Christmas Party

 The kids table

 The adults table

 The Santa box held a cookie and some Hershey's kisses for everyone

The couches lined the walls so we had room for the table in the living room

We hosted dinner this year for the annual progressive dinner Christmas party that we have with three other couples. It was a great evening that ended with an assortment of cheesecakes. We got home around 2 am. We put the adult table in the living room and the kids (there were 8 of them) in the dining room.

Toys for Tots and Victory

Greerson is at the very front of the train in the back row.

The Boy Scouts had their Christmas party yesterday during the Baylor game.  We were able to watch the first quarter and about the time Baylor recovered the ball from Texas we had to go to the Scout party. This party is a big event where both the Pack and the Troop go to a local nursing home and sing carols and pass out flowers to the residents. This year we arranged with the Marines to collect Toys for Tots. The boys thought it was really cool to have a Marine in uniform there when they got back from the nursing home. Greerson was awarded his First Class Scout badge. Our friends kept giving us updates on the Baylor game throughout the party. Then Sheryl, Daryl's sister texted and asked if we were at the game. We knew it must be something because she doesn't usually watch football. Soon after the text we found out the Baylor beat Texas and it wasn't even a close score. We have a fresh live Christmas tree that has been up since the first part of the week and is still waiting to be decorated. We are hoping to stay home long enough today to get the decorations on it.

Sic'Em Bears!!!!!

Well, it's time for the final Big 12 Conference game for the Baylor Bears tomorrow against Texas. We will not be able to attend since the Cub Scouts are caroling at the nursing home, but we will be there in spirit and will be watching at home as soon as we can. We are so proud of the Bears and their victory over Texas Tech and their extremely rude fans at Cowboy stadium. Our friend David Darwin was there and took some good shots of the band. They were copied from Facebook so we felt he should get credit for his pictures. Robin, Daryl's niece was there and kept us informed about the happenings in the stadium via text. We watched the game at home and were amazed at the performance of Tech's coach fighting with the referees. It also was exciting to see the Bears pull it together without Robert Griffin, III. It is sad that his replacement had to give up so much just for one game, but the Baylor Nation is ever so greatful for his sacrifice. It was great to beat Tech for the first time since we were in the Big 12.
Sic' em Bears!!!!!

            Baylor Bears at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium (photo David Darwin)

                                          Sic' Em Bears!!!!!  (photo David Darwin)

What color is Lapis?

 The purple ribbon on this package is supposed to be lapis

 This is what the centerpiece looked like when Daryl bought it

 This is after several days of glitter application

 This was the sign in table

This is the cake table

The youth minister at our church is getting married and Daryl is on the youth committee so it fell to him to decorate for the wedding shower for the couple.The colors for the wedding are lapis and silver.  After a general discussion with the committee it was decided that lapis was a blue derivative. He then checked with several other artists and professionals and everyone said a deep rich blue color. The shower was the day after Daryl's play at Navarro College so he was pressed for time that week. After checking out several stores it proved difficult to find anything in blue. He got a centerpiece that would work, but it was black and had red berries on it. Some glitter and a lot of time changed it to silver with blue berries. Sheryl, his sister, agreed to make the bows for the tables and he skipped church Sunday morning to meet her in Temple to get the finished bows and adapt an arrangement from home to the blue theme. After glittering every spare moment at home and hand punching silver doves and blue hearts it was time for the shower. It all came together very nicely. At least we thought it was nice until one of the hostesses was handing a package to the bride and commented on the pretty purple ribbon. The bride said, "Oh that's our colors for the wedding." The hostess was stunned,but we were half way through the shower. We couldn't help but wonder if they were confused by all of the blue at the shower. The moral to this lesson is, if you have a fancy name for a color then don't expect anyone to get it right without a lot of explaining. It is one wedding shower we will never forget.

Thanksgiving at the Ranch

Christa's cousin Greg and his wife Darlene

Grandpa Woody makes rolls for lunch

Christa and Greerson give Mr. Magoo some attention

Grandma writes down what she is thankful for as her brother Billy looks on

Marshall checks out Mimi's candle

Stephen, Marshall, Shanda and her mother Judy

Billy, Grandma and Lenora

The deer in the front yard

Mimi and Grandpa Woody

 Shanda and Brenna

 Grandma playing with Marshall

 Stephen and Marshall

We spent Thanksgiving at the ranch with Christa's parents. Wednesday night we arrived and ate a BBQ dinner and played Mexican Train. Thanksgiving morning was somewhat leisurely, there was the usual amount of kitchen preparations for lunch, and time to watch some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Grandpa Woody made homemade rolls and Grandma made her famous dressing. We had a great lunch listening to Christa's uncle (Grandma's brother)Billy spin yarns of yesteryear. Christa's cousin Greg was with us also discussing the art of mounting a deer skull in the European style. It was actually Christa's mother's fault. Apparently they found a deer skull in the backyard and she saved it and wants it mounted to hang in the living room.  The kid's table seemed just as lively Marshall and Brenna kept Christa, Greerson, Stephen, Shanda and Judy (Shanda's mother) entertained. After lunch we had all written what we were thankful for on a slip of paper and Grandpa Woody read each one and we had to try and guess who wrote it. It was fun trying to figure out who was thankful for food, family and other things. Later in the afternoon we did some bowling on the Wii and then played Mexican Train during the TAMU vs Texas game. It was a great time with family today. Greerson is excited about going hunting with Grandpa Woody early Friday morning. Shanda said, "He might as well go shopping if he's going to get up that early". Daryl spoke up and reminded her that Walmart opened at 10pm tonight. None of our crew is that desperate for a deal so it looks like we will all sleep in except for the hunters. There were lots of deer around the house today, but that is apparently a sanctuary and we can't shoot them at the house. We have to be primitive about it and hide in a box in the woods. We are all thankful for family and friends this year and the blessings God has provided.

Baylor vs OU

Greerson and Daryl attend the Baylor versus Oklahoma game last Saturday. It was a nail biter from the beginning. We normally really enjoy going to the Baylor Football games, but this time the stands were really crowded with Oklahoma fans. We sit on the 50 yard line, but at the very top of the stadium on the studen side. These are normally great seats, but for this game we were in the middle of Baylor fans and OU fans that insisted on commenting about each play of the game and how much better their team was than the other one. At the beginning of the game the band played Texas our Texas and of course all true Texans stood in respect, that is except Greerson. I asked him to stand and he refused because no one else around us was standing. I had to explain to him that they were from Oklahoma  and did not respect the Texas state song. Apparently he has reached the stage of worrying about what other think. We enjoyed the first half of the game, but the tensions began to grow. One Baylor fan heckled a grandfatherly type ( in appearance only) stating, "at least I attended my team's school". This grandfather has managed to clear out the rows all around him due to his language and attitude. We were so crowded we didn't have a good opportunity to escape until halftime started. Greerson decided he wanted to go home and watch the game since there was so much cursing in the crowd. We made it home in time to watch the last half on tv. It was an exciting game right down to the last few seconds.  We were greatful that we didn't stay to witness all of the OU fans lose.

All we have to say is Sic'em Bears!!!! You deserved the win.

 

Salado Scottish Clan Gathering

Greerson in his new kilt

We joined the Clan Douglas and they took this picture for their newsletter


November is the time each year that the Scottish clans gather in Salado, Texas. The Boy Scout Troop decided to attend the Highland games at the BSA camp Tahauya near Salado. They had a great time, but Greerson wanted to attend the real games and gathering in Salado. We had recently discovered that we are descendants of the Scottish Kings (James  I through V and Robert Stewart), so this was the perfect opportunity to find out more about our family. This was the 50th annual Salado Scottish Clan Gathering. While we were there we officially joined Clan Stewart, Clan Douglas and Clan Campbell. Greerson was excited to learn that he is a descendant of the McGregor Clan. Apparently Greer is an old McGregor name in Scotland. Greerson wasn't named specifally for the Clan, but rather his two grandfathers, Woody Greer Shultz and Ladson Worley. Christa's grandmother's maiden name was Greer. It was interesting to discover that the family name was Grierson before it was shortened to Greer. Greerson decided he needed a kilt so we went to the outiftter and had him fitted for a new kilt. He wore it over his jeans for the rest of the weekend at the Scout Camp. It was too cold for him to wear it without jeans and he didn't have any kilt stockings with him.