So this is Christmas

Our journey began last Tuesday. What lie ahead? A total of over 28 hours of driving in 6 days, 4 sets of parents, three sets of siblings, one niece and nephew, lots of presents, lots of food, and lots and lots of love. It can be overwhelming to plan for such a trip. There were moments of panic, but then I would try and remind myself of the true source of such a season. How grateful we both are for His birth.

McKinley sure likes his nose

...and Coleman thinks he's pretty funny

Dad and Michele

Alex and Garrett

Dad and Beth's tree

Greg, Mason sitting like a person, and Kris

All kinds of gardening goodies! We are sure to have an amazing garden in a few months!

Sarah, Kris and Chloe Christmas morning

Mom and Linda with a pillow I made them

This is the face you make when you get a Wii from your wife who successfully surprised you :)

Gabe with his mom, making breakfast Sunday morning

Disney on Sunday night

Smooshed on the teacups, before we tossed our cookies, j/k

Pretty castle

Back at home, enjoying the Wii, guitar hero style

These are just a few of the pics I took. After we got home I realized that I missed a few important moments and people. Shucks. I guess I was too busy having fun. We love all of you and thanks for a great Christmas!

Snow

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep

I am a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glint on snow

I am the sunlight on ripened grain

I am the gentle, gentle autumn rain

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep

When you awake in the morning hush

I am the sweet uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight

I am the soft, soft starlight, starlight at night

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep"

Whenever I see snow, I hear this poem in my head. It snowed last winter too, never could have imagined that it would happen again in Texas. It was beautiful to see it fall.

My Grandma "S" used to carry that poem in her wallet. She would think of my Grandpa when she read it. He was taken away from her too soon. After she died I used to look at it a lot too. Since then, every time I see snow, I think of her. I think of all my grandparents.

I mentioned in a earlier post that when my mom was here, Gabe sang a song at one of his concerts- this poem set to music. It was a surprise for my Mom and I. It was incredibly moving and emotional. It seemed unreal to be reading this text, and hearing it come from his mouth so beautifully. My heart felt full. As I watched him, I felt a confirmation that he was my true companion. I knew it, I've always known it. But the Lord likes to remind me from time to time.

Love you all. Merry Christmas!

Today

I have been very patient. The wait is over today. I might scream at any given moment.

Mom and Linda Visit

This weekend Mom and Linda stopped in Houston a few days while on their own Amazing Race. We stayed busy and had so much fun! First stop was the galleria for shopping and dinner with Gabe that night. Friday we went to the Kemah boardwalk. We rode rides, ate funnel cake and had some seafood. The weather was perfect and it was just nice to sit back and take in the scenery. The roller coaster was crazy scary. I screamed like a baby and Mom and I both had our eyes closed the entire time! Gabe sang in a beautiful concert that night with a requiem that had only been sung in the U.S. once. It was in recognition of all the soldiers who lost their lives in WWI. He sang a solo that featured the words to a favorite poem of my grandmother's that she used to keep in her purse everyday. It was special to have mom there for that. The next day we did some golfing, ate at a couple of our favorite restaurants Barnaby's and Shade, and had Swirl for the second time and went to the museum. The butterfly conservatory was unbelievable. The room was beautiful with a huge waterfall and of course, butterflies everywhere. They were flying all around us. So amazing. Thanks for coming to visit!

My favorite blog

I should be getting ready to go out to dinner with friends, but first I had to stop and read this post. I'm so happy I did. If you do not read her blog, I assure you this post will surely help you to understand why so many people I know love her and read her blog everyday. She is so inspirational. By the way, she has the same nickname as me, just spelled differently. (I love her even more because of that.)

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/2009/11/do-you-still-see-me.html

Love to you all,
Christina

October Festivities

"Double, Double, toil and trouble,

Something wicked this way comes..."

Happy Halloween everyone! Here are come pictures we've taken the last few weeks. Just below are pictures from Halloween yesterday. We went with a Harry Potter theme. Professor Trewlany and Mad Eye Moody. The pics were taken on my cell so the quality isn't great. But we had fun, that is until we went to a haunted house and actually payed money to scream so loud my throat ached. It was great to be with our friends, but next year, I might stay in the car.

Professor Trewlany
Mad Eye Moody

At the zoo, Halloween Day

Gabe recently finished Il Viaggio a Reims, his first opera this season at U of H. It was hysterical and he did a great job. Gabe's mom flew here to spend the weekend with us and to see the show. Thanks for coming, we had so much fun!

A very proud wife :)

Amanda and Gabe after show

Gabe and Jack backstage

Then, a pumpkin was carved. We roasted pumpkin seeds and drank strawberry smoothies. The pumpkin turned out great. A few days later we particiapted in Trunk or Treat and church. We brought the pumkin and Gabe dressed up as a doctor with a bloody knife and we had bones around the ground. He kept asking the kids if they wanted an incision. Thankfully, most of them laughed. It worked though because we won "Spookiest Trunk." We got a trophy and everything. It has a pumpkin on top. Way to go team!

"ooh, this is fun"

"Here, Mom, you do some."



And he was called "Seigfreid"


Fun Day

On the Radio!!

A local classical music station KUHF did a promo for the Moores Opera Center's production of Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims featuring Gabe as a soloist singing an aria from the opera which opens this weekend. His aria begins at 6:20 on the clip and there's a lengthy explanation that comes before. The gist is Gabe's character along with several other international VIPs is going on a trip to Reims, Paris. He takes inventory of each character's belongings singing with a different accent for each character. The order is first Don Profondo-that's Gabe's character, then lo Spagnolo or the Spanish guy, la Polacca or the Polish lady, la Francese or French lady, il Tedesco or German guy, l'Inglese or English guy, il Francese or French guy, and il Russo or Russian guy. See if you can keep track of who's who. Good luck!

To listen follow the link below and scroll down to where it says Moores Opera Center and click on listen or download.

http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1256158827