Christmas Traditions.....and a Day With my Summer! Wednesday and Thursday....

Going to look at Christmas lights has long been Summer's 'thing!'

There were many years I would not have gone had it not been for her.

She made sure it happened even during one especially painful year when life was extremely hard for me. That Christmas season, she took us to Highland Park and we saw the lights from a horse drawn buggy with a special Christmas CD she had made playing as we rode. It was Amber and Benjamin - they were young - and Summer and I and their father. After wards we ate at Chili's and then went to Restoration Hardware where she bought a pine cone garland that I still have to this day. It is twined in white lights and on a shelf outside - visible from our gazebo.

Christmas has always been made special by Summer.

Sad to say, we were estranged for several years. Not so much of my doing as of her father's.

Still, Amber and Benjamin received gifts in the mail......as did I.

My daughter has the most gracious forgiving spirit of anyone I have ever known.

Those Christmases past, filled with stress and tension, are mere memories now.....and memories we don't often visit. Still, sometimes it's good to remember. It makes us ever more grateful for the lives we have now.

It was with a contented peaceful heart that I was gazing up at the Christmas tree in the living room last night while waiting for Summer to get here.

It's a tradition to go see the Christmas lights. Namely, the lights in Highland Park.

It's where we have always gone since she was a baby!

Our first stop was The Velvet Taco for a bite of dinner.

That's because the Chili's we used to go to has closed. It's actually been razed to the ground!

The food was great and I ate something I have never had before!

CAMEL!

It tasted just like  really lean hamburger!

These are Summer's pictures.

Mine are always blurry!

I am so grateful to Sabrina for driving!

It was wonderful!

Our favorite!!!

Rayne and I had such a good time sitting in the back seat together!

We laughed and played and giggled!

Summer spent the night with us so I could take her today to get another round of injections for her back. Since she couldn't eat or drink after 5:00 am......I suggested she take the opportunity to sleep in while Louis Dean and I went to see the quads' Christmas program.

None of my pictures turned out very good and I had to work on this one!!

The kids were glad to see us and we enjoyed the program - even though it started at 9:15!!!

That meant we had to get up at 7:00!!

You KNOW we don't DO mornings very well!!

While we were gone, Summer worked on the Christmas puzzle that I have had out since before LAST Christmas!!!! She finished the entire border AND the cardinal and that pesky red bow!

I was about to dump it but I think I can complete it now!

THANK you, Summer!!!

LD and I shopped Costco after the program and he bought FIFTY pounds of flour!!!!!

I left him to his baking and took Summer to Grapevine to get another round of injections.

This is our 'before' pic!

And this is the one she sent as she was getting ready to go back!

The procedure took awhile so I drove 0.3 miles to a shopping center and did some Christmas shopping.

I did NOT buy this glass......but I thought it was a fun one!

I picked Summer up and we headed back to Rowlett......

I needed a potty break and Summer knew a place right on our way that has clean bathrooms!

A GOODWILL!!!

She said she needed a cream colored top to go with her pants while she is in Puerto Rico for Christmas.

Would you believe she FOUND it????

AND it's a Land's End!

It was God's way of giving her a hug this afternoon.

See that full basket?

That would be mine.

I found a large tub FULL of dinosaurs!!!!!

$14.99!

And a few other things......

On the way to her house she wanted to make a stop.

Have you heard of Pokemon?

Summer plays and there was something about a stop at a walking trail.

She got her score and I got out to take a picture.

It's a scenic spot right there in the middle of a busy area.

You would think you were out in the country!

After taking Summer home - they are flying out to PR in the wee hours of the morning - I decided to stop in at Quadville.

The kids were excited to see all those critters!!!

48 of them!

Harrison had a ball!!!

Here's the rest of my Goodwill haul:

My new Christmas sweater.....

4 chair decorations......

a pair of pajama pants to match the flannel sheets Summer gave me for my birthday and a cool book with batteries that still work!

A 'manly' Santa that I have put in Louis Dean's bathroom!

While I was gone, he made a double batch of dinner rolls and used a fraction of the 50 pounds of flour he bought this morning!

My biggest score was the Matchbox cars!!!

This will be for Harrison's Christmas present to go along with a race track for them.

I sent Amber a pic from the Goodwill showing her what I had found.

This is the text she sent back:

"Wow!!  

He said yesterday that he hopes he gets 'A HUNDRED cars, Mama!!! 

I can play with them all!!!"

When I was there in Quadville this evening, Harrison was telling me he hoped he got as many cars as he gets to play with at MeeMaw's house. These are all cars from when Benjamin was a boy and I am saving them for HIS son. It will be the ultimate delight for me to give Harrison THREE times as many!!! Over 150 cars PLUS 4 brand new ones in the mix PLUS 7 brand new ones I had already bought him for Christmas! He has no idea he's getting these!!!

It really IS more blessed to give than to receive!

I cannot WAIT to give him this gift!!!

Oh, did I mention that I got all those cars for less than $20????