Christmas at Glynwood

Tyler and Greerson opening their presents

Greerson with his new ATTE

Woody and Stephen preparing their guns for Santa!

We travelled to Christa's parents (Glynwood) Tuesday evening and claimed our room before anyone else got there! Christmas Eve we baked a Hollywood Grapefruit cake (from the Brown Derby in Hollywood) and pecan tassies. Christa was baking the tassies and forgot the vanilla in the first batch so she had to remake them. After a morning of baking we went to College Station and ate lunch and picked up BBQ for dinner that evening and got some last minute supplies for Christmas day. Shortly after we returned to the ranch everyone arrived we had a great visit. We ate dinner and played a game of Scene it. Christa's aunt Sheryl's parents really enjoy the theatre so we set them up to watch a couple of movies while we played Mexican Train. Shanda was too tired to complete the game so she went to bed and about that time the movies were over so the Sheryl's parents completed her hand. We had a great time! While we played the game Woody, Stephen and Doyle were cleaning the gun collection. It was amuzing we were waiting for Santa and getting the guns ready for the reindeeet. Greerson went to be really early becuase he was expecting Santa Claus and he didnt want to be awake to keep him from coming. We stayed up until about 1:00 then Greerson got us up at 6:51 Christmas morning to check out the tree. He was so excited. We had several extended family members for lunch and we had a white elephant gift exchange that afternoon. Christa got a ceramic plaque with an statement about tires and men and problems (it was too crude for mixed company!) and Daryl got a puzzle. Greerson got two large lego sets and a car load of other toys and books. Tyler got Guitar Hero so we are destined to listen to that the rest of the time we are here. The funny food event of this holiday is Grandpa Woody's rolls. He decided he needed to double the recipe so he went to work and before we knew it he had 57 rolls and had only used half of the dough. The dough had outgrown the bowl and was spreading all over the cabinet. It was reminiscent of the Lucy episode where she baked bread that overtook the kitchen.

Christmas at Grandma Pat's House

Nancy and Grandma Pat are waiting anxiously to open presents!

Greerson gets help from Christa to open his envelope

Caroline shows off her new jewelry!

We hosted the dessert portion of a party the other night. It was a lot of fun! We started out with appetizers at one couples house then travelled to another couples house and played Christmas Jeopardy and ate the main course, then we went to our house for dessert and a game of pictionary and trivial pursuit. The ladies won both games, however it was very close! The party wound down about 1:30 am. It was great!

We all stayed in bed Saturday and then packed to go to the ranch for Grandma Pat's Christmas. We got there about 7pm and Greerson, Christa, Mimi and Grandpa Woody watched Prince Caspian in the theatre and Daryl watched Home Alone 2 in the bedroom. About halfway through the film Rhetta, Christa's aunt called and asked us to check on the oil well, there was a strong smell outside similar to burning tires. Christa and Daryl went down to oil well then over to Grandma Pats to check it out, but couldnt find anything.

We enjoyed seeing all of the Shultz family. Caroline was particularly cute, she is quite a character. We all had a good time and enjoyed Jason's Deli trays for lunch. Jeff and Sarah brought their playstation and it was fun to watch everyone play guitar hero. Greerson was quite the marksman while playing Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare. He would sneak up behind people and kill them before they could figure out where he was. Christa was so proud!!! We are back home for a couple of days then we are headed to the Ranch for Christmas Eve.

Christmas Party at School

Daryl is the room parent for Greerson's room at school and had to host the Christmas party (the school would have you believe that it was a winter party, but Daryl made sure it was a Christmas party). The kids decorated Christmas cutout cookies from the Cookie Bouquet store. They also got several Christmas party favors and played games. Greerson and his friends had a great time.

Thanksgiving

The oil well was pumping away when we took Sheryl and Bob on a tour of the ranch.

This is the Safari party looking for wild game! Sheryl and Daryl rode on the back of the Bad Boy Buggy and Christa drove.

December is so busy I am just now getting around to posting Thanksgiving. Sheryl and Bob came out to the ranch and we went to look at the animals. We actually saw quite a few and even saw the herd if elk chase a coyoye. We took them down to the water fall and had a great time. Several of Christa's relatives joined us for Thanksgiving lunch and after everyone left we had a rousing game of Mexican Train. We had to train for Christmas when Christa's aunt Sheryl from St. Louis will want to try and beat us (she didnt fair so well when we played Labor Day!)

Daryl's Dad's Funeral

The flowers were really pretty.

This spray came from Christa's office.

Daryl's Dad passed away early Wednesday morning November 19 in the hospital. It has been a very busy couple of weeks keeping watch over him and trying to maintain some sort of normal life. To make matters worse Christa has been gone on business all month. The funeral was very nice, the minister from the last church in Clovis, New Mexico that Daryl's Dad served as music minister performed the service. It was very special to have someone that knew him and the family so well. He is the Dean of Wayland Baptist University in Clovis now. He gave all of us his latest book, Amos the churchmouse, in memory of our Dad. It is kind of bizarre to wrap your mind around the fact that both of your parents are gone. The realization really hit home at the cemetary. Apparently the grandkids were passing a virus around and different members of the family were sick the morning of the funeral and just before the funeral. We got home and went to bed after an exhausting week and about 4 am Greerson came in and was vomiting. Christa stayed home with him and Daryl went to see his family before they all left. Daryl's Dad, Ladson Worley was born December 24, 1928 and died November 19, 2008. He was quite a man, not only was he musically talented, but he was an avid woodworker, clock repairman and builder and general handyman. He also taught elementary school for several years as well as directed music in several Baptist churches around Texas and New Mexico. His oldest brother A.T. Worley came from Casa Grande, Arizona with his wife Lynn and his youngest brother Bob Worley and wife Jerry came. It also was good to see aunt Betty again, we had just seen her a few weeks ago during Baylor homecoming when her family had a reunion in Waco. Aunt Barbara was there also, we hadnt seen her in several years. It was great to see everyone inspite of the circumstance.

Summer Quilt

a trip around the world quilt

Daryl started a summer quilt in June and finally completed it in November. It was completely done on the machine. Rather than just sit back and watch the election returns he chose to work on quilting. It paid off it was completed shortly after the disastrous news of the presidential race was announced.

Cedar Hill State Park

Greerson works on his fishing beltloop for Cub Scouts, he has to earn all of them again since he is a Webelo now.

All of the boys went for a ride in this wagon

This is the group of boys that camped with us at Cedar Hill

We took the Cub Scouts to the Cedar Hill State Park for the Days of Old Festival. We all had a great time. Daryl went from Waxahachie after his Friday morning class. Christa and the rest of the families arrived that evening. The boys had a great time learning to fish and about wildlife conservation. They also got to play in a baseball game and ride in a horsedrawn wagon. The Dutch Oven Society was there and we had a good time visiting with them. Christa got a new lid lifter from the head of the Society. He was camping across the road from us. We left Saturday night after the campfire and went back to Waco to get ready to go the Charleston the next morning. This post is a little out of order, but our lives have been kind of crazy this week!