Texas Christmas Part II

After we left my grandparents, we spent the remainder of the trip visiting both of our parents and family in central Texas.

Mamacita's...finally some real Tex-Mex!

We finally were able to attend one of Theia's birthday parties! She loves dinosaurs and there were dinosaurs everywhere for the party. Hayden had a blast with the dinosaurs and we now have one in the play room (not this one).

Theia, Tanya, Taryne, Cheryl, Hayden, Charlotte & Adeline

We requested BBQ for Christmas...it was a great day

Theia

Pixie had a friend to be a little crazy with...they turned the milk green!

Taryne, Adeline and Cheryl

Our Christmas Eve milk and cookies for Santa picture...

They were not too excited about Santa's visit...maybe they were still a little tired.

Christmas day was spent with Kyle's parents...

A little play time with cousin Reagan

He was so tired by the time we got around to opening gifts...

Going to pick eggs...after checking out the goat that wandered over

Taryne, Pader & Hayden

Our last night in Texas was actually at Zach & Charlotte's. It gave us a 4-5 head start in the trip home and it gave us a little more time to see them. We met Charlotte at In & Out Burger for dinner...our first trip and it was YUMMY!!

Hayden was FASCINATED with the cat's food

Zach & Charlotte gave us a quick tour of the city of Dallas...in Legos!

It was a fast, whirlwind trip, but it was great to see everyone and eat some great BBQ and Tex-Mex!

Christmas Tree Hunt

This year we went to a Christmas tree farm and cut our own tree. I have wanted to do this for years and at first I was a bit disappointed. The trees to cut were not the variety I really wanted. They don't grow here, but if we had drove about an hour east or to North Carolina we could have cut our own Fraser Fir. The first few trees we looked at were sort of small and scraggly. How could all the good ones be gone when it was still Thanksgiving weekend?

We finally decided to spend a little more and found a really nice tree. It looked sort of small, but it was the best shaped one we could find. Since I had made such a fuss about cutting our own tree, Kyle was not going to let me leave with one of the Fraser Firs that were cut and brought in. I had to pick one out in the field. So I did. And Kyle cut it down. And when we got home, it was HUGE! And it had no smell. I think it was a type of Cypress. It did not lose needles which was awesome, but it didn't smell. That is one of the main reasons (for me) I like to get a fresh tree.

We have a TON of ornaments! And this wasn't all of them...There are enough for 2 large trees.