Showers, Christmas, and a really BIG DAY.....

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of holiday and wedding activities. Everything went so well and we had a great time.We are so happy for mom and so excited to include the Hillstead's in our family. Rather than write much about it I'll let you get a real taste of the fantastic events with some fun pictures(what you're all here for anyway right?) . Enjoy. Much love and thanks to everyone for their love and support.

Making a list...checking it twice...

Presents wrapped? CHECK! (okay I haven't wrapped mine...but my mom is on top of things!)

Stockings hung? CHECK!

Snow? CHECK!

Decor? CHECK!

Festive food? CHECK!

Bring on the fam!

To help you feel festive....

Check these videos out...I couldn't decide which I liked better because...well Magsy is darling and the Christmas season rocks! Enjoy.

Like mother, like daughter......

There have been a few times in my life when I've realized certain motherly traits entering my world. And by motherly traits I mean Valerie Ingoldsby traits. One of the first was when I started carrying a purse. Everywhere. Always had to have my purse with me. Suddenly I realized that while many women carry purses not ALL women carry purses...but my mom did/does...everywhere. Nature/Nurture were both out to get me on the purse issue. Another was when I started "meeting friends for lunch." I took that as a sign of adulthood as well. Then when I first moved into an apartment I realized I COULD NOT go to bed with a dirty sink. How could my roommates sleep with such a loud mess? Whether my mom always cleaned up the sink at night or kept it clean throughout the day I may never know. But what I do know is I physically couldn't sleep with the sink a mess (this may or may not be a habit I've kept well.) And most recently, and perhaps the most unexpected of all, I baked (yes Cass and Ames it's true!). And I baked A LOT. Dozens of festive cookies. For anyone who knows my mom, it doesn't get much more Valerie than that.
As kids mom would start baking Christmas cookies in October or November to prepare for her famous Christmas party. While recently reading one of my dad's journals he said that one year she made at least 80 different kinds of treats for that years party. The party/open house was quite the event. It seemed the whole world was invited. As kids Marie and I were in charge of taking people's coats when they arrived and retreaving them when guests were ready to leave. One year we donned Santa outfits to many guests delight. Another year a sweet (aka crazy) neighbor told my parents she had seen me smoking in my bedroom. Had she only seen the real steam emitting culprit....a humidifier by my side to help my asthma ridden 10 year old body! (As a side-note our house was only 1300 square feet...I'm pretty sure smoking in a bedroom with a house full of people would have been a bad idea.) Such good memories. Friends came from all over, visited, ate, and often took a plate home of goodies because the goodness was overwhelming. The party was a tradition for years until it turned into a source of competition in our small hometown with strangers stopping us on the street or at the grocery story and asking what they had to do to get an invite.
While my cookie extravaganza wasn't such a huge deal I must admit I enjoyed it. C and I took some treats around and I felt very festive...and very much like my mom. Thanks mamacita!

The sights...and the sounds....

We had quite the festive weekend. On Friday, per part of my birthday gift, we headed to Wimberley for a Christmas play. As it is with many activities we choose we were the only people there under the age of 60 and it rocked. So fun.

Then on Saturday we were off to Sights and Sounds where I was scheduled to help YSB paint faces. C had planned to do homework for part of the night and be festive during the other part of the night. However, when we arrived he could see we were in need of his sweet skills so he stayed ALL NIGHT and helped. C was a natural...I, however, took a little longer to find my painting groove. We had a great time bringing a little Christmas joy to the kiddos of San Marcos, seeing the lights, eating good fair/carnival-esque food, and who can forget the little Bethlehem with camel and all! (Side-note: the dots in the photos may make it look like it's even snowing a little....not so....just a LOT of dust...aka...Texas snow.)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.....from Hilary the elf.

Thought of the day....week....moment....

Sometimes it's easy to do the right thing. Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing. Sometimes it may be inconvenient. However, the ease or difficulty of the situation has no affect on how right it is (though sometimes we try to convince ourselves otherwise). Right is right. It's constant.

Boas Festas!

Ahhhhh Christmas decor. Though our holiday time in our apartment this year will be short we still wanted the joy of decorating for Christmas and enjoying the lights. There's something magical about it. Happy Holidays....ya'll!

Looking around...

Some sights....

San Marcos





Austin




Wimberley

Thanks and feasts....

Friends, food, thanks.....such a good holiday. C and I were so happy to have Tyraysha and Noraina come join us for Thanksgiving. We had such a great time showing them around and cooking up a storm. I have to say I felt like a pretty legit adult cooking Thanksgiving dinner....and with the only casualty being burnt rolls we felt pretty successful! C brined and smoked our turkey and it was AMAZING. Thanks to LeAnn for the fantasticly festive aprons and much thanks and love to everyone during this holiday season.

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

Chow and Russ treated us to a holiday night out at Schlitterbahn. Normally a water park Schlitterbahn was turned into piece of Christmas paradise with hot chocolate, ice skating, sledding, and even falling snow....though we decided the snow was actually some type of soap bubbles as C got some in his eye...ouch! Regardless we had a fanastic night out and it was just what we needed to start feeling truly festive. Check out your favorite Christmas elves on the bottom photo and Happy Holidays.

Listening to.....

Matt Nathanson

I'm, as always, enjoying his tunes immensely....pretty sure it's not helping my productivity...pretty sure it's still worth it.

Also check out Jessie Baylin who is currently on tour with Matt Nathanson....diggin' her tunes as well.

First Visitors, DP, and Twenty-Eight.....

It all started on the second weekend of November. Mom flew in and became our first official visitor! We showed her around San Marcos, Texas State, and beautiful Wimberly.


Then Mom headed up to Waco for some Curves meetings. I tagged along for a day or two to check out Curves International and see the sights...better said...THE SIGHT....The DR PEPPER MUSEUM! That's right...DR PEPPER was invented in WACO. LOVE DP....LOVED THE MUSEUM.

See my big smile? It got even bigger when I got the news that the best birthday surprise ever was on the way....MY SISTER! We had such a great time celebrating OUR birthday and showing Marie and Mom the sights: The Root Cellar, Aquarena Springs Glass Bottom boat tour, New Braunfels, Texas BBQ, and the outlets. It's amazing how much you can fit into a day and a half! We loved having our first visitors and showing off the great land of Texas!