Holiday Cheer

Hi everyone! I know I haven't been posting much, lately. This semester has had me super, super busy; now that the end of the semester is looming, we're in that dreaded "scramble" phase trying to get projects and cramming (for finals) done!

Anyway, Livie wanted me to share some photos of the holiday spirit in our area. The other night, she and I went driving around to look at all the Christmas lights. There's a neighborhood just a few blocks away where almost all the neighbors coordinate their lights. They decorate their trees with "candy cane" lights! It is so cool!

 I parked and tried getting a photo from the open car window. It's not the best photo (with my point-and-shoot little Canon "PowerShot"), but it should give you an idea of what this whole neighborhood looks like this time of year! Imagine driving around a whole loop (maybe almost a mile or so?) with most of the trees decorated like this!!

Even the lamp posts are decorated!

Then we headed back to our own neighborhood. Just down the street, there's a house on the corner with a huge lawn. They have an RV parked out back. They usually decorate it with lights. Then they add a pre-lit palm tree, and a pre-lit saguaro cactus. Every year since we've lived here, Livie and I look forward to seeing the "bus," the palm tree, and the cactus! Last year, for some reason, they didn't put them out, so we were disappointed. But this year, I saw them one afternoon getting them all set up. As soon as Livie came home from school, I told her, "Guess what we get to see this year?! The cactus, the palm tree, and the 'bus'!!" She was even more excited than I was!

Again, I parked so I could take a photo. And again, it's not a good-quality photo, but it gives you the idea. In person, you can tell that the cactus and palm tree are a few feet in front of the RV (whereas in the photo, it pretty much looks like they're on the RV). I think they used to have a real evergreen tree that they'd string outdoor lights on, but they had to cut it down some time ago. Now the lit tree you see in the corner is what they use (it's in approximately the same place as the former real tree).

I always tell Livie that I love the cactus the best, because it makes me think of "home" in the southwest. And then, of course, I get a little homesick for New Mexico, west Texas, and Arizona, especially this time of year.

And then this morning, since it's December (already!), I started using my candy cane mug. (I didn't use it yesterday because I used a travel mug. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have to immediately drive down to the University for my morning class as soon as I take Livie to her school.) Usually this mug is for coffee in the morning, but when Livie and I have hot chocolate on a cold evenng, I use it for that (and Livie has a snowman mug that she uses).

Since this morning was the first morning (this season) I used my candy cane mug, Livie asked me to get a photo of it. 

(Don't mind the messy desk in the background! But hey, a grad student's desk should be messy toward the end of the semester!!)

Tonight, we get to experience more holiday cheer. In our town, there's a town square with a HUGE evergreen tree. Tonight they're going to light the tree. They'll also have carriage rides, hot chocolate, and other fun stuff. Livie and I can't wait. We went for the first time last year. When I told Livie that we're doing it again tonight, she got very excited! (Click here to read about last year's experience.)

So I'll be back (soon, hopefully) with more holiday photos (and maybe with some belated Thanksgiving photos, too).