Happy New Year. Hope you have your Blackeye Peas!

"Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is thought to bring prosperity.

The "good luck" traditions of eating black-eyed peas at Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, are recorded in the Babylonian Talmud (compiled ~500 CE), Horayot 12A: "Abaye [d. 339 CE] said, now that you have established that good-luck symbols avail, you should make it a habit to see qara (bottle gourd), rubiya (black-eyed peas, Arabic lubiya), kartei (leeks), silka (either beets or spinach), and tamrei (dates) on your table on the New Year." However, the custom may have resulted from an early mistranslation of the Aramaic word rubiya (fenugreek)." (Source - Wikipedia)

What's Up.. dog?

Christmas Poinsettia in Play-Doh

This is a photo of a Poinsettia I made out of Play-Doh during a Christmas party at our church for the youth group.

A little history about the Poinsettia from WorldOfChristmas.net

"Bright, flaming red, star-shaped Poinsettias are known as 'Flower of the Holy Night' or 'Flame Leaf' in the United States. One of the most popular flowers in Central America, it was brought here by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, over a hundred years ago. Still most of the supply of this famous beloved Christmas flower in American cities is said to come from California and the folklore attached to it comes from Mexico. Like Christmas Rose, this flower also represents the deep love for Christ and great devotion of a pure innocent human being to baby Jesus."

My wife gives blood.

The Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas has a mobile bloodmobile. Our church (The Kyle United Methodist Church) hosts a Blood Drive every couple of months. This was at out latest one (December 5). If you're in the area and would like to find a place to donate blood... go here - https://www.inyourhandsonline.org/.

If you're not in the Kyle, Texas area... find a place to donate here - https://www.givelife.org/index.cfm

Playing Catch-up again. Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. Here's mine in a few photos.

We attended the "kids service" at the Kyle United Methodist Church
Marlee is here getting ready to help w/ offering

We had a really great Christmas Eve get together
Even SANTA made an appearance

Cookies and milk for Santa.. and carrots for the reindeer.

Marlee was a little excited to get "JUST DANCE" for the Wii.

Merry Christmas from the Claes4!

We made graham cracker houses... and then ate them.

We went to my wife's family for Christmas (in Kosciusko, TX) on 12/26.
My nephew serenaded us on horn. Nice.

The "dancing lights" at the Kyle Pool

For the last three years, the Kyle Parks and Recreation Department has decorated Kyle with lights that move and groove to music. They call it Lights Spectacular. I know the photo doesn't do much justice, but below is a video I took.

If you live in Kyle (or are passing through), come by the Kyle Pool at Gregg-Clarke Park in the next few nights (until 12.29.10). Tune your car radio to 100.1FM and enjoy the show. It really is neat.

Kyle, Texas is such a cool place to live. Take this for example. The Kyle Fire Department spends the week or two before Christmas driving Santa Claus all over the city, winding through neighborhoods.

Last night, Santa came by our house.

It's a great memory. Thanks Kyle Fire Department!

They've even created a Facebook Page so people can share their photos and videos.. and to let folks know where Santa has been spotted.

Perched atop a Kyle Fire Truck is Santa!

The kids wave to Santa

My oldest w/Santa at the Kyle United Methodist Church 12/12/10
She got her cast off Tuesday (broke arm on monkey bars)

Sorry everyone.. I've been REALLY swamped. I've got photos.. just haven't been by to post them.
So... here's a bunch. We'll call this the Christmas Catch Up Post.

The manger scene at the Kyle United Methodist Church

My 3 year old talks to Santa at the Kyle United Methodist Church

My "trash can Christmas Tree" I built in our front yard.

Our actual Christmas Tree in the house.

My Play-Doh Poinsettia from the Youth Christmas Party at KUMC

The Children performed several songs on 12/12/10 at Kyle United Methodist Church

There.... I should be caught up now. Hopefully I'll start posting daily again.

Los Vega Restaurante - Kyle, Texas

Los Vega - 721 N Old Highway 81 Kyle, TX 78640-9451 - (512) 268-8570

Hands down, my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area.  It's pretty small inside (only about 12 tables) but its a fun family atmosphere. And, as you can see by the red truck there, they have a drive thru. Do yourself a favor if you'd like to do the drive-thru - take the number down above and call in your order. They make the food when you order.

I thought I featured them before on KDP... so I looked it up. Yup. In 2007 and 2009.

Why do I always want to eat here on Sunday after church?

I know.. it looks like a graphic.. but it's a photo I took at Chick-Fil-A in Kyle, Texas.

Kyle City Hall - November 2010

40 Pounds of RAMPAGE!

This is my 3 year old. The name on the hat fits... it's been her nickname since she was 6 months old and knocked me over. Crazy kiddo... I love her.

Katherine Anne Porter House in Kyle

"The childhood home of Pulitzer-prize winning author Katherine Anne Porter now hosts a literary reading series unmatched in all of Texas. Meet writers such as former Poet Laureate Charles Simic and Irish novelist Roddy Doyle, author of The Commitments, in a small, intimate setting. The events are free, anyone can attend, and we always have treats from the Texas Pie Company.

The house is also a writers residence for former creative-writing students from the MFA program at Texas State University.

Find pictures and a schedule of events at: www.english.txstate.edu/kap"
(Got the information from the Katherine Anne Porter House Facebook page) 

Postcard? Kind of.

DSCF7886
Originally uploaded by seanclaes

This is a sign in Gregg Clarke Park right now for the holidays... Pretty neat. I took this pic... and the Hays Free Press picked it up and it's in this week's paper.

Apparently I've been on holiday. Been busy... sorry daily photo world.