13 Upbeat Christmas Favorites

Ok, so its a little late, but it IS still Thursday! As promised, here is Part II to my "Favorite Christmas Music Picks". This week I'll highlight some of my favorite upbeat Christmas tunes. Feel free to add yours too...it might make the cut for my 2006 Christmas CD!

1. "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Mariah Carey) Great toe-tappin' tune! (And I'd be lying if I didn't admit to occassionally dancing around the house to it when no one's watching.)
   
2. "Baby, Please Come Home" (Bon Jovi, baby) "They're sing-in' deck the halls...but it's not like Christmas at all..."
   
3. "Christmas Eve, Sarajevo" (Trans Siberian Orchestra)--it might sound tame, but don't let the "Orchestra" part of the name fool you--this heavy metal version of "Carol of the Bells" rocks out! (It's one of Jason's and my favorites!)
4. "Mister Santa" (Amy Grant)--cute little ditty to the tune of "Mister Sandman"
   
5. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" (Sarah McLachlin & The Bare Naked Ladies--ironically, an all-male group)
6. "Little Drummer Boy" (Jars of Clay)--I LOVE this song, and I think this is my favorite version, of all-time!!
7. "Hey Santa!" (Wilson-Phillips)--yes, that's right. I just said Wilson-Phillips. You know you used to listen to them.
8. "O, Holy Night" (N-Sync) Ok, before you go taking away the other half of my cool points (you know, the ones that I didn't already lose for admitting to liking a Wilson Phillips song), you'd better listen to N-Sync's acapella version of O, Holy Night. Besides, I'm a CofC girl--I had to have at least one acapella song on my list for posterity's sake!
9. "Last Christmas, I Gave You My Heart" (Jimmy Eat World)
   
10. "Step Into Christmas" (Elton John)--Who could help but love a song that begins, "Welcome to my Christmas Song"?
11. "Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy" (Travis Tritt)
    
12. "It's Christmas Time" (Band Aid) "Don't ya know that its Christmas...time again, I'm happy for you. You know it comes and goes so let's pretend that it'll last all year."
13. "Simply Havin' A Wonderful Christmas Time" (Paul McCartney)--Alright, Manda, I'll admit, I kinda like it a little bit, too....but mostly because I always picture my sis singing it to me.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

It's up! (Finally!) Friday night, Amanda and Jonathan came over and watched...uh...I mean "helped" us put up the tree. (Actually, Jonathan did, at least help Jason lug the 9-foot monster down from the attic and assemble it. )

Norah played contentedly by the fireplace, seemingly uninterested in all the tree-trimming hoopla...but once it was up, decorated, and the lights were turned on, she was awestruck.

Since then, she's been pretty good about leaving the tree alone (I've been nervous for a month or so about how she would fare with the tree--would she pull it over on herself? Would she try to eat the ornaments? Would she attempt to summit its peak?) I did sneak up on her today to find her standing beside the tree with her little index finger extended, as if preparing to gingerly touch it.

I had to laugh at this, because Norah's Bible class teacher has told us several times that she is one of the best students when it comes to "touching with one finger" (a few of their visual aids are fragile, and they instruct the babies to "touch with only one finger") I thought it was a priceless picture, and I love the look on her face ("Mother, may I?").

The tree pretty well looks the same as every other year (with the exception of a new ornament from Gramps to add to Norah's collection). We have, however, added a few new decorations to the house--holly garlands over our big windows in the living and dining rooms, and a new red berries wreath for the front door.

I'm still working on Norah's stocking, but I'll try to post a photo of it hanging from the mantle with Jason's and mine as soon as its finished. Hope you had a great weekend, and all you bloggers--I'd love to see photos of your Christmas tree/decorations, so get to posting!

13 Christmas Classics

This week's T-13 is a tribute to some of my favorite "classic" Christmas songs. Next week I'll delve into some of my "newer" favorites (And no, Mand, your favorite didn't make the list this week...but maybe next week...we'll see)

Feel free to post your favorites too, and I promise I wont sue you if you click on over to i-tunes and download every song on my list. Who on earth could blame ya?

1. "Happy Holidays" aka "It's the Holiday Season" (Andy Williams) Favorite lines: "He'll have a big, fat pack upon his back (yeah!) with lots of goodies for you and for me, so leave a peppermint stick, for Ol' Saint Nick-- hang it on the Christmas tree!"
2. "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" (The Drifters--from the "Home Alone" soundtrack)
   
3. "The Christmas Waltz" aka "Frosted Windowpanes" (Frank Sinatra)
   
4. "Here Comes Santa Claus" (Burl Ives) Does anyone else picture Frosty the Snowman every time they hear Burl Ives?
   
5. "The Christmas Song" aka "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" (The Carpenters) I could have put the Carpenters down a lot of times for this list...their Christmas album is good! But I'm trying to be diversified so you wont get bored...you're welcome.
   
6. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (Dean Martin) I could listen to this song all day and not get tired of it. That Dean-O....so charming!
   
7. "Jingle Bells" (Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters) Did you know that the part of the song when they pause for a second ("Jingle _____ all the way") began when they were singing live and someone got the hiccups? The audience loved it so much that they started singing it that way every time. Just a little Christmas music triva for ya.
   
8. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Andy Williams)
9. "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays" (Perry Como)
10. "Run, Run Rudolph" (Chuck Berry)
11. "Carol of the Bells" (Directed by John Williams from the "Home Alone" soundtrack)
12. "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (Gayla Peevy) Ok, this one might fall more into the category of "Little-Known" classic, but trust me, its totally worth the download. (Gramps and Karen will back me up on this 100%)
    
13. "Christmas Time is Here" (The Chipmunks, who else!?) I don't know about you, but "I still want a Hoola-Hoop!"
    

Little Miss Mohawk

Not much has transpired in Robinson County since our big Thanksgiving-fest...but that's no reason to withhold new Norah pictures! Daddy and Mommy had some fun last night playing with Norah's hair...and as you can see from the pictures, Norah had a pretty good time, herself!

I'll admit, I'm a little embarrassed to say that I, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Christmas" still do not have my Christmas tree decorated. In all honesty, the tree isn't even out of the attic yet...and I don't know when I'll have the time--we have a full week/weekend! But rest assured, once its up, there will be pictures!

I did, in a feeble attempt to make myself feel less like a Humbug, hang stockings and decorate the mantle yesterday...but its just not the same without our dazzling tree! Even without the tree, we've still been listening to Christmas tunes in the house and car since Thanksgiving Day. (There's something warm and fun about listening to Christmas music while you cook food for the family...I hope it'll be a good memory for Norah as she grows up in our house)

I have my 2006 I-Tunes Christmas Mix CD in the works...I make a new one (with different songs) each year, so that I am building a definitive collection, and so I can listen for hours on end without having to hear a commercial, or a repeat song. Feel free to suggest your favorites...if you can come up with something I don't already have, but would like, you just might score yourself a copy of my 2006 Mix!

Well, I've got cakes to bake and house to clean, so I guess this is it for today...but I'll leave you with 4 fun shots of Little Miss Mohawk. The first is her sweet smile, she's singing in the second one (the cutest high pitch squeal you've ever heard!). She's showing us her tongue (which she discovered last week and has had a hard time concealing ever since), and the last one is my personal favorite...its Norah's favorite, trademark funny face (which strangely resembles an English Bulldog). Happy Wednesday!

Happy Thanksgiving! (Part III)

Saturday's "Thanksgiving Feast Finale" was at the Gilmore house. Amanda and Trae came in from Austin to spend the weekend with us. It was so good to catch up with my sister! (And I think Jason enjoyed his "guy time" playing disc golf and shooting with Johnny and Trae)

After a fabulous joint-effort dinner (Dad smoked a turkey and a ham, AND fried a turkey, so we had PLENTY to eat!), we played "Loaded Questions" until 11pm! Then we finally called it quits since the pre-set plan was to attend Early Service at 8am Sunday morning. (Amanda & Trae and Jason & I walked in opposite entrances of the church building at 10 minutes after 8am, at almost the exact same time!)

AA spoiled Norah, by giving her her first cell phone (Its a Sesame Street toy phone that has Cookie Monster and Elmo's voices and lots of other fun bells and whistles...Norah loves it!) She also soaked up every possible moment she could with her "Ma-Norah" (Amanda's newfound holiday nickname for Norah)

Norah took a good nap while we played games, but she fell asleep on her hand, leaving a very visable handprint on her face (no, we did not slap her...like our hands are that small!) It took so long for it to go away, we were starting to wonder if it was going to leave a bruise. Thankfully, it didn't! (Daddy kissed it away)

Of course, we had to take a few more pictures...(I think Norah was finally pictured-out when we took the one of AA, Norah, and me, but at least she had my necklace to play with)

















Norah had been eyeing Grandpa's four-wheeler, so we took her over and let her have a sit. She had a blast pretending to drive and sitting in Grandpa's lap.

Finally, we decorated the Gilmore Family Tannenbam. Above are the before and after pictures. Was that corner just ASKING for a tree, or what?! This is the first year we haven't had an angel or a star. (The star suffered a mid-decorating casualty, so we settled for the less-traditional bow...I think it still looks nice...but I do miss the star!) It was a busy, but fun weekend. Thank you so much, sweetheart, for being so flexible and patient so that we could spread ourselves around and see all of our family over the holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving! (Part II)

Today marked Phase II of our Weekend of Family & Feasting. We even helped Norah "maroon out" (complete with matching bow), in preparation for the A&M/UT game. (Yeah, I know I'm supposed to call it the A&M/ tu game, but I've got family from both places, so cut me some slack!)

We tried all day to get a good shot of Norah & Uncle Grant in their Aggie t's, but Norah kept crying everytime she got close to him. (We think it was the beard--she seems to not care for facial hair...she gets that from me, just ask Jason!) It was pretty funny--when we took this photo, she had crawled up to Uncle Grant of her own free will...then, just after Jason snapped the picture, it was as though the light went off and she thought to herself, "What am I DOING!" The second shot is of Norah crying, and crawling away. Poor Uncle Grant!














Norah enjoyed day 2 of "Fatty Food Fest '06". A little too much, I'm afraid (judging by the sweet potatoes on her nose). I started out spoon-feeding her the messy, non-finger-friend foods like the sweet potatoes, but Norah outsmarted me. She would open her mouth wide and take in the bite, then fish it out with her hands so that SHE could feed herself with her hands. She started making a huge mess, so I just gave up and let her go nuts with the whole plate. The photo at the right was the end result. I'm still completely amazed that she managed to keep it all out of her hair!







I know it might seem pretty cruel posting this photo of Grandmother's post-turkey snooze, but I vow to take it down if she asks me to...and it was a legitimate part of our day, so I felt obligated to document it. Grandmother is notorious for falling asleep in the floor in 4 seconds or less, followed by an impressive evolution of snores, ranging from a gentle buzzz, to saw mill worthy. She even occassionally carries on nonesensical conversations with people in the room (which often contain the words, "I'm not alseep"). Today, Grant & Jason asked her if she had been picking cotton, and she told them, "Yea, but I think I'm gonna put my sack down and go lay down under that shade tree." We all had a good laugh. (And kudos to Grandmother for being a good sport!)

After Grandmother's "Long Winter's Nap" (or should I say, after Jason and Grant had thrown everything within arm's reach at her to halt her snores so we could hear the score of the Aggie game), Jason and Grant lectured Grandmother on the benefits of well-fitting footwear. I hope Grandmother took notes. It was a fun (and funny) day, and certainly reminded us of even more things (and people) who bless our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving! (Part I)

Phase One of "Robinson Thanksgiving Weekend Extravaganza 2006" is complete, and it was a great day (we have so much to be thankful for)! We headed over to Aunt Lynne and Uncle Wayne's house at noon, and waited with eager anticipation as the foil was slowly taken off each of the covered dishes that everyone had brought to our family feast.




My cousin, Donna, was the last to arrive to the feast, so we had to give her a hard time by greeting her at the door with the camera. She was a good sport and gave a sheepish smile. I personally pardoned her tardiness because she brought an incredibly delicious buttermilk pie...if you haven't tried it, don't knock it. Its not much to look at, fancy-wise, but it was one of the best desserts I've ever tasted!





Cousin Chris got a little tired of waiting on Donna to arrive...so he snagged a pre-lunch deviled egg, and popped the whole thing in his mouth in one bite! Good thing I had the camera handy to catch him in the act! Anyone who knows Chris knows this look...its the "I'm busted, but I think I can get out of trouble cause I'm so dang funny" face.





Here's a shot Jason got of MY Thanksgiving plate (perhaps his subtle way of clueing me in that I ate way too much?) but I thought I'd post it anyhow, to show you how good the food was, and also so I could brag on Norah, because she ate some of everything on my plate (except for the pickle and green olives). In case you can't tell, on my plate I have (clockwise from the pickle) : Dorito Catalina Salad (Uncle Paul's specialty), smoked turkey with gravy, homemade dressing, cream corn casserole, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes (that's right, I gave them a try...and they're fantastic!), jalapeno cornbread, green olives, and some ham. I'm pretty sure Norah's favorte was the dressing...yum!


...And here we have Norah, sampling her first ever Turkey. By the thoughtful look on her face, she may have a future as a food critic (and we all know she loves eating enough for the job!)











Here's a snapshot I took from Jason's and my traditional spots at the "kids table". (The coolest spot in the house!) I love this picture cause it has both a classic Patrick "silly face" (lower left) and a classic Helen "Chrii-iiisss!" face (upper right).














Jason was kind enough to snap this photo of Memaw, Norah, and me. It sure was good to get to spend some time together!















To the right, is a (less than fantastic, but its the thought that counts) picture of our annual Thanksgiving day "42" match. Jason and I laid out this year...I'm hoping we'll get a chance to play when Amanda and Trae come Saturday night (hint, hint). The picture was obviously taken before the Cowboys game, because everyone is intently looking at their dominos, and not the tv.






Finally, we had our traditional Christmas names drawing. This year, to hush any whisperings that we rigged it (somehow, several of us always manage to wind up with the same name every year), we let Norah do the drawing. She did a great job, except for a couple of times when she sampled the paper before handing it over (soggy, but still readable) to Donna to record. (Amanda-- you drew Melissa and Andress drew you--we told her you wanted a barbie doll or a Pontiac Grand Am...just kidding)





Tune-in soon for the next edition of our Thanksgiving Weekend Marathon...next stop...OUR HOUSE, for Thanksgiving with Mom R, Grandmother, Uncle Grant, Aunt Paige, Jill & Earl Davidson, and Aunt Ruby! Gig 'Em, Aggies!!