It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

So today we tackled Christmas decorating. We still have more to do, including most of the outside stuff, but we did get the tree up and several indoor things accomplished. Megan was very excited about the Christmas decorating. After Daddy got the tree put together, she did the first attempt on decorating. We giggled a bit because of how she put on the ornaments. I rather expected them to all be low on the tree (at her height) which they were, but she also put most of them on the same branches, creating this densely decorated area (bottom left)

A close up of the decorating

Then Daddy helped her spread them out a little. Megan used the step ladder to put some higher, and then she and Daddy put the angel on the tree. After they finished, she stopped me and told me to go get the camera and take this picture (of her behind Daddy on the stool). I thought it was really funny as I didn't even have the camera at that time! So here is Megan's pose.

A few views of the mostly finished project in the living room

And "...the stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

And just a quick view of our bar project, which I never posted. Last year (maybe 1-1/2 years ago!) we bought a flat screen TV with the goal of moving it out of the TV area and converting that area to a bar. It took about 10 months to get the TV mounted on the wall, and then several more months before we got the shelves out, and the stemware holders painted and installed. We put the wine refrigerator from my Dad there, and got all of the liquor moved out of the kitchen freeing up some much needed kitchen cabinets. We also installed a hanging pot rack in the kitchen and we have more kitchen cabinet space than we have had in a while (but area already managing to fill it)

With the new bar, it seems like Santa could stop off for a sip after his cookies and milk.........

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh I am almost TOO full to type and it isn't even Thanksgiving anymore!

So Megan had a great Thanksgiving. It began with a trip to Corpus, along with 3.3 million other people who were all driving south towards Austin on I-35. That was frustrating, annoying and maddening. We were in stop and go traffic and the drive took about 2 hours longer than it should have, but at 11PM, we finally made it to Corpus.

Megan was so excited to get to see her cousin Lauren -- they are only 3 months apart, and have such fun together. She was a little disappointed to see that Lauren fell asleep while waiting for Megan. Apparently, Lauren was excited to see her cousin too, but just couldn't make it all the way to the late hour.

Lauren, however, is a morning girl, and so she woke up extra early on Thanksgiving morning -- and consequently, so did the rest of us. So we started the day of cooking and eating and playing early, and finished it late after a big meal.

The girls playing piano


The little turkey and her mama (the big turkey?)

Daddy's girl

There was a stuffed turkey, oyster dressing, oyster dressing w/out the oysters (for the two non seafood eaters who married into the family of seafood lovers), squash casserole, loaded mash potatoes, cranberry sorbet (a new trial this year) and dessert: pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and banana pudding.

The cranberry sorbet was a recipe that I saw on one of Blogger's "Blogs of Note" and I stumbled upon a blog that I really like with lots of good recipes. It is called sidewalk shoes and she makes some great food, and takes equally great photos of her creations. We don't have a food mill, so I just pressed the cooked cranberries through a sieve for awhile and used that in the sorbet (does that make ME the food mill?)

Then on Friday, I got to eat my favorite leftover breakfast -- Thanksgiving banana pudding (my mom's recipe). I will share it here because it is SOOOO yummy.

1 pkg vanilla pudding, prepared as directed on the box
1 cup of whipping cream, whipped and lightly sweetened (~1/2 cup sugar)
1 container of cool whip
1 can of Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed milk
bananas
nilla wafers

Prepare the pudding as directed, and also whip the whipping cream. Mix together and add the cool whip and Eagle Brand, and mix together. Layer Nilla Wafers on the bottom of a casserole dish, add a layer of the dairy mix, and slice some banana pieces into the mix. REPEAT with a second layer, and then top with Nilla wafers. It is even better the second day.


Note: It doesn't really matter if you use a large or small box of pudding, a large or small container of cool whip -- I have done both -- the proportions are similar, and it just changes the total volume that you make (so hmmm - maybe the big ones are best!)

Megan invited her cousin to stay an extra day, and so Chris and I along with Nana and Papa, set out for the aquarium to help entertain the girls. They had a blast, and were just hysterical in the car with all the games and things that they made up in the backseat. Megan is just growing up amazingly right before our eyes! We had dinner at Snoopy's on the water, and the girls had a great time, and began to look quite sleepy, so we rushed them home!

Watching the dolphin show on Papa and Daddy's shoulders

Petting the stingrays (well Lauren tried, Megan didn't want any part of actually touching them)

Watching the birds at dinner

Megan really liked the idea of feeding the birds (a big NO NO) and tormented several seagulls. You see, there is thin fishing line strewn all around and overhead to keep the birds away and they could just see Megan's offering, but not quite reach it. Megan and Lauren somehow decided to SHARE a chair at dinner, so here they are eating.

In the back of Nana and Papa's minivan having great fun

Watching "Go Diego Go" on the couch afterwards

On their matching cots at bedtime that Nana and Papa bought them

Saturday, we drove Lauren home to Houston to her Mommy and Daddy and sister who missed her. Then drove ourselves home afterwards, and now we are recovering from a fun holiday!

Sunday will be for putting up the Christmas tree and some Christmas decorating, and Megan is excited!

Megan Lauralee turns THREE!!!

Megan Lauralee turns three

Santa Claus did what?!?

Greetings!

First, I must say that the three-year old birthday party went well. Megan had a blast, and talked about until she fell asleep. Pictures will be posted after her "actual" birthday on Tuesday. She liked the birthday so much that she suggested that we have another one next week. Maybe next YEAR, but next week seems a little quick, as we are still recovering from getting everything ready and then cleaning (MOST) everything up! To those of you who joined us, thanks for sharing Megan's special day with us! She went through the guest list for weeks, and then went over who all attended for the last day. So she was appreciative in her own special way!

Tonight though, Megan just cracked us up at dinner. I got out a can of coke and was drinking some. Megan asked me why it was different. I had just bought a new 12-pack, and sure enough, these were now the "Holiday Coca Cola" cans with Santa Claus. I hadn't even noticed yet.

I was a bit impressed that she noticed this detail so readily. Again she asked "why is it different?". I told her that since Christmas was coming, they had the new holiday cans. Then she asked "Why is Santa drinking a BEER?" ......."Huh?" ......"Why is Santa drinking a Beer?"....."Oh, that is a coke"...."No -- that is a beer!" I suppose that all of Megan's life, she has never seen coke in a bottle -- it is always in a can! BUT we DO have beverages at our house that come in bottles, so it was an honest thought process! After a few more bits of discussion, we convinced her that it was a bottle of Coke, but Chris and I both thought it was REALLY FUNNY!

Maybe I should pitch this as a new ad campaign somewhere?

High expectations

I have to say that I am getting a bit nervous about Megan's birthday celebration. Her expectations seem to be growing and growing. She has spent days talking about nothing but the party, and of course the guest list. She stops to ask about several of her friends and their "Attending status" throughout each day!

Grandma came this week, and Megan has had lots of fun helping get ready for the party. But mostly, she has really enjoyed watching TV with grandma. You see, Nick Jr, one of her favorite channels, does have advertising, and it is really in full force now that it is the Christmas season. Today, as I walked by Megan "taking a rest" with Grandma (laying on the couch and watching a little TV) I heard this at EVERY commercial.... "Grandma! Grandma! I want THAT for my birthday!"

Of course, when you ASK her what she WANTS for her birthday, her answer is usually "A DORA CAKE" occasionally the answer is "A PRINCESS CAKE" and every now and then it is just "A BLUE CAKE -- A BIG ONE!" SO we will see how the cake goes over when I finish making it tomorrow. I only bought the Dora cake pan, so it will be a Dora cake. I hope it looks like one when I am done!

More updates after the party with lots of party pictures of Megan as she approaches THREE YEARS OLD!

Photoshop fun

So I have been playing around in photoshop some, as I try to learn it better! Here are a few of today's projects

It's just so Megan

Where's the Crab Tree?

Megan's quote for the night: "Where's the Crab Tree?" She kept hearing the TV announcers say it, and she just didn't see it.

So yes, this is round two of Saturday night football in the Homan House. #2 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders [guns up!] take on #9 Oklahoma State.

With a great team including wide receiver Michael Crabtree, and Heisman contender and favorite Graham Harrell, Megan is getting a quick induction into football!

As I said last week, "How about them Red Raiders?!?!?!"

Megan meets cousin Martin

A cute video of Megan and Baby Martin last August