyneth
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