Girl has her face painted at Light Up the Highlands. Photo by Carol Toler.
Hundreds of families showed up for Light Up the Highlands in the Lake Highlands Town Center Sunday afternoon to take photos with Santa, sip hot chocolate, make Christmas crafts and toboggan down a snowy hill. Dedicated Lake Highlands Junior Women’s League volunteers are celebrating the tenth anniversary of this community holiday event, and most attendees smiled and nodded graciously when I asked to take their photo, understanding they might see their families’ faces online or in our monthly paper mag. A couple of shrewd negotiators, though, had a few conditions.
Raymond and Maggie Morrow were high school sweethearts at LHHS, and they continued their relationship while studying at Texas A&M. They returned to Lake Highlands to raise their children — three boys and a girl. When I asked to photograph the family, the older boys made it clear they’d only smile “for a pic their grandmothers would approve of” if I would also snap one with a pose of their choosing. The results are below. Knowing their grandmothers, longtime LHers Julie Morrow and Jackie Counts, I’d say they’re likely to get a kick out of both.
LHJWL has given back more than $1 million to fund projects including the all-inclusive playground at Flag Pole Hill Park, a children’s area at the Audelia Road Branch Library, boulevard banners to advertise community events, amenities at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center including colorful tile murals and the Wildcat Fun Zone, and improvements to the park outside the rec center including the one-mile trail loop, Splash Pad, pond restoration, play art sculptures and a playground at Fieldcrest Park. They also host an annual back-to-school supply drive and a Holiday Angel Tree to provide for students in need.
You may donate to LHJWL here and register for their April Run for the Highlands here. You’ll find the rest of my photos here. (And thanks for stopping to smile.)
Raymond and Maggie Morrow with their shrewd negotiating children. Photo by Carol Toler.
The Morrows. Photo by Carol Toler.
Tyler and Melanie Terrell with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Photo by Carol Toler.
