Gingerbread House Contest

This year our family decided to create a new Christmas tradition, gingerbread house competitions! We bought two gingerbread house kits and teamed up boys against girls to see who could win over the judges, mom and dad. Us girls were very particular about our gingerbread house. We wanted it to be perfect. The boys on the other hand were very creative and didn't care about if they got their house messy with icing. The boys won first place, but the girls won honorable mension for best kept lawn.

The boys' gingerbread house.

The boys' gingerbread house.

Baking Cookies In the Kitchen

Christmas Time!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and in our house it's a day of preparation and celebration. I love our Christmas traditions. Every year on Christmas Eve we bake Christmas cookies, decorate gingerbread houses, wrap presents, read the Christmas story, eat all sorts of delicious food, and before we go to bed every kid gets a gift of brand new pajamas to open! Christmas morning is very organized. Before we open presents we read the Christmas story again and sing Christmas carols. Wearing our new pajamas, we wait patiently while Mom hands out the presents. Then we wait some more for our turn to open a present. While we open presents we munch on some pumpkin bread and coffee until the breakfast casserole is ready and we finish opening presents. After presents we gather 'round the table to eat our breakfast. Then it's back to the front living room to dig into our stockings. The rest of the day is spent tinkering with our new "toys" and eating candy, cakes, pies, and cookies that we made in the weeks before. Christmas night we sometimes go to a movie or play games. Christmas in our house is always a wonderful time that everyone enjoys!

A Night of Christmas

Friday, our family went to the "Carol of Lights" show on the Texas Tech campus. It's an event that takes place every December where everyone gets together and sings Christmas carols and drinks hot chocolate waiting for the red and white Christmas lights to blink on and gleam in the brisk night air. After the carol of lights we went to an art show that one of our friend's, who goes to tech, put on. Even though I am terrible at every kind of art you can think of, it inspired me immensely. I love that warm and fuzzy feeling you get around the holiday season where everything feels perfect. No worries. That's what I feel every December and I look forward to it every year.

Merry Christmas!

Bakery

We walked to the bakery on our first morning in Brugge. There they bake everything fresh that morning. It smelled so delicious and looked so divine. In Brugge everyone grocery shops daily not weekly. They get their meat from the meat market and fresh bread from the bakery. I loved the quaintness of it all.

Brugge

St. Mary's Cathedral.



The park across the street from the town house we stayed in.

These are some of the pictures we took on our boat tour through one of the canals.

In Brugge we got to a private tour in a horse drawn carriage. I love the sound of the horses hoofbeats on the cobblestone streets! Clippity-clomp clippity-clomp.

The Main Square in Brugge

The main square in Brugge, Belgium.

Visiting the Roman Baths was so neat! I enjoyed seeing them more than I thought I might. The Romans spent their time at the baths like we spend our time in coffee shops and restaraunts.

Me, Mom, and Tess in front of Stonehenge. Every angle around Stonehenge is so picturesque! We couldn't stop taking pictures.

My European Vacation

I just returned to Manchester on a train from London. We didn't take the laptop with us so I haven't been able to keep you up to date for the past week. Well, I guess I will start with last Wednesday when we went to Liverpool to watch a professional "football"(soccer) game! Even though the soccer game wasn't until 8:00 that night we went earlier in the day so we could see Liverpool a little. Soccer to everyone here in England is like football to everyone in America. Everyone loves it! It was awesome to see the players' feet move so swiftly. I don't see where the coordination comes from! The next day we went to Brugge, Belgium and stayed with some of my Aunt and Uncle's friends, who own a house there. It is such a beautiful town. The canals, winding through the city streets, are like mirrors, reflecting anything that touches it. The clippity clomp of horses hoof beats on the cobblestone streets are like music to my ears. Not a single window that doesn't have a box of flowers on the sill making the city streets sing in the sunlight. Brugge is famous for its chocolate. You can't go one block without seeing a chocolate shop on the corner. After spending the weekend in Brugge, we rode a plane back to London where we recouperated with a good nights rest. The next morning we ate muffins and pastries for breakfast at a little coffee shop and then went to the Tower of London, a tour through the Globe Theater, and walked through St. Paul's Cathedral. Monday night we went to see Stomp perform at the theater! Tuesday, Mom, Tess, and I went on a tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath. Wednesday we visited Buckingham Palace, looked down downing street (Where the prime minister of England lives.), and went on the largest ferris wheel in the world called the eye of London. We also had time to have afternoon tea at a department store called Portman and Masons. London was not what I expected at all. It was more like what I would picture New York City. Busy. The streets are filled with bustling people, noisy taxis, and open markets. But I still loved it! This trip has been such a history lesson for us these past two weeks and I can't wait to get home and share it with everyone! I will tell more about the places we went and the things we saw when I am able to post pictures. Until then good evening from England!

In England!

Right now I am sitting on the couch inside our "flat" (apartment) looking out the window at Manchester, England's skyline. It is 9:30 p.m. here in England which means it is around 2:30 p.m. in Texas. Our flight arrived in England at around 6:05 this morning. We then left from the airport in a taxi cab to go to our flat to take a nap. I did not realize how exhausted I was from the time change that happened on the flight over here until after I woke up from a three hour nap! We were wiped out. I was not quite so sleepy after I ate a delicious lunch at an English pub called The Ox. The fish and chips there were so good. After lunch we did a little site seeing around Manchester. I am so fascinated by the architecture of all the old buildings here. They are so beautiful that I can't stop taking pictures of them! If I wasn't using my aunt's laptop I would post pictures of some of the things we have experienced so far, but I suppose you will have to wait until I get home. I forgot to mention the flight from Ft. Worth to Chicago on the way up here. Tess, My mom, and I all got to ride in business class! We were treated like royalty. Our seats could be reclined and adjusted anyway you wanted. Tess and I also got to watch a movie on the flight. I must say though that the flight from Chicago to Manchester was not quite so relaxing as the flight from Ft. Worth to Chicago, but we survived. I'll keep you updated as much as possible. Until then, good night. Or should I say good afternoon! Talk to you soon.

A Trip to England

In about three weeks me, my sister, and my mother will be traveling to Manchester, England! The way this trip came about is rather quite sudden and suprising to the whole family. I will try to keep my story brief as it is a bit detailed and lengthy. Well, my uncle happens to be an architect, who designs different kinds of sports stadiums. One of the stadiums he is working on currently is a soccer stadium in England. He is also one of the many designers for the 2010 Final Four stadium in Indiana. So obviously he has been flying to and from the United States constantly through out the past year. Flying in an airplane might get old after a while, but it also has its advantages when it comes to frequent flyer miles that you get when you have to fly to and from distant places often. It just so happens that he had enough flyer miles to share with my mother, my sister, and I for two weeks! It was so overwelming when I first found out about the whole thing. I have always wanted to go to England, but I didn't expect it to creep up on me so suddenly. But I am so glad is has! What an oppurtunity to learn about a new culture and country. I have been studying up on England as much as I possibly can and I also have been working at my Dad's office two afternoons a week to earn money as well. I plan to take plenty of pictures when I am there so don't worry I will share as many as I can with you! I said I would try to keep this post brief, but as you can see I have failed you that statement. So until I write again good-bye!

U.S.S Alabama Battleship

Me and my siblings on the U.S.S Alabama battleship. Our family stopped in Mobile, Alabama, on our way to vacation in Florida, to visit this Warld War II battleship!

Me and my best friend hanging at the pool!

This year our famiy rode bicycles in the 4th of July parade! It was much more fun than I had pictured it. The night before we had stayed up all hours decorating the bikes in red, white, and blue streamers. On our way to the parade we picked up some breakfast burritos to eat in the car. Once we got there it was 45 minutes of patient waiting for the parade to begin and applying layers of sunscreen on everyone's nose and face. After the parade began and we all were settled on our bike seats it was a morning full of bright smiles, laughter, and candy tossing. It was a memorable day of togetherness and love for the whole family.

Going to College

My brother is packed up and ready to go off to college. This whole week my brother, Tanner, has been packing up his room and getting ready to leave. Going in his room is quite depressing. All that is left of it is some nail and tac holes on the walls. It has a lonely echo sound when I speak. Just emptiness. He is leaving us. Ofcourse he will come to visit, but because he has gotten a scholarship to play basketball, he won't get to visit as often as we would hope. One thing that everyone is looking forward to is watching his basketball games. They will be heap more competitive and intense than that of the high school level. Even though it will be sad not having him home for dinner everyday, I know that he is achieving his dream by going to college and playing basketball and that is all that matters.

The 2008 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Last night I watched the opening ceremony to the 2008 olympics with my family. If you watched it you would probably agree with me when I say that it was the most amazing and magical thing I have ever seen on TV! From fireworks in the shape of foot steps, to pryamids of people, it was a night filled with creativity and culture. I most enjoyed how quick and perfect the dancers and acters preformed. How China just added so much of their culture to the ceremony. My family and I all agreed that it was a night full of wonder and excitement that I never want to forget.

Welcome to my blog!

I would like to welcome you to my blog. I want to become a writer some day and this is my start! I realize that I don't have much posted yet, but I will soon. So until then I hope you enjoy!