There is a State That is So Great

and Texas is it’s name-o! (sung to the tune of Bingo.)

For New Year’s we joined my mom’s extended family in Houston. We gather every few years, especially when my uncle and aunt come from New Zealand. John and I were the last to arrive on Friday. We had a fun weekend of food, museums, movies, and bonding. John got to meet those that couldn’t make it to the wedding and I met two of my cousin’s kids.

Jenny with Belle

Saturday we went to the Houston Fine Arts Museum to see the exhibit on King Tut. One of the reasons we know so much about him is that his contemporaries tried to erase all memory of him because his father tried to convert Egypt to monotheism. Since no one knew about him, there were fewer looters looking for his tomb.

For NYE, my aunt and uncle hosted an open house for friends in the area. John’s friend from college, Dave, and his family, Julie, Bailey, and Maddie, came. It was so fun to visit with them. After the open house, the cousins relocated to my cousin’s house to ring in the new year.
On Sunday, John and I went to church. It turns out we attended the ward that my mom was a member of when she lived in Houston in the 70s. That afternoon, we went to the San Jacinto Monument. It’s a memorial on the battlefield when the Texans won their independence from Mexico.

Dad “photoboming” my picture of Jenny

The monument

Sunday night we went on a ride through a neighborhood of lovely homes decorated with gorgeous Christmas lights!

These were strands of lights dangling from the branches. John is standing under the tree above.

It was a fun way to start the year!

A Very Flakey Christmas

 

 

 Christmas started early with my family Thursday

 

 

 

Then continued with meeting this sweet girl - and her mom and sister

 

 

and sliding around on the ice pond

and tracking Santa  

and cute Christmas outfits

and cousins playing                                       

                  

                                                                                                     and family gathering

                  

and snow!

Spreading Cheer

I was first introduced to Mexican Hot Chocolate as a junior in college when my folklore professor brought some in for us to try during our section on Mexican folklore. I buy it occasionally and this place in Del Ray has a great version called Lucy. I found a recipe for it and thought it would make for great Christmas presents.

It was really easy to make. I borrowed a food processor, mixed everything together, and put it in the food processor a little at a time. To make it present-ready, I put the chocolate in 16oz mason jars, leaving room for little marshmallows.

Using the lid as a template, I traced it onto Christmas scrapbook paper to insert in between the parts of the lid.

                 

Next using Picnik, I created little tags that I printed on the back of snowflake scrapbook paper and cut them out with scrapbooking scissors and punched a hole in the corner.

With some ribbon, the tags were secured to the jars and bags.

                  

It Happened At Christmas

As a birthday present, my husband gave me How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I was so pleased. My sister has this amazing collection of Christmas movie classics that I've missed having around. I do have a few: Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Mr. Kruger's Christmas.

But lots of movies happen at Christmas: You've Got Mail, Serendipity, Home Alone, Little Women, The Shop Around the Corner. There are probably more, in fact I see listing for movies like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Never seen them. (For the record, It's a Wonderful Life just happens to end during Christmas. The reason it's shown at Christmas time so much is the people that owned the movie forgot to renew the copyright, so the networks were able to show it really cheaply.)

My husband and I have been deciding if While You Were Sleeping is a Christmas movie. I say it is, he says it's not.  I single this one out because it may be my favorite movie ever ("These mashed potatoes are so creamy!"); I can watch it a lot. I know it doesn't focus on Christmas, or Christ, or Santa Claus. But most of the movie takes place in the week between Christmas and NYE; the family invites Lucy for Christmas; they open presents and have Christmas dinner.

What do you think?