On the 23rd, I headed home to celebrate Christmas with my mom’s side of the. As usual, my mom cooked enough to feed a small army. We all had a great time, especially while playing a white-elephant gift game/exchange. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend time with my dad’s side of the family because of holiday scheduling conflicts. On Christmas Eve I accompanied my parents to the candlelight service at their church. Christmas morning was spent again with my parents, my sister, her husband, and their two sons. Later that afternoon, we were joined by my granny, and her best friend, Jule.
As soon as the last day of final exams came to an end, Aggieland turned into a ghost town (it happens every year). It’s nice at first, but it doesn’t take me long to miss the students. During this little quiet time, Ruben and I did much of nothing. This in-between-time was pleasantly interrupted by a visit from an old friend. Brian (TAMU graduate and mutual friend with Glenn) was back in town interviewing for a job on campus. He came by the house a couple of times to cook and celebrate Christmas with Glenn, Ruben, and myself.
This has been a busy holiday season, but it hasn’t felt like Christmas until I attended this year’s Christmas Pageant at Friends Church. Over the years I’ve seen the kids of my church (who participate in this event) take on more advanced roles in the story as they grow up. It’s fun to watch them concentrate to remember their lines, giggle, and just have fun in the moment. Their joy and smiles are the best.
Saturday afternoon Elsa, Travis, Liz and Vann drove up from Houston. Together the six of us had an informal Christmas celebration along with a few Dance Central dance-offs via the Xbox Kinect. Later that evening we headed South of College Station to enjoy the sights and sounds of Santa’s Wonderland. This local holiday-attraction features lots of live-music, food, and a hayride through it’s Christmas light display.
Catherine (coworker and friend) and I share several geekie interests including Doctor Who and Harry Potter. Recently, she convinced me to become a beta-tester for the online-world of Harry Potter known as Pottermore. In this on-line version of the Hogwarts’ experience, each member is sorted into one of the houses of the school. I was placed in Hufflepuff. Friday night, Catherine and her husband Jarrett held a Christmas party and those Catherine recruited into Pottermore had to come dressed in their house colors. I wore a black Doctor Who shirt…double the geekness. We had a great time at Catherine’s “house” party.
OK, let the Christmas holiday fun begin. The month of December started off with the College of Architecture Holiday Party. Coworkers, family, and friends gathered at a place on Northgate called Daisy Duke’s to celebrate the season. Afterward, Ruben and I had a blast spending the rest of the evening playing games with friends at Catherine and Jarrett’s new home.
December 23, 2010 On the 23rd, I headed home to celebrate Christmas with my mom’s side of the family at my Uncle and Aunt’s home. We ate well, had plenty of laughs and then played several rounds of bingo for (potentially) big cash prizes – lotto tickets. On Christmas Eve I accompanied my parents to [...]
December 18, 2010 About ten years ago, someone began transforming 37 acres south of College Station into a huge holiday attraction called Santa’s Wonderland. The site started with a simple drive though light display and has since grown into a winter park complete with live music, shops and other attractions. On a cold December evening, [...]
