End of winter volleyball

This is a wonderful photo of Kira's winter volleyball team and coach. This team was amazing! They won the majority of their games, and on the last three Saturdays, they won ALL their games! Magnificent!!

Most of the parents of these girls are doing what they can to keep this team together, and certainly with the same coach! He is excellent!

Christmas cactus ... blooming away!

This little plant had a tough time over last winter and spring, but I finally put it on my front porch so it would get only morning sun ... and voila! It worked!! Between not being in full sun and my forgetting to water it, it came back to life. And now it's blooming -- right on time!

Christmas morning

It's a very merry Christmas for the Linehan kids. They are mobbing their dad here because he had brought out the surprise gift - the new Xbox, to go along with the new Xbox add-on, the Kinect! (Without the new Xbox, the Kinect would have been pretty much useless!)

[Click on "Kinect!" here or above to find out more about all this stuff!]

Austen is showing us the Kinect addition for the new Xbox.

And no ... he doesn't want to share!

The new Xbox!!

Setting it up, getting ready to PLAY!!

Volleyball skills clinic

On the evenings of Dec 20 and 21, Kira went to the rescheduled volleyball skills clinic at the Y where she goes to play her games. She learned lots and had a marvelous time.

The instructors were the girls on the local high school girls' volleyball team ... which had made it into the state championship playoffs!

At the end of the second session, they handed out certificates.

Girls waiting to hear their names called.

And here's a little movie to show how her serving has improved:

Fall is subtle in Texas

This is the corner where Kira and her friends meet the bus in the mornings and get off in the afternoons. You can barely see the fall colors (and here it is almost winter!). They're very subtle here ... no bright reds or yellows like what we can see farther north.

And here are a few of those trees closer up.

This is a few days later than the ones above - not much change except the addition of four children waiting for their bus!

KOHS concert on 12/13

The back of Austen's head was all I could see from where I was sitting!

Here are the clarinetists (plus a few others!), but I still can't see Austen. I know where he is, though ... right behind Samir!

Even when he stood up because he had made Region Band, I couldn't see him. He was still behind Samir!

Still behind Samir, but in this one I can see the back of his head again.

How camera-shy is he!!

It was a really good concert, though, even if I didn't see much of my own grandson!

Choirs' Christmas concert last night

Last night, Kira's school choir (Colt Choir) and three other choirs, including those from another elementary school, from Hildebrandt Intermediate School, and from Klein Oak High School, performed their Christmas concert. It was amazing!

In this photo, Kira is in the center. The Colt Choir was performing its part in the whole program.

And here is the entire Colt Choir.

The Colt Choir in the blue shirts are getting ready to perform in the finale, which included all four choirs singing together. Kira is at the bottom left (sitting on the stage), and Abbi is the second from right of the five Colt girls standing.

More singing in the finale.

All four choirs: high school in the back, intermediate school in front of them, elementary schools on the left and right in the front of the stage.

Now ... two more performances this week, and next week will be the Klein Oak Band's Christmas Concert! I love this time of year!!

Princess's antics!

Remember Princess Meow Meow? She's the Linehans' youngest and funniest cat! She still thinks and plays like a kitten.

Absolutely darling!

And she can take down a Christmas tree faster than we can wrap presents to put under it!!

Thanksgiving 2010

Photos from our family Thanksgiving a couple of days ago:

The table is all set and ready for a family full of thankful people!

Marilynn and Anne, chatting before dinner

Cabbie gets his little nibble of turkey, too!

Ken, carving the bird!

Parker, Kira, and Austen - waiting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

On October 3, 1789, during his first year as President, George Washington issued a proclamation that set aside Thursday, November 26 (1789) as "A Day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer." Entitled "General Thanksgiving," the decree appointed the day "to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and single favors of Almighty God."

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America, A PROCLAMATION:

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the Service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the single and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all Sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed)
G. Washington

Haircut day for Kira!

Kira has this long beautiful hair, but it was becoming hard to manage and out of shape. There should be a bit of a wave to it, and this haircut gives that back to her ... and she can still have a good looking ponytail!!

Celebrate our veterans

Today's volleyball moves

Kira's learning!

It's fall?

Looking at some of the trees in my yard, it's hard to tell it's fall. There are a few brown or yellow leaves here and there, but that's about it.

An oak

An elm

A crape myrtle early in the morning

Same crape myrtle, later in the day when it was windier!

Kira's volleyball team

Kira's volleyball coach sent this on Saturday. There are really 8 or 9 girls on the team, but here is her coach and the 5 girls who were there early for photos. Kira is seated at the left.



UPDATE: For some reason incomprehensible to me, Kira's coach announced her resignation on Tuesday. Blew me away! It'll be interesting to see what happens.

UPDATE 2: One of the moms stepped up and took over the coaching job. All is well, and the girls are winning more often than losing! Nice!

College touring

On Oct 10, Austen and I drove to Austin, TX. We played tourists for the rest of that day, got lots of sleep, and then got up early on the 11th (Monday) and went to the University of Texas's Discover UT Day, filled with programs and tours and beautiful places! Here are some photos Austen took on one of his walking tours.






And here's a view of the capitol building from in front of the Tower building. The dome is surrounded by scaffolding, but it's still impressive. We need to go back some day when construction is not going on.

Contest Send-Off

Tonight is the first marching band contest of this fall, and here are photos and a video of the send-off that families gave the band and color guard as they left for Leonard George Stadium in Spring. It's all VERY impressive!




It takes 3 of these big Ryder trucks full of drums, percussion, and other instruments plus 9 buses and who knows how many cars to get the entire group anywhere ... to a game, to a contest, wherever! Such organization! And such support from all the families!!




And here's a video of the buses as they left ...