In McAllen

We arrived safely at mom's house at 5pm yesterday, just as mom was locking up the office for the Christmas holiday. We had terrible weather for the first two hours of driving down from Dallas--heavy, cold rain and, since it was still dark, it was quite miserable to drive. We stopped in Austin for a 30 minute break when David phoned one if his HS friends who goes to school in Austin and she joined us for hot chocolate at at place that called itself "Not Starbucks." I drove the beginning and ending legs and David drove all the time in the middle.

We went out to Mexican food for dinner )they know how to do Mexican here :-) and mom had a cherry pie at home for dessert. We aren't going to starve while here. We walked around the park a little too to see what Christmas lights are up.

We started the annual 1000 piece puzzle. It is of a painting, not a photograph, so it is on the easier side. Rachel seems taken with it this year.

Mom recently added a bit to her home here. She has a mobile home that had a room off the side, and now the room has been enlarged and behind it is a little "garage" for tool storage, washer and dryer, and a place to keep her bicycle.

Today we are basically doing nothing. We are reading old magazines, studying the user manuals for my camera and Rachel's phone, watching TV, listening to Elvis Christmas followed by Handel's Messiah, eating, being lazy. Oh, and Gary is doing rocket science on his laptop when he isn't trying to put puzzle pieces in with his magnifying glass.

We are happy to be here, but sad for those who are missing this year: greatgrandma and Andrew.