The number sounds old, but I’m just hitting my stride.
I like to try new adventures, so during my birthday week we went to a Castle about 30 minutes away. It is actually the Texas Pythian Home, but it is fondly referred to as ‘Castle on the Hill.’ The Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order established during the Civil War, sponsored the construction in 1909, hence the architectural style of a castle. The Pythian motto of friendship, charity and benevolence has been the spirit of the home as it was and is a foster home to this day.
I thought 'Christmas At The Castle' was going to have fun family activities. It was just Christmas vomiting inside the large home. Lots and lots and lots of Christmas decor to look at, like this upside down Grinch tree.
There are some displays that are museum-like, like this old playroom.
Currently the Castle is home to up to 62 foster children. The campus includes the main building and 2 dorms, playgrounds, a softball field, tennis and volleyball courts, and a swimming pool. Plus a few cows.
There was an old cemetery on site. We checked it out, thinking maybe there had been a lot of child deaths in the early 1900s. There were not. We got stickers on the legs of our pants; Daisy said it was because we were walking on graves and we should not have went inside the cemetery grounds.
I kinda like this boy. π
We got pictures with Santa whilst at the Castle.π
Daisy said they were too old for Santa pictures, which I firmly disagree with.
Nest stop--Sundance Square. The 78th annual FW Community Christmas tree traveled 1,234 miles from Cadillac, Michigan to Sundance Square.
The six-story tall Norway Spruce is the tallest live Christmas tree in Texas. The tradition of the gigantic tree downtown began in 1947; at the time FW took great pride in our tree being taller than the National Christmas tree outside the White House. At 82 feet tall, today it is taller than the tree in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Everything's bigger in Texas. π€
We had some time to kill so we went to an insta-worthy spot.
Much like a wedding, for my birthday we tried something old and something new. We have continued the tradition of Simply Fondue for my birthday for several years now.
On my actual birthday Linda threw a Happy Birthday Trish/Welcome Back Theresa lunch.
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| Kate, Violette, Linda, Trish, Julie, Mb, Theresa and Arriel |
Linda made a Happy Birthday sign in English on one side, and μμΌ μΆνν©λλ€ /saeng-il-chuk-ha-ham-ni-da/ on the other. π The ladies sang Happy Birthday to me in English, Korean, Vietnamese, Polish and Filipino--I've never had Happy Birthday sang to me in so many languages! π
That evening we celebrated with the family. I made them go look at Christmas lights at Interlochen. This is just a neighborhood in Arlington that has been showing off their house lights for over 40 years. Thousands of families cruise through the streets, enjoying the show.
Daisy always makes the best cards.
If my birthday week was any indication, I'm gonna thrive at 55.
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[December 16]
[December 24-26]
