President's Day Weekend

Bruce started talking about going to Columbus, Georgia over 

the long President's Day weekend while I was in full Uganda planning mode.  

I told him to plan away because I didn't have time to think about another trip at that point.  

Well, shortly after I got back from my trip I received an email from Bruce 

with a proposed itinerary for the trip.  

(Gotta love engineers!)

It looked fine to me.

Definitely a hoo-rah weekend.

We had plans to see several military sights including

The Infantry Museum

Andersonville Civil War prison site and the Prisoner of War museum

and

The National Civil War Naval Museum.

I have a husband and two kids that like history very much.

My guys are crazy for military history. 

It is hard for it not to become a little contagious.

As it turns out we didn't have time to make it to the National Civil War Museum because 

we spent too much time at the Infantry Museum.  

It was that good.  

The facade of the infantry museum was fitting 

a museum of such an important part of our military.

You can't help but be proud and thankful for these brave men and women 

who have served our country over the years.  

This museum was fantastic!

The displays were very creative and engaging...

like this video display of a paratrooper landing projected into an open parachute.

We also found out that there were no mannequins used in this museum.  

All of displays use wax castings of active duty service men and women.

Cool, huh?

Very moving tributes everywhere you look. 

 There was another video being displayed inside this helicopter.  

The sights and sounds really make you feel part of the action.

Very brave words.

The trip to Andersonville and the POW museum was equally moving.  

Going through the POW museum I couldn't help but empathize for the families at home waiting for their family members what were being held as prisoners of war.  

I couldn't imagine being put in the position of being held as a prisoner of war. 

I came away being very humbled and proud of our military families. 

The film at the visitor's center and the driving tour around the Andersonville grounds 

illustrated very well this low point in our nation's history.  

Before this weekend I had never given Columbus, Georgia much thought.  

I knew it as the home of Ft. Benning but not much else.

After this weekend I am thinking that we need to go back and see the things that we missed 

and maybe repeat a few of the things we did!

Good trip.

The Christmas Eve services at our church last night were really special.

Beautiful message, beautiful music, candlelight, 

and the most beautifully decorated church.

Once again the flower guild outdid themselves.  

The church has been beautiful all of December but they stepped up 

the arrangements for Christmas Eve.

The Amaryllis that were just buds on stalks a few weeks ago are now in full bloom.

All of the arrangements were enhanced for Christmas Eve with the addition of red roses.

The apple wreaths had sprays of red berries added to them too.  

It was a lovely night in a most beautiful setting.

Any Excuse for a Party!

We here at the Peter's Ranch look for any excuse to throw a party.

This year's Christmas party was an open house - we started early and ended late 

so that folks could come and stay as long as they liked 

and still make their other Christmas obligations.  

Tis the season for holiday parties.

I wanted our guests to bring medications for our upcoming Uganda mission trip 

so I didn't ask anyone to bring goodies to share.  

We had plenty of food.

Plenty!

On the breakfast table we had buffalo chicken dip, artichoke dip, pico de gallo, 

guacamole, bleu cheese tartlets, two different cheeseballs, bacon-wrapped dates 

(oh my goodness, these are good) and ham rolls.

On the dining room table there was veggies and dip, barbeque meatballs, 

relish tray, three kinds of cookies, fudge, pralines, Mom's pumpkin bread 

and fruitcake, fresh apple cake, and cheesecake with sweet cranberry topping.

In the decanter is friend Chantell's fresh-squeezed Presbyterian Punch.

Yep, that's the name.

It is to die for!

(especially with a splash of vodka - Presbyterians don't mind.)

Speaking of adult beverages, we went through many bottles of wine.

Many.  Lots.  I got many new labels and corks from this party.

BTW, this is the family room Christmas tree.  

I love the old fashioned tinsel.  It makes the tree sparkle and it reminds 

me of my childhood Christmas trees.  

And as usual, there were friends congregating in the kitchen.

Friends in the dining room.

Friends in the family room. 

Even friends in the laundry room!  

To be honest, the bar was set up in this room.  

There was a steady flow through this room.  Just saying.  

I also had some Apparent Project jewelry for sale in here.

For those last minute gift needs. 

Hey, I am a full-service party hostess.

All of the girlfriends were under one roof!  

This is quite an accomplishment these days.  

We are all so busy.  

Now we have photographic evidence that this actually happened.

As much fun as the evening was, this was the best part!  

My generous friends brought so much acetaminophen, ibuprophen, 

and Tums, and vitamins for our Uganda trip.  

This was a huge help.  

Partying is always more fun when there is a good cause to support.  

Thanks friends!

Thankful for Family

Over Thanksgiving weekend my family had something extra for which to be thankful.  

Santa, General Robert E Lee, er, Dad's family has a tradition of getting together 

every other Thanksgiving for a reunion.  

This tradition was started a couple of decades ago by my grandmother, Ava Hester.

We are usually traveling elsewhere for the reunion but this year it was my turn 

to coordinate the reunion.  

That meant one thing: reunion in Huntsville!

Other than lots of time to sit, talk, and reminisce,

there was time to go through family artifacts (a suitcase of items that belonged to my grandfather).  There were some really interesting items in this suitcase.  

A big yellow school bus picked us up at the hotel so that we 

could go on a Twickenham Tour 

with my friend, and tour guide extraordinaire, Jacque Procter Reeves.

And of course there has to be a group picture.  

Unfortunately we didn't get everyone together before the light was too far gone outside 

so this was the best that we could do for a group picture.  

There were 53 of us together this weekend.  

I do believe that this is the largest group that has ever come together for our reunion.  

The only ones missing were the ones living in Osaka, Japan, Paris, France and deployed to Kuwait.  

I guess that they had a good enough excuse.  

Some years are more enjoyable than others, but I am relieved to report that I think that everyone had a very nice time.  

I know I did.  

Goodbye Fall. Sad to see you go

I love decorating my home for different seasons.  

Changing up what's on the mantle or adding a dash of 

seasonal color here and there makes me happy.

Decorating for Halloween and fall is easy.  

I don't do too much.

Pile up ceramic gourds, change out napkins, a basket of mums on the porch 

a fall leaf spray over a mirror and suddenly it looks like fall!

After Halloween the couple of 

jack-o-lanterns we have get packed up. 

I just love that I can bring all of the beautiful gold/orange/red hues 

that I see outside in my home for a while.  

Kinda hate to pack it all up now.  

But is is time to move on the sparkle of Christmas decorations!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Here in Huntsville we do Veteran's Day up right. 

We have Redstone Arsenal - so - we got stuff.  

We have an Army garrison so we have soldiers.

We have families of fallen veterans.

We have old firetrucks carrying our mayor.

We have very large military vehicles.

We have lots of high school JROTC students.

More vehicles carrying veterans.

Did I tell you we have large military vehicles?

What's a parade without Shriners in little cars?

Several scout troops.

Future soldiers.

Old cars.

High school and college marching bands.

And of course more veterans.  

After the parade our church members were treated to very special entertainment 

during lunch,

the Army Materiel Band.  

They were talented and very funny as they played oldies for us,

lots of songs to sing along with. 

Allison seemed to be a magnet for flags during the course of the parade.  

I told her she looked like a patriotic peacock.  

It was a wonderful way to spend a very special 11/11/11.  

Makes me proud to be a Huntsvillian, Alabamian, and American.

Getting Our Halloween On!

My friend Beth does Halloween up right.

She and her family love to throw Halloween parties and go all out.

No simple jack-0-lantern and a bowl of candy here. 

There is something really cool to look at everywhere you look.  

This year she added these white painted gourds that she bedazzled with black crystals.  

Very cool.

Her daughter, Harriet, had fun hosting several of her friends this past weekend.

Can you guess who Allison dressed up as?

Amy Farrah Fowler, neurobiologist, from The Big Bang Theory.

Although Ben wasn't dressed up he did enjoy helping with some of the 

"Minute to Win It" type games that they had lined up for the kids to play.

It was a rainy night so they were playing the games in the garage.

After dinner, the adults were inside watching the final game of the World Series.

Pretty exciting stuff, huh?  

It was a fun evening in a very creepy place!

Thanks Beth!