Monday, January 03, 2011

New Year's in Brady

I had a great time relaxing with family for New Year's! Another epic road trip led to central Texas for the weekend to visit my Aunt Madelynn and Uncle Jack and cousins. There was amazing food (steak and fried shrimp!), great conversation and the relaxation that comes with being in the country. Here are some of my glimpses of grace over the weekend...

-There's nothing like a Texas sunset.

-Leisurely mornings spent drinking coffee and chatting with sun pouring in the windows.

-Lee's adorable, cuddly, rambunctious puppy. Adele and Justin brought their dogs too, and so one afternoon consisted of my reading with a dog on either side of me, sharing my recliner.

-Aunt Madelynn with precious Grant, the newest addition to our family. He's so cute in that dreamy, contented baby way.

-Chasing an armadillo to try to get a picture. Pretty fast little guy. Pretty random thing to do. :)

-My parents relaxing in the chilly weather.


-This is on the ranch my uncle manages. It's a lovely little spot where people can come for picturesque events.



-Sun shimmering on the surface of water.

-Streaked cliffs that have Native American paintings on them (which I didn't climb up to see closer, but fully believe are there).

-Purple cactus! I've seen a lot of cactus in Texas, but never in this shade before.


-I loved this amazing little wood-burning stove at my Aunt and Uncle's house. It reminds me of one I once saw in Lesotho and it heats the entire room. I also love Aunt M's meticulous way of lighting it: 30 pages of a phone book, ripped out and balled up individually + a handful of wood chips + a few small logs and later, a larger one = guaranteed warmth.

-Christmas lights shining through intricate door glass.

-A gorgeous sunrise, blindingly bright but so stirring and joyful I didn't want to look away.

-Stopping by charming Fredericksburg on the way home and enjoying authentic German food, leisurely shopping (to walk off all that yummy food) and enjoying a gloriously sunny, chilly day.



2 comments:

Lynn said...

Such gorgeous photos. And I love that your aunt counts out 30 pages from the phone book. :)

Happy birthday, my friend.

Whitney said...

Thanks, Lynn. I can't help but take pictures, it seems. I stared at the christmas lights through the beveled door for most of our conversation in the living room and then finally had to get up and take a picture. Glad to have the moment recorded, though! I loved my aunt's meticulous method of lighting a fire. And it really worked.

Had a great birthday, thanks for the well-wishes! Is is still freezing in the ATL?