Christmas 2017

Celebration of Lights at SMU got us in the holiday spirit. 

Holiday PJs

Piano Christmas Recital and Sonatina Festival  

Commandre de Bordeaux dinner with Cecie and Papa

Highland Park Carriage Christmas Light Ride

Christmas Fashion Show...

Girls Manicure and Pedicure date

Christmas at Lakewood Country Club 

Victoria and her new friends from SJE

cookie decorating

Gingerbread Ballet Dancer

This guy has spirit

Carriage ride through Lakewood with the SJE crew

Gingerbread dance rehearsal 

This little elf and her brother and sister saw Charlie Brown Christmas play

We ventured to the Mesquite Rodeo for the first qualifying round of the season. It was nice to see something so pro America. The kids loved it and didn't want to leave.

Victoria was the only brave one who got out in the dirt for the cow run - she didn't get the prize but had fun!

These kids have enjoyed the piano this Christmas break - just playing Christmas carols, making up their own songs, and learning new ones via the iPad. Victoria loves to play current tunes and taught herself Havana...

Making Christmas cookies. Lots of cookie dough, sprinkles and icing consumed in the process.

They really wanted to make Cecie a birthday cake and they did a great job!

The rental house hosted the Dallas Zavalas, the Lubbock Zavalas, and Dallas Davises. I can't believe we didn't get a pic of the whole gang! But we had plenty of food for Christmas morning and I don't even think the kids ate anything but candy. The kids decorated the house and we put up two trees. They are making this rental a home. 

Sanata brought Baron a new dog bed

Rebecca said she really wanted a kitten but Santa brought her a Barbie dream house instead and she was okay with that.

Favorite gifts were the Xbox, Barbie house, LOTS of Legos, and American Girl Dolls. O'Neill wants to start the Lego Death Star over Christmas break and it's like a million pieces! 

The Dallas Zavalas invited us and Papa and Cecie over for Christmas dinner and the girls brought their dolls. 

Of course she loves the microphone!

The ladies at the Adolphus Tea; so posh, darling

And the best Christmas present goes to the rice cooker!! Love this bad boy!

School Days

The last few weeks before Christmas vacation is always crazy busy with school presentations and other performances. I am so proud of these little minds!

Victoria presented a Water Show and demonstrated 10 different experiments about water. She prepared a poster as well as a iPad slide show. The class also talked about importance of water around the world and raised money for water projects in Africa. 

Victoria's class also wrote and performed a radio show with cool sound effects called a foley.

I was so impressed with Victoria's ability to carry her voice through the crowd and project and keep her composure! She's sure growing up! And now she wants to take acting lessons. Each class came up with their own story, script, and sounds effects. 

Victoria's FIRST basketball game ever! So proud of her for trying something new!

Senior Buddy and All School Christmas Party celebration is a favorite tradition at St. Mark's. O'Neill's senior buddy Ben found out the day before that he was accepted to Duke. O'Neill has had a good time with Ben this semester.

The first graders get carried in on their buddy's shoulders and put their Christmas ornament on the tree. The band plays Christmas carols and the crowd sings along. In the main quad there is the Path to Manhood statue where two larger than life Marksmen are eternally frozen in time: the littlest one contemplating growing so big and tall, and the older thinking about what life has in store after SM.