iPhone trip through the holidays

Thank goodness for my handy little phone that goes everywhere with me so I can snap these photos along the way. We've had a jolly holiday to say the least. Knowing that we will be spending Christmas here is enough to celebrate. I don't think we'll ever travel somewhere freezing again unless we have to.

After Pops and CC left we were a little depressed so we put up our Christmas tree and felt much better. I finally gave in and bought the 9 foot pre-lit tree from Costco. I LOVE IT!! It was the easiest "putting up the tree" I've ever experienced. My Dad was complaining about putting up another tree this year with all the lights and ornaments. It's usually an entire day affair at the Etherington home. I had to tell him all about how easy it was to put up this tree. You take it out of the box, attach the plug and voila!! Easy peasy!! I didn't even have to shape the pine needles like I did on our last tree (may it rest in peace).

Lots of holiday parties are to be had in Texas. My favorite was the Robinson's dessert party. It was fantastic!! Every kind of delicious dessert you can possibly imagine and all so beautifully decorated. I'm glad it's an annual party because my prego belly wouldn't let me eat as much as I wanted to. Until next year!
Macy Robinson is an amazing photographer and has a studio in her home (my life long dream:-). Naturally, she snapped photos of all the couples with Santa hats on. I hope she will eventually make the party an "ugly sweater" one like her brother Matt Sanderson in Virginia because that's all this picture really needs to make it complete:-)

My bunco ladies also had a party. We designated it a "holiday sweater" party (I had to wear my Unique sweater somewhere) so I went to town making my outfit. All the way down to wooden Christmas light earrings, the outfit seemed complete. I did my best being 9 months preggers.
Out of the 12 of us, only 5 really dressed up. We were crying from laughing so hard at the end of these pics. I didn't post the blurry ones where we were laughing so hard you couldn't recognize who was in the photo.
There's something even funnier about a picture when you are "large marge." Maybe that's why those Fat Albert flicks did so well because it's always more fun to watch a chubby person make a fool of himself.

Something else we did as a large group was head out to Burnet to see the live nativity. When I heard where we were going I thought it was on "burnet road" not all the way out in Burnet. What a drive!! The kids might have been a little too young for the long lines, the crowds and the cold weather (cold for Texas that is...around 50 that night:-) By the end they were pretty whiny and ready to leave.
The nativity was really cool. They had live camels, donkeys, and everyone was dressed up like the time of Bethlehem. Maybe we'll try again in a few years when it's not so crowded and the kids are a little older.

We live down the road from the Wildflower Center which is a really cool park run by the University of Texas. Every year they have a "trail of lights" and every night they have different performers. We got to hear the Austin Children's Choir" and they were spectacular!!
We made snowflakes inside, drank hot cider and got some free popcorn!!
We went there in our sweats and pajamas because you can do that in Texas. It's pretty much all that fits me these days.
We saw frosty the snowman (the kids wouldn't go near him) and enjoyed all the beautiful lanterns. Sadie thought it was just like Rapunzel and we sang "And at last I see the light."











There are a lot of fun places to see lights here in Texas. Cedar Park had quite a few last year but we didn't want to drive all the way up there. Instead we headed to Guadalupe street where you can see how some of the Austinites decorate round these parts.
One house was covered in lights with sock monkeys hanging from the trees and they had a projector in the backyard playing Rudolph the red Nose Reindeer.



Jack just couldn't believe how cool it was!!



One house was full of a bunch of male college students who surprisingly decorated better than anyone else on the street. One of them must be an engineer major because he had all sorts of fun gadgets on the front lawn for the kids to play with. The bicycle strobe light was a big hit!!




I just love how gaudy and cluttered these houses look. It's hilarious how over the top these people go. They would do Clark Grizwald proud!



An only in Austin will you find a flying pterodactyl and an enormous steam breathing dragon to celebrate the holiday season. Definitely "keeping it weird" as they say here in the capitol of Texas.












Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!!