New Blog Design

If you know me... you know that I hate winter and I love all forms of water. So... every year after Christmas, I pretend it is already Spring and that I am at the beach. January and February really don't exist for me and in my mind March 1 is already Spring Break and therefore it should be swimsuit weather (even if I am no longer cute in a swimsuit). No I don't plan to grow up and out of this mentality!

Additionally, now as a parent, there is nothing worse than when it is too cold for your kiddo to go outside to play and run off all that energy.

So... welcome to the Harmon Hill Country Happenings Tropical Blog - whatever

Big Girl Dinner Party

Our fabulous neighbors had us over for homemade Gumbo as Doug is a Cajun from Louisiana! The food was fabulous! All the adults ate in the kitchen and the kiddos ate in the formal dining room. It was really cute and everyone was sooo good.

Marble Falls Christmas Lights

Papa and Ash and Missy on their morning walkThe Marble Falls Christmas lights are always spectacular over the Lake. This year, it was extremely cold (for South Texas) so we walked through all of them pretty speedy. Miss A spotted Santa from a distance and demanded we move on.

Baking Texas Cookies

So I kept seeing all my friends making Christmas cookies on their blogs and for about 20 seconds I was feeling domestic... but well.... actually taking the time to mix the batter and all of that was too much of a chore and well... I didn't have any Christmas cookie cutters and going to the store was well I don't grocery shop... so here are the Harmon "Texas" Hill Country Christmas cookies. Good thing Miss A is only 2 and doesn't know her friend's moms are the "real deal" and I am just a "faux" who supposed to be working on my dissertation. At least they tasted good even if they weren't exactly pretty or holiday themed.

Playdate at Kate's New House

Cortney, Dave and Kate built a beautiful new home up in Round Rock and moved in September but due to scheduling conflicts, we just now got to see it. It is so beautiful and huge and we know they are so happy to have so much more space and Miss A is already ready for a sleepover. Little Miss A loved the large upstairs playroom and Bill the Kitty but was a little squeamish when Cowboy the Doberman would come in the room, yet she wanted to tell him where to lay down and what to do. It is so wonderful to have my college roommate and her daughter nearby even if we couldn't live at more opposite ends of Austin. Ash and Kate just love chasing each other around and screaming over one another. We are hoping Mr. Rhodes and his mother Lynsey will come for a visit this spring so we can get all the 32nd street ~ G House babies together again!

Posing for Pictures

Every once in a while, Ash will pose for pictures to appease her annoying camera happy mother. Here she is in an adorable Christmas hand-me-down outfit from Syndey and decorating our tree with her new handpainted lightbulb and new Christmas bow purchased at the Dripping Springs Christmas Bazaar.

Christmas on Mercer Street ~ Dripping Springs

On Saturday morning Dec 6th, Mimi, Miss A and I and our neighbors Samantha and CoCo loaded up to drive down the street to enjoy the Christmas festivities in Dripping Springs (10 miles from our house). They have Santa ride in on a carriage down Mercer Street and then he is available to take pictures with and for you to tell him what you want for Christmas. It should have been a great venue for Miss A to get her special alone time with Santa as it was not crowded and we could have been 1st in line. But instead, she turned her face to the side and pretended he did not exist and told Mimi to steer her in her stroller on to the next booth! So instead we shopped up and down the street and admired many special homemade "Texas Style" gifts until the two girls passed out and were taken home for naps.

Christmas Lights of Johnson City

Beautiful Courthouse with the words "Hill Country Style"

Johnson City is the middle point between Nana & Papa's house and our house so we often meet there for dinner. It is such a cute town and last year we rode the carriage around the town square and explored LBJ's childhood home. This year we just visited the precious Children's Courtyard near the County Courthouse all set up for kiddos to explore all their favorite characters.

Aviary Ranch near our House

Weird bird w/ her eggs. She was very angry at me and my camera.

After we moved to our new house in Dripping, we of course wanted to explore all the area activities and Ken has always loved birds. So we took a trip to the Aviary Ranch down the street. $40 later... what a waste of freaking money. There were about 50 birds all in small cages where you couldn't even see them. There were a few cows and one goat. The goat was the only thing Miss A wanted to look at and demanded we stay right near it as it hid in a corner. Overall, it was well... an experience - save your money and bypass this place.

Fun in the Backyard!

Just a wonderful Fall afternoon of playing with Bailey in the backyard.

Happy Birthday Mimi!!!!

Mimi,

Thank you for being such a wonderful mother, grandmother & friend! You are so generous, patient, funny, caring, creative lady and an amazing educator! You inspire me to be a better mom! We love you and are sooo happy you are in Austin to share all of our new experiences with us through Ashton's eyes. Happy 39th and holding b-day!