Happy New Year's eve from New Orleans!

Michael Craig, Craig, Blake, Donna, Colton, Camille, Martha, and Destry, in Donna's back yard.  Wish we could be there too, to spend some time with you! I'll miss hearing the ships blast their horns at midnight. . . .

From farm to table: December 30, 2016

Our Georgetown friends Sharon and Jimmy had a bumper crop of pecans this year.  Sharon baked us a delicious pecan pie.  We made it even more decadent by adding chocolate to it.  Thanks, Sharon!

Chase and Zulu: December 30, 2016

Chase loves to drink water out of Zulu's fish bowl.  We keep Zulu safely away in our room, but sometimes, Chase zips in during the split second we have the door open.

"Why are you drinking my clean water?" Zulu wants to know.  

Fox's new signature

Fox writes in box letters.  And she bought our dinner! ;-)

Cold snap over!

Papa Tom brought the tomato plants out of the greenhouse for a good watering and some sunshine.

We might have fresh tomatoes by the end of January!

Merry Christmas!

The Jackalope may have visited nice Texas kids, but Santa himself visited the Asheville Lewises.

Tom and I got in line at Threadgill's at 10 a.m. to make sure we got in when it opened.  Amon, Roy, and Greg joined us there for Christmas brunch.

We started Christmas day at Sarah and Kirk's.

Introducing Mylo!

The Asheville Lewises have a new family member: Mylo!

And Chase and Einar have a new cousin!

About to leave: Tuesday, December 13, 2016

It was such a great visit!  Thanks, River, Mya, and Piper for making the long trip!

Two-thirds of the brothers.  Amon and Fox left early, to get Fox to school on time.

Otis pointed out Camaros, Chargers, and Mustangs all weekend.  He wanted to see what runs the Zoomer.  His first choice: Camaro!

Surprise!  We took Micah and Otis to the airport an hour after the Asheville Lewises headed out.  Their flights were about an hour apart.  They ran into each other on the way to their gates.  Bye sweeties!  I miss you so much!  (Thanks for the photo, Brandy!)

Last hurrah: Chuy's and the Trail of Lights (December 12, 2016)

Tex-Mex at Chuy's

Mya, Fox, and the Chuy's fish

A beautiful night to walk the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park

Santa visits Texas on a Jackalope

Dancing under the Zilker Christmas tree: so dizzy!

Ryder spins Piper around under the Zilker tree

Hanging in the front yard, in the Austin warm: December 12, 2016

River and Brandy

Piper digs in the sandbox

Brandy and Tom

Piper is ready to swing

Zip liners: December 10-12, 2016

River rides!  One of the perks of our Homeaway house was the two zip lines located just up the hill.

Mya's ready to fly!

There she goes!

Otis is up!

Ryder gets Piper ready while the guy cousins head over to the second zip line.

Go Brandy!

Add caption

Do you see Otis?

A Charlie Brown Christmas with the Horns in Waco: Sunday, December 11, 2016

We all drove to Waco to see the Horns, starting with Emma's performance as Snoopy in "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Mya and Snoopy

Front row seats

Piper, Mya, Fox, Emma, and River.  Otis didn't want to be in the photo.  Maybe next time.

We all had an early dinner together afterwards, at B.J.'s.  Joyce must be showing Mya something on the phone.

Cousins

Thumb wrestlers

Thumbs up?

It might be Christmas, but . . . . (Sunday, December 11, 2016)

egg hunts are fun any time of year . 

Girls night out, guys night in: Saturday, December 10, 2016

The guys kept the kids at the house while Sarah, Brandy, Mimi, and I had a girls night out: started at La Condesa in downtown Austin.

At the Lockout Room, we were captured by a drug cartel and forced to cook meth.  Didn't escape in the hour we had to figure out all the clues!  Bonus:  we got to see Otis's cousin Tamyra, who moved here from Portland a few years ago and works at the Lockout Room.

No 5-star Austin restaurant for the guys.  

Sausage on the grill.  

Ryder and Micah caught up with Austin friends while the girls were out.  I believe 3 out of 5 kids were put to bed early. Nick (worked with Ryder in Austin), Tom, Joseph (Ryder's best man), Seth (friends with Ryder and Micah since grade school), Micah, and Ryder

Seth and Micah wish they could have gone to girls night out.