Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Thanksgiving Vacation

This year with the help of Jeremy and Meagan we decided to do something different for Thanksgiving. We rented a lovely home in the Texas Hill Country (sight unseen) and we're absolutely ecstatic with the results. I have included numerous pictures that are the product of two in-house photographers - Jamie and Jeremy! I hope they don't mind that I have procured their work for this blog! It was just too good not to share. And to say that we are blessed is putting it mildly!! (Allow me the opportunity for my usual disclaimer. The weekend before we left I was very ill and barely made it to Wimberley. So when you see me there is a reason that I look like death warmed over!)
The gate to the property. Let me just say that I am glad we didn't arrive after dark!

One of many art pieces the owners have on the property.

Just a peak of the house can be seen from this vantage point.

The kids all arrived before we did.


From the front of the house you couldn't see much but once you went inside you never wanted to leave!

This is a shot of the back of the house. They have seating on the upper level of the deck for 10 people which includes my favorite - the swing!! What a great place it was for me to recover!

This is a view from one level of the deck looking out over the pool. Of course, it was too cold to swim but not too cold for the hot tub. I was just too lazy to get in it!

The view was just spectacular and it was hard to get me to come inside!

This part of the deck held an outdoor dining table.

Another piece of art in the backyard.

And, of course, plenty of deer came to visit.
We had special family time!

We got to read our favorite book. I think it is funny that it is written by a "Beck".
(Meagan's maiden name!)
We had lots of happy times!

Sawyer was excited because he got to open his Christmas presents from Auntie Jamie and Uncle Josh!
Opening presents can be serious business!

Josh even got to open one of his!

And lucky me - another birthday!!!! Ya just can't have enough of those!

This was Meagan and Jeremy's night to cook and on the menu was Spaghetti, Cesar Salad, and Garlic Bread. Sadly, I still could not eat. But it smelled great.

Thanks Jamie for faithfully taking our pictures!

Now one of us got really spoiled on this trip!! Wonder who?!

We made fire!!!

You may wonder where are the marshmallows?! Everyone was full from dinner! You are going to see that there was never a shortage of food!!

There would have been a time when I would have never though this possible but Jeremy had a recipe he wanted to try for breakfast!! ( Jeremy was the pickiest eater as a child that you could ever imagine!!) And the above picture is the successful result of that recipe. It is a baked apple with a streussel filling with syrup.

It smelled wonderful and I still could not eat so Jeremy has promised that he will make it for me over Christmas!!! (AND I'm holding him to it!)

Look at those sweet boys cleaning up the kitchen!!!

Sawyer loved the Hill Country!

We played hard and laughed a lot!

I know I'm prejudiced but he's the cutest little lumberjack in the whole world!

I wasn't always sitting in the swing on the back porch. We went shopping and we went for walks!
And sometimes we took naps!

We experienced the Texas Fall!

And sometimes you had to look hard to find it!

Mr. Darcy decided he is a Hill Country dog. He loooooooved his time there!

He decided he belonged among the wildlife no matter what...

the locals thought!

Jamie and Josh cooked and cooked and cooked. They decided to have a Luby's night. So they brought their Luby's Cookbook and made Cheese steak (the boys Luby's favorite), mac and cheese, new potatoes, and a huge salad. AND, yes, there was leftovers! Additionally, Jamie made a Tres Leche cake! Jamie loves to cook!

Josh's plate. The salad plate had already been cleared!

A little Frisbee needed to be a lot of Frisbee with all the eating that was being done! :-o

It's Thanksgiving!! And we'll just let the pictures speak for themselves...


I am so glad my sister and brother-in-law could be here. There are some memories that only your sister can appreciate!


It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. After having been so sick, my beautiful daughters and sons stepped in and pulled it all together because Thanksgiving was my meal to prepare! I am so blessed!

On Saturday we all decided that our last meal together would be in town at The Leaning Pear.






It was a lovely end to a wonderful little family vaction. There is nothing better than making memories with the ones you love!
The sun sets on a very special time but soon it will rise on another and again we will wonder at how blessed we all are!

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!" Psalm 150:6