Christmas in Texas

As soon as school was over on December 19, we got ready to leave for Texas.  That day, Julie drove down from San Francisco and at 5am the following morning, we headed for Santa Fe. We spent the following day with Michael and Laura before leaving again, this time for Austin.  All together we drove about 24 hours over two days.

 

Michael, Julie, and Dev hiking at Tent Rocks

Arthur delighted to play at a roadside Dairy Queen

We got into Austin around 9pm on December 22, and the next morning Rosemary, Louis, Beatrice, and Arthur were off to a Christmas day camp while the rest of us took a break to get lunch at Odd Duck.

Rosemary and Beatrice playing with more fake snow at camp

That evening we celebrated Baby William's first birthday with cake and a family talent show.  Mina organized the talent, including Rosemary and James on the piano, Mina on guitar, and a special song (with props!) from Mamo and Suzan. (And Arthur and Louis accompanied them on the bells.)

The following day was Christmas Eve and all 15 of us were invited to a gorgeous New Orleans-themed party at the home of Eileen and Jordan Silvergleid, friends of Mina and James.  We all had gumbo (expertly made by James), red beans and rice, pralines, and hurricanes.  Arthur and Louis spent the whole evening playing in the backyard while Beatrice spent two hours carefully decorating a parasol for the parade (sadly, she skipped the parade itself because she was scared to walk in the street - but Arthur represented our family playing the washboard and James, the French horn).

 

 

 Then the next day it was Christmas!
 

The kids spent the morning opening gifts - though after opening her stocking, Beatrice took a long break to create some Christmas decorations.

 

Dev reads a note Santa left for Beatrice along with her magic wand:

 

Next year B plans on asking Santa for a book of spells to help her use her wand.

B with her wand

Rosemary on her new stilts

Arthur in his knight costume

 

The kids table for Christmas dinner

The following day Mina and I took the kids to hike around Barton Creek while Dev and James went shooting.

Then we headed off to Dallas, where B and Arthur helped finish Suzan and Naresh's tree and we toured the incredible new children's section at the Arboretum.

 

After a week in Texas, we were on the road again! this time to Colorado...