IT'S SNOWING!

Today, December 10, 2008 is goin' down as one of my favorites. I have an unrealistic, but total infatuation for snow. Maybe because I grew up in Texas.... Today, as I watched beautiful, ginormous, fluffy snowflakes floating down a sky that smelled like fresh carbonated water, my inner snow bunny wanted to hippy hop around our yard and let out a high pitched squeal of absolute thrill! I just love snow - it is a special gift that for us Southerners, is extraordinary!

I will probably regret this later, and take this first video off line. However at the moment, I'm feeling no pain, nor shame. Enjoy the flakes ... pun intended.

Here are some fun pics, too!

"Scooby, this is snow. Snow, meet Scooby."

"The world changes when it snows. Everything softens. It gets quiet."
"When it snows, something inside me says, 'Hey, that's your present.' I don't think it will ever change." Lorelai Gilmore, one of the Gilmore Girls

The Halls are Decked ...

... with all kinds of merry-ness! I had such a great time decorating the house for Christmas. I got crafty this year with some garland, wire cutters, wooden letters, and last but not least ... some Mod Podge! This was my first MP experience; and, I must say, it was quite fun. I do wonder about its name - anyone know where it came from?






May all our hearts be totally decked out with the joy of this season!


Hark, the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark, the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."


Merry Christmas!
~ Tara

Tagged

I've been tagged!

Here are the instructions:

1. Go to your pictures

2. Upload the fourth picture in the fourth file

3. Post the pic

4. Tag four friends

Scooby on the breakfast room floor this summer.

Stacy, Jamie, Tim, and Waco you've been tagged!

Dinner & A Movie

As it turns out, we had a successful dinner next to the fire - no burns, on us or the food. We also watched a little over 2 hours of Casino Royale, and called it a night. (That movie is stinkin' long!) The next morning, we hurried to breakfast at Paillard, a restaurant that serves great coffee and pastries, and on the way back to the hotel, were dusted in snow flurries. The trip was now complete....

Returning home, we found one happy dog and a sweet mom. Thanks again for taking such good care of our Bubbers. You're a great momma, momma.

Quebec City

Bonjour! Here's a pictorial update of the trip, which is still going strong. Later tonight, we are going to supper at a seafood restaurant that has a stone fireplace and wall that dates back 300 years. (The wall is old, not the fireplace - whew!) After the meal, we may view a movie at the hotel! The hotel (Auberge St. Antione) has a small movie theatre inside, and you can check out movies from the front desk and watch them whenever is convenient. Cool huh!?! So, depending on what movies are available, we may be watching a movie in a private theatre tonight!

Sean & me in front of the Chateau Frontenac.

Views of streets in the Basse-Ville (lower town).

Breakneak Stairs connect the lower and upper towns.

Notre-Dame des Victoires - the oldest stone church in Quebec, built in 1688 and restored in 1763. It is located in the Place-Royale, the central town square, which is surrounded by 17th and 18th century homes.

Views of the terrasse Dufferin and what you can see walking along it.

A View of the Haute-Ville (upper town) and Basse-Ville (lower town) from the Citadel.

A view from the top of the conference hotel. The dominant buildings are Hotel du Parlement (square-shaped on left) and Chateau Frontenac (in the back on the right side). You can also see the wall that surrounds the old city and the gate where the Grande Allee becomes rue St. Louis.

Here is a close up of the Porte St. Louis - an entrance into the old city.

Bonsoir!

Perks

This past Thursday, Sean and I flew to Quebec City in Canada for a conference for Sean's work. The conference took place during the days, so I spent the days touring the city with a nice couple of wives of his colleagues. It has been super cold here (at least compared to Texas), and a little foggy.

Quebec City is a beautiful city that has a rich history. According to Frommer's, it was the first "significant" settlement in Canada, and was founded 400 years ago in 1608. Because of its beauty, history, and uniqueness of being the only walled city north of Mexico, the historic district was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the only one in North America. The people are very gracious, and 95% are Francophone, or French-speaking, but fortunately many speak a little English.

We spent most of the days walking around inside the walls of this quaint old town, darting into coffee shops every couple of hours to warm up. I haven't taken too many pictures because of the conditions, but hope to fill the camera over the next couple of days. Here are some pics that I have taken, so far.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ...

Well, maybe next time. While I was publishing that last post, I caught Scooby dream sniffing and walking. He didn't dream bark this time, but I thought I'd share the video anyways. Hope all you dog lovers enjoy. I've got to join Scooby in dreamland ... sweet dreams.

Evacuation Station

The McGuire household in College Station, TX can now be dubbed "Evacuation Station." The first wave arrived on September 10th; and, at its height, measured seven adults, two kids, and two dogs. On the roll we have: Grandmommy, Tim & Janell, Ollie (labrador), Stacy, Hutch, and the newest Jehle addition, Elsa. Sean's long-time friend, Chris, joined us for one night, too. We have enjoyed their time here, and now that they have retreated back to LJ, the house feels so empty. Over the last couple of weeks, Sean and I have learned many things. We have learned how entertaining plastic cups, french doors, and mailboxes can be. We know there is nothing like holding a precious baby who likes to snuggle, and we know the pleasure of doing whatever it takes to make a young tot giggle (foot fives included). We have had the pleasure of taking care of our loved ones, and discovered that our house can comfortably hold lots of company! So, for all you friend and family members who want to take a trip to Aggieland, aka College Station, make the McGuire household your next vacation destination. We'll change the nickname to Vacation Station, just for you!

Here are some pics of the crew from the past couple of weeks:

Now forming at the north end of Kyle Field, the nationally famous ...

Fightin' Texas Aggie Band.

This post is a special shout out to our PABC Journey Group in Athens, GA, and contains a clip of the Texas A&M Marching Band performing during the first football game. The clip is the last half of their performance. The full performance was too large to upload - sorry. We Aggies have a saying that we never lose a football game, but simply "run out of time." (I could insert a comment here, but I'll refrain.) We also say that we never lose at half time because we are so proud of the band. It still amazes me how tightly the band crams together while marching, and I still get a kick out of watching the tuba players make the turn. The style of marching is different than Georgia's, and I hope you enjoy the clip!


Wikipedia has a nice article on the band, if your interested in more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fightin'_Texas_Aggie_Band .

You know you're in Texas when ...

... the sky looks bigger, and the clouds look like fish.

... el queso esta amarillo.

... and, last but definitely not least, there is a tortilla baker in the local Kroger!

This is the first post that is a shout out to our friends in Georgia. We miss y'all and think of you often. Stay tuned for more Texas scenes....

Cool New Rug

After looking around and around, I found a reasonably priced rug at Target that will complement the brick tiles in our house. It came a couple of nights ago, and I think that it is going to look very cool. Unfortunately, interior decorating isn't easy for me, so let's hope for the best! Here is a picture of the rug in our furniture-bare living room. Just an fyi - like the rest of the house, the mantle & shelves are still a work in progress. Almost every "decorative item" we own is on those shelves, so they won't be as cluttered when we're done.



A closer look at the rug...


... and the tile floor.


We'll keep you updated with more pics soon.

Our New Home!

Big news! Sean and I are on our way to home ownership! Our closing date is June 26th, and we are super excited. The house is beautiful and wants you to come and visit!

The next step - Aggieland!

After 5 years, the midnight train that brought us to Georgia will bring us back to Texas. Over the past few months, Sean has been interviewing at several colleges, and has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor at our alma mater, Texas A&M. Whoop! We will be moving sometime this summer - official date yet to be determined. The Lord has truly allowed us to reap the reward of Sean's diligent hard work over the past five years. We are so thankful, and cannot wait to start pouring our life into college students at TAMU! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" 2 Samuel 7:18

Funny pic

Yet another unposed funny pic from our pup.

Starting off 2008

It's been a busy 3+ months for the McGuires! Since our last post, we both turned the big 30! Sean's was a quiet celebration with close friends and a cake. At this point in the post, it is incredibly important that I mention this was at his request. (I have a video of the cake, which I'll try to upload later ... gotta figure out how to do it.) My birthday celebration, however, was a little more of a "to do." My mom planned a surprise birthday weekend in Savannah, and my Aunt Lois and Uncle Paul joined us for their first trip to the historic city. We had a great time seeing the sites and enjoying the food. Check out the pile of Lady & Sons fried chicken in the picture below! As Paula Dean says, "Put some South in your mouth!" We did.