Did you miss me?

Don't answer that! I know my blog has been ridiculously boring lately, so you probably didn't miss me. I'm sure you've read my post about Mexican food at least 100 times now, right?? Well thanks for coming back. I'm going to try and be better at blogging. Every once in a while, I want to quit, but I'm not a quitter :-) so I'm going to keep going. Since I haven't posted ANYTHING in over a month (the shame), I have a weird combination of a lot to tell you and nothing to tell you. So this might be the most random blog post ever in the history of blog posts. Here, in no particular order, are the top 8 things that have kept me away from blogging this month. Drumroll, please:

#1: Studying for the GRE
Yep, you read that right. All of a sudden I looked around and realized that I'm 28. I know that's not very old, but I was kind of wondering what I am doing in my life. I mean, are we going to have a baby? Am I going to keep working? What am I going to do after we have a baby? These questions plagued me for months. I finally decided that I probably will want to do some sort of consulting work or give workshops to teachers eventually, so I need a masters. Why have I not thought of this in the previous six years? I'm not sure, because that would have made things a whole lot easier. Now I feel like time is ticking and I want to go back to school. I am trying to rest in God's timing, though. So... I spent a solid month studying for the GRE. After many tears shed over the math section and countless hours spent hunched over a practice test, I'm happy to say that I conquered the GRE. I did better than I ever expected, and I feel quite a sense of satisfaction over that ridiculous test.

#2: Applying to Grad Schools

So, since I decided to take the GRE, that naturally meant that I had to then actually apply to grad schools! It's been QUITE a while since I applied to college! The program I really want to get into is at Columbia University in NYC. Don't worry... we're not moving. First I have to get in. Then, it is just a summer program - three weeks a summer for three years. I also applied to the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas here in Houston as local alternatives. At Columbia, I'd get my Masters in the Teaching of English. At the other two, I'd get a Masters of Education. We'll see!!

#3: The TAKS

The TAKS test rears its ugly head each spring. In 7th grade English we have the distinct pleasure of two TAKS tests - writing and reading. The writing one was March 3rd. The TAKS monster made personally sure that I gave up four Saturdays in a row for tutorials and had slight heart palpitations every time I thought about the high standards set by our school and felt worried that kids wouldn't reach them. Luckily, they did everything I taught them (at least I think they did!) We won't get the scores back until May, but I'm cautiously optimistic that they did awesome. One down, one to go.

#4: Working Out

After six years of trying, I have finally created and maintained a work out routine. I can hardly believe it myself. I joined a gym right by our house, and I now work out for an hour 4-6 days a week. I bring my clothes to school, change, and go right after work. I can't say I love it, but I do like it, and it feels good to have a routine. Every Wednesday, I go to boot camp at the gym. Who would have guessed it, but I LOVE boot camp. It is super challenging, but I can just tell that I'm getting better every time. I've gone for 7 weeks in a row now. This week, the lady made me use heavier weights than everyone in the group because she "knew I could do it". Pretty sure I've never heard that before!

#5: Texting Students

Students have always called teachers at YES for help on homework or other questions. A new phenomenon this year is students texting teachers. I do not mind this because the school pays for my cell phone plan, and texting is usually easier than talking to a student on the phone. So I'm all for it. But this brings up some interesting situations. Students are sometimes not very good or careful at texting, so last week I got a little GEM of a text message from a student. It's probably inappropriate to post on my blog, but it's too funny to pass up. I laughed so hard. I just WISH I could have seen his face when he realized what he had just texted me on accident. I've taken off the phone number to protect the (not so) innocent. You can't make this stuff up. Enjoy.

#6: Cooking

I'm still cooking just about every night. I will try to have some recipe posts coming up soon. This week I made a ridiculously delicious halibut dinner. I love it when I find a recipe that's easy, healthy, and tastes better than a restaurant. The picture is not the best, but you can take my word for it that it was yummy! It was pan seared halibut, cous-cous, roasted asparagus, and a sliced tomato.

#7: Saving Stray Dogs

I have been trying for YEARS to save a stray dog. I've gotten kind of obsessed with it, actually. If I see a stray dog anywhere, I will stop, turn my car around, and try to get it. Just ask my mom - sometimes I'm talking to her on the phone while driving and I have to hang up suddenly to go chase a dog! I have probably tried to pick up more than 15 stray dogs in the last few years. However, every single time, they run away from me. It's so frustrating! I guess they just don't want to be helped. I'm not entirely sure what I would DO with a stray dog once I got it, but I would figure that out later, I guess! Anyway, last weekend, my dream came true! I was driving home and I saw a large white dog running across a busy street at the entrance to our neighborhood. I turned around and chased him with the car for a minute. When I got close, I parked and opened the door and called it. Then the dog ran to me and jumped not only into my car, but into my lap!!! I was laughing so hard. I pulled up to the house and you can imagine the look on Brent's face when he saw a giant unknown dog in my lap! haha. We kept her in the backyard and called the number on the tag. We finally got in contact with the owners who lived in our neighborhood. The dog had dug out of the yard and had apparently done that before. I was kind of hoping for an adorable little family with kids who would hug the dog and cry. However, they came to pick her up and (sadly) did not seem that excited that we had found her. I believe they had been drinking a bit, and they said to the dog, "Molly, if I saw you on the street, I wouldn't pick you up!" I seriously almost grabbed the dog back. But oh well, you never quite have all the parts of a dream come true at once. Here she is in the car... I got her off my lap and into the passenger seat long enough to snap a pic.

#8: Packing for Hawaii

That's right! We are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow and we will be there for a whole glorious week. We have been planning this trip for a year now, and I can't believe it's finally here. It's my Spring Break, and I could not be more ready. I'm leaving my laptop at home and doing NO WORK for a whole week. Praise God! I can not remember the last time that happened. I've got a suitcase full of cute dresses and bathing suits, and school can not be over soon enough. So I wont' be blogging for a week, but when I get back, I'll post pics of our time here:

Have a great week!

Must Have Mexican

If you've met me for more than ten minutes, you know that my one true love is my husband, but my second true love is Mexican food. I mean, I LOOOOOOVE Mexican food. I will tell you, without hesitation, that my favorite food is fajitas, closely followed by tacos. I really can not overestimate my love for a good tex-mex meal. Moving to the North is simply out of the question for me. Not possible. Thankfully, I married a fellow Mexican food lover. Brent actually introduced me to fajitas, so we were obviously a match made in heaven. We eat Mexican food EVERY weekend - without fail. I know it's not the most healthy food for me, but I'm willing to eat healthy all week just so I can have Mexican once on the weekend. I will not give it up, no matter what. I lost 3 pounds last week, and I still had my fajitas! Take that, Weight Watchers!

Since eating fajitas twice a week is basically out of the question, I have to find other ways to satisfy my Mexican cravings without breaking the monetary or calorie bank. Tonight I had three of my absolute favorites, and my calorie count is none the wiser. If you love Mexican, you must have:

Wholly Salsa
You may have had Wholly Guacamole - it's an all natural brand of guacamole. They just came out with a salsa. It is also all natural and extremely delicious. It tastes fresh, tart, and homemade. Pair it with some baked chips and you're snacking healthy.

A Skinnygirl Margaria
I love me a margarita... who doesn't?? However, I actually don't love the syrupy-sweet versions that have as much calories as a whole meal. They don't even taste good to me. Enter Bethanny Frankel. Last summer, I blogged about her book Naturally Thin. In that book, she shares her recipe for the "skinnygirl margarita". Brent and I tried this margarita, and we have never looked back (even though Brent is clearly not a girl, so it works for men, too). It is made with crushed ice, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and club soda. It's delicious!! Crisp, clean, and, um...strong. No sugar involved. Believe me, you won't miss it.

Tortilla Soup
First of all, I LOVE SOUP. It's close after tacos on my list. This tortilla soup is a recipe from my mom's old-school Joan Lunden cookbook. It is really, really good. It is also really, really easy. It is a weeknight soup if I ever saw one. You dump everything into one pot and cook it. Done and done. It is super healthy, but it gives you that Mexican taste I crave. I always put a bit of low fat sour cream and low fat cheese on top because... why not?? You can find a link to this healthy soup recipe here. ps: the leftovers are awesome for lunch the next day.

I love you, Mexican food. You are so good to me.

All's Well That Ends With A Bath

I've taken a bath just about every night of my entire life. Seriously, there are few reasons why I would not take a bath. Growing up, I took a bath every night. We were definitely bath people and just took showers to wash our hair. When I went to college, I suffered through two terrible years of no baths. You must be kidding me if you think I took a bath in a DORM room or a sorority house. Several times, I felt desperate, and I walked down to look at the dorm bathtub, but I thought better of it and went back to my shower. I also do not take baths at ANY hotel unless it's VERY nice. Yes, I'm a snob, but I shudder to think about hotel bathtubs. Anyway, I digress... junior year of college - the joy! We moved into a town house that had a bathtub. My roommates teased me mercilessly, but no matter. Every night, I lit my candles, put in my bubble bath, and made a cup of tea.

After college, it was ON. I had a choice of where to live, and at the top of my priority list was a nice kitchen and a BIG bathtub. Brent & I first lived in a townhouse that had a jetted tub. Heaven! Since then,
every place we've lived has had a big, deep tub that Brent pretty much never sets foot in.

A bath is my nightly routine, and I sometimes look forward to it during the day. Even if I get home at midnight (as I did last Monday), I have to take a bath before getting in bed. No matter what has happened during the day, my bath will always be there and always be the same. It's my little corner of the world where everything is OK. My mind is usually going a mile a minute and sometimes I forget to breathe, so in the bath, I force my mind to empty and breathe for a solid 20 minutes or so. I don't save "special" baths for special occasions. Every night is a special bath - bubbles and candles. Life is too short, right?

I've become a bath connoisseur, if you will. Needless to say, Bath and Body Works is right up there with Hobby Lobby and Target as my favorite stores of all time. I've got some recommendations for you below, at every price range. I mostly stick with bubble bath, body wash, and some bath crystals. I am not a fan of those fizzy things or anything that makes you greasy. I mean, the point of the bath is to make you clean! One time I used one so icky I had to take a shower when I got out! But you can bank on the products below.

To start, you've gotta have a good candle. I am currently in love with Slatkin candles from Bath and Body Works. They are on sale often. I love the "Winter" scent from their holiday collection. It's not Christmas-y. It's just spicy and wonderful.

You don't have to spend a fortune on bath stuff - especially if you're going to use it every night! Suave is great. I love the toasted coconut body wash. I am also obsessed with their limited edition seasonal collection. This year they had toasted vanilla sugar and peppermint bliss. They were so limited edition that I couldn't even find a picture of them online! I found peppermint bliss at Wal-Mart for $1, and I may or may not have bought 5 of them.

If you want to splurge a little but still not break the bank, try Bath Junkie. You get to pick your product and pick your scent from like 100 choices. I had them whip up some lemongrass bath crystals for me. They were amazing.
Bath and Body Works pretty much never disappoints. I am in love with the aromatherapy line. The stress relief scents are particularly wonderful.

I particularly love "Energy" - a mix of orange and ginger. To me, this smells like the Four Seasons hotel. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine I'm there.

I found this face wash at Kroger and now use it every night. It's a nighttime wash that smells like lavender, so you can relax even as you're washing your face!

After your bath, you're going to need some lotion. Forget the expensive stuff. You can find great stuff at CVS. I love this Suave cinnamon lotion. Feels expensive to me!

My new fave is this Johnson's "Melt Away Stress" lotion. Perfect right before bed.

Remember... no matter what your day was like, all's well that ends with a bath!

Out of My League

I’m still shaking my head in disbelief about my day. There are many days of my life where I feel like I’m living an out of body experience. It’s just not possible that I could have orchestrated anything in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord for your loving direction. I can only point to you when things happen that are too crazy to explain any other way.

I’m currently sitting in the Atlanta airport awaiting my 10:00 pm flight home. I left Houston this morning at 5:30, so it’s been a looooong day. Despite the fact that it was a day off of school, I was nerding it up devoting my entire day to discussing the teaching of writing.

A few weeks ago, one of my bosses asked me if I would be interested in going to a “writing think tank” to discuss what could be done to improve writing instruction in middle schools. She had barely finished her sentence when I said YES. Then I started finding out more about what I would be doing and got a little nervous. I was to fly to Atlanta to a meeting of the SREB (Southern Region Educational Board). The SREB works with policymakers in all of the southern states and makes recommendations for public education. They are starting a new writing initiative and are creating a report for policymakers (think governors, senators, congressmen, state school board members, etc.) They wanted to gather a group of people together to discuss writing in middle school. Present at the meeting were: the President of SREB, the #1 educational researcher in the country, the #2 educational researcher in the country, the #3 educational researcher in the country, a 20 year veteran administrator, and the head education for the entire state of Alabama. Oh… and me. You can start laughing and/or shaking your head right about now.

So I hopped off the plane at ATL with a dream and my cardigan… (I really did have a cardigan….)

Right away, I was like: this is WAY over my head! And I had done my homework, too. I researched all of the researchers (irony there). I knew what they were famous for and even pored over about a hundred pages of their research. I investigated all of the acronyms I knew would be thrown around, and I still didn’t know like 50 of them. (I discreetly wrote some down to look up later.) I learned how studies are conducted – I can now explain effect size and what’s significant and explain meta-analysis of data. I knew a good bit… BUT NOWHERE NEAR WHAT THEY DID! The day was five hours around a board room table. No agenda. No notes. No presentations. We just talked for 5 hours.

It quickly became apparent that these people were not only very smart, they knew they were very smart. And they liked to hear themselves explain how smart they were. I’m not naturally an outgoing type, and these people never. stopped. talking. The last person was not even done with their sentence when someone else was jumping in. I could not get a word in edgewise. Finally I was like, OK… they flew me here, I’ve gotta say something… so I did try to jump in a few times. Thankfully, one of the ladies in charge knew I was having difficulty (as was another quiet guy), so she kept saying, “Now, Katie, tell us how this works on the ground.” My job was basically to say how we have done things at YES, and then make recommendations on how more people could do it on a larger scale. But I mostly listened a lot and learned a lot.

It was bizarre, being with all these old men talking in such academic terms about teaching. I’m almost never in a setting where the men outnumber the women in education, and I’m never in a situation where I’m the youngest by a good 25 years. But these people are the ones making policies and running things, essentially. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. I’m sure that every single person was thinking, “What is she doing here?” But oh well.

It gets better. When 5:00 came, the was meeting over. My flight didn't leave until 10:00, and everyone knew it. At that point, half of the people left for the airport to catch earlier flights. That left me with one older lady and four men… going to the hotel bar. I was giving myself a pep talk like, “You can do this! Network!” So I sat at the bar, ordered a glass of wine, and proceeded to talk about weather, colleges, and sports (yep… grasping at straws) with these men. So funny. One of the men is a professor at Vanderbilt (the #1 researcher guy). He and I randomly started talking at the end of our conversation, he said, “OK, well I take a few doctoral students a year, so if you’re looking to get a masters or PhD at Vanderbilt, just give me a call.” Just give you a call??? Um…OK? So then, all the men left for the airport, and I went, too. We got to the airport and had dinner together and just parted ways. We are maybe BFF now.

I will probably get to go back when the group meets again. I may even have my name on a report that gets sent to all of the southern states. Not that I deserve it for my 1.25 comments, but who knows. In summary: today was wild and crazy, and did that really happen??

Thank you Lord. You have amazed me yet again.

Christmas In Review

As promised, here is a wrap up of the Norwood Christmas festivities. We finally managed to get a Christmas card out this year, after missing last year. If you didn't get a card (sorry) the picture is right here!

I always feel conflicted at Christmastime. I love so many things about Christmas... namely celebrating Christ's birth through music, decorations, and food. But, I also dislike things about Christmas... namely the mall and gift giving. I have grown more averse to the Christmas commercialism as I have gotten older. It was my goal this year to not go to a mall for any reason during the Christmas season. We still bought gifts, but we did steer clear of the mall. I just can not handle everyone scurrying around, grumpy, to buy as many things as possible. I'm also a really bad gift giver, so the whole thing is stressful to me. I've considered if gift giving is biblical, because the wise men did indeed give gifts. But they gave gifts to Jesus, not trinkets to one another. Maybe when we have kids, gift giving will make more sense.

I had a sense this year that I should be careful with my heart around Christmas. I am tempted at every turn to want more things. I am tempted to feel guilty about the gifts I have bought for others and that they should be nicer or better or I should have bought more. It's kind of crazy, really. You have to be vigilant. I was aware many times this season of having to consciously reject the world's notion of Christmas and forcefully bring my mind back to reality. Even with family get togethers - it seems like the world gives you this idea that family get togethers should be full of sugar plums and giggles. I find this only sets you up for disappointment. I think it helps me to practice a more realistic (and authentic) view of Christmas. I enjoyed listening to the local Christian radio station this year since they played Christmas music heavy on the hymns and light on the Rudolph. Also, they played NO commercials, which was nice to not have a reminder of all the things I should buy every thirty seconds.

Although I was not perfect at taking my thoughts captive, I did feel much more peaceful than usual this Christmas. We did a few small things that were really fun. One of the highlights was hosting an Aggie Christmas party in our neighborhood. We found all the people with Aggie flags in their yard and people we knew were Aggies, and we gave them an invitation. Discrimination, you say? Absolutely. Don't worry... our immediate neighbors (who we love) are UT alumni. We invited them and even said they should wear their burnt orange. Well, they came to the party wearing maroon! They are so cute. The party was a blast and we LOVED everyone who came. Coincidence? I think not. In the name of simplicity, we ordered dinner and bought desert at Central Market. Not one ounce of stress. Of course I didn't take a single picture... oops.

We also enjoyed some quality time with both sides of the family. We got together with Brent's family before Christmas in Sugar Land and spent Christmas Day with my family in Dallas where it snowed! Below are some highlights of our time in Dallas.

My parents' house in Dallas covered in a blanket of snow!

Beautiful snow in the yard

My parents toasting on Christmas Day
The following pictures confirm my suspicion that Christmas is more fun with a kid. No, we don't have a kid, but we have a dog. Blazer was SO excited about his three gifts which cost under $8 (total). My mom insisted on putting his gifts in a bag which pictured Santa with a puppy. Weird, but fitting. Here is Blazer eyeing his gift and waiting to get the "OK".

Making sure he got everything

So many toys, so little time.

Aunt Julia and Blazer got in a little cuddle time.

Our little fam on Christmas Eve.

This was my dad's car on Christmas Eve. We briefly considered taking it to church, but an ice scraper was nowhere to be found, so we opted for the garaged car.

My sister and I in the snow before church

Brent and I in the snow

My mom's vintage Christmas decorations

A stack of books and time to read them. Ah, the luxury.

Christmas Eve candlelight service

As you celebrate the new year, I hope your Christmas was wonderful and full of joy! See you in 2010.

Spectacular Scallops

I'm back! I've been meaning to post a Christmas wrap-up, but it seems too daunting somehow, so I just haven't done it yet! However, today I got inspired to post this recipe for you, so I'm back in the game! Christmas wrap-up coming soon (I think).

I haven't cooked in a fairly long time due to family get togethers, traveling, and sheer laziness. I'm not trying to be a food snob (although I probably am), but yesterday Brent and I went out to lunch, and it just wasn't very good. I ordered pasta with shrimp, and it was decidedly average. I was thinking the whole time how I could have made it better. So tonight I decided to try out a recipe from Cooking Light that I have been eyeing for a while. It was similar to what I ate at the restaurant, but with scallops. Brent and I have a rule that we NEVER order scallops at a restaurant. You usually get like two scallops and they are never good. We love cooking scallops at home that we buy frozen from Whole Foods. Simply the best. And way more affordable than ordering them at a restaurant!

I'm not kidding that this was one of the better things I have eaten in my life. It was amazingly good and got rave reviews from both me and my husband (who has discriminating taste). It was also super easy. The recipe can be found at Cooking Light's website, but you can find it below updated with a few changes I made. If you like seafood, try it this week!!!

Scallop Piccata with Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients
1/2 pound spaghetti

1 pound sea scallops (We ALWAYS buy the frozen scallops from Whole Foods - they are called "Whole Catch", and they are AMAZING.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup vermouth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons capers
1 (10-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

Preparation
1. Boil salted water and cook spaghetti as directed on package. When cooked al dente, drain and place in medium bowl.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over scallops. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add scallops; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Let scallops sit until seared and brown - do not move them around! Remove from pan and keep warm when seared on both sides.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 T olive oil. Add chopped garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add vermouth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat. Add parsley, fresh lemon juice, butter, and capers, stirring until butter melts. Pour sauce over pasta in bowl. Toss to coat evenly.
4. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add spinach; sauté one minute or until spinach almost wilts.

5. Place scallops on top of pasta and serve with spinach.

6. Claim "wife of the year" award.

Target Type-A

Y'all... did you see these commercials for Target during Thanksgiving?? They CRACK ME UP. I seriously love this lady and think she is totally hilarious. She makes me look like a completely sane person! If you haven't seen them, they are WELL worth a click and thirty seconds of your life. You've done it again, Target. You've done it again. I will reward you with my dollars.

Welcome Winter!

It is 48 degrees in Houston, and I am loving life! There is nothing better than a chilly day in which to enjoy my Christmas music, Christmas decorations, and a good glass of wine! Blazer and I have been enjoying hour-long walks through the neighborhood most days, and I decided that today, Blazer needed his doggy sweater in order to stay warm! Walking in the cold weather felt so good!
Our Thanksgiving was very busy and full of new and old traditions. At Texas A&M, if you do something twice, it's a tradition, so we have lots of traditions in our household. Here's how our Thanksgiving traditions went down:

1. Sausage: My family always has sausage at Thanksgiving. We actually put the sausage ON the turkey, and we eat it as an appetizer. It's quite good. So, I must have some form of sausage each Thanksgiving. This year it was in the form of a delicious biscuits and sausage breakfast in our PJs.

2. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Thanksgiving = Parade. Or at least that's how I see it. I literally feel like I'm five and wearing my footie PJs sitting in Grammy's living room chairs, eating fruit loops out of the little box. I love the floats, I love the performances, I love the cheesy announcing. I love it all, and I must have it.

3. Thanksgiving dinner with family: We had dinner with Brent's family. We ate turkey, stuffing, salad, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, and pie. Delicious!

4. Texas A&M / Texas Game: I usually watch this on TV, and this year was no different. My husband has season tickets, but I'm not a very good football buddy, so he took my boss. Haha... I watched it while I decorated for Christmas. Which brings me to...

5. Decorating for Christmas: I bust out ALL of the Christmas decorations as soon as possible after Thanksgiving. If I'm out of town, that means the day after Thanksgiving. If I'm in town, it's all up on Thanksgiving night. This year, I decorated while Brent was in College Station. I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning decorating the tree and putting up every decoration I own. I took down the Thanksgiving wreath and put up the Christmas wreath within five seconds. Yeah I did.

6. Christmas Movies: It's practically a requirement for citizenship in the United States that you watch "Home Alone" on Thanksgiving night. Why would you not? This year it was competing with the football game, so I had to switch back and forth. When it comes to Christmas movies, don't give me any of that NEW stuff. I only want to watch Christmas movies I've seen at least 20 times. Think "Christmas Vacation" and "Elf". End of story.

7. Shopping: I don't do Black Friday. But, we went to Dallas, and my mom and I spent all day Saturday shopping. I may or may not have purchased more Christmas decorations, more candles that I could burn in five years, some freaking cute jewelry from Forever 21, and way more Bath and Body Works stuff than I really need... they always have those deals like "buy 5 get 5 free" that suck me in! I do loooooove their Christmas candles and Christmas bath products, though, so I'm a happy bather.

I'm very happy with how our house looks decorated for Christmas. I literally love coming home every night and turning on all the lights. The pictures never do it justice, and I'm a terrible photographer, but here are some pics of our decorations:

Here's to the most wonderful time of the year!