Christmas in Lubbock

Lea and Bill (and their blended family of 6 kids) braved ice and snow to spend part of their Christmas vacation in Lubbock. From the left you see: Jon, Bill, Anna, Claire, Mary, Sophia, Hanna, Frank, and Lea. Jules was taking the picture.

Museum Days

Given some unusually, wintry-weather conditions, our daytime adventures were limited to the Buddy Holly Museum, the Texas Tech Museum, and the Ranch Heritage Museum. We slowed the kids down long enough to pose for a quick holiday portrait (personalities and all)!

Sellout Knight

What an opportunity for us all to become a part of history by attending a Texas Tech basketball game on the night Coach Bobby Knight would win his 880th basketball game and break the record set by Dean Smith.

ESPN2

We had fun planning and practicing with signs for the kids to hold up during the game when the cameras panned the fans! One side said, “Extra Special Perfect kNight 2.” The other side of the same cards said, “You Can Smile Now Coach Knight.”

Not this Night

The game turned out to be a close one but not a winning one for Coach Knight. So, the kids never did get to show their flip-side of the cards to the world. That didn’t keep us from enjoying our own cleverness!

We Had Our Fun

Given about 20 trips to the bathrooms, concessions stands, and souvenir booths the kids provided bonus entertain-ment to the game show! Who would have thought all 6 kids would want temporary tattoos?

Christmas at the Ranch

The ranch here in Lubbock is actually the National Ranching Heritage Center, a series of 40 structures located along a winding path (10 acres) on the Texas Tech University campus. For Candlelight at the Ranch, 2 evenings in early December, the paths are lined with luminarias and the buildings are complete with holiday re-enactors – some are stringing popcorn and others are making cookies on a woodstove.

Jon in the Barton House

Jon celebrated his 8th year as a re-enactor for Candlelight at the Ranch. His research helped him collect authentic period clothing like those of a turn-of-the century ranch hand. For Candlelight, Jon paints original Christmas cards following the ideas of those water colors Charlie Russell included in his Christmas greetings in the early 1900's.

Regular Ranch Guest

Jules’ mother, Mary Ruth Steffens, looks forward to joining the 3,500 people who stroll the grounds and peer in the windows of these old buildings. She was glad to learn of Jon’s fascination with this time period and happily added Uncle Dick’s gold watch and fob to Jon’s period wear.