The time between getting home from our California vacation and now kind of feels like a blur. A lot has happened in that time frame: we finally got Christmas put away (inside took longer than outside since we were limited on our free time due to work and other constraints), Abigail got baptized, and we had Snow Day 2025 (today). Enjoy!
Showing off a unicorn headband she got as a treasure box prize.Before the baptism. This is the look I get when I ask her to smile.I’ve found that if I keep clicking, I eventually get a good one of her looking at the camera.Proud big brother!In front of the font.I’m glad I snapped this candid shot of her contemplating the ordinance that was about to take place. She was SO excited!Capturing personalities. 🙂Almost got everyone looking at the camera……there we go!When we were at Mom’s, we found a set of scriptures that were probably hers on her mission with Dad. After checking with siblings, we decided to take them home and give them to Abigail for her baptism. Now she has a little bit of Grandma with her all the time.Finding all the hidden pictures in her Shine-a-Light Dinosaur book.Paul hung up the awesome puzzle my friend put together, framed, and gifted me for Christmas.He also hung up the cool piano lessons sign my mom made when she started advertising that she was teaching as well as the needlepoint that she did.I can remember sitting next to her on the couch as she worked away at this.Paul bought new bedding for our bed…it’s so pretty!This was me when Paul told me he was going to take my picture…as he was bringing me dinner after I had just gotten out of a training and realized there was stuff I needed to do in my classroom that couldn’t be done the next morning…I think I finally got home about 7:30 that night. Oof.So, I got these ears at Universal Studios with the thought that I could wear them to entice my students to not chit-chat so much (basically, if they are not quiet, I take off the ears and they lose 50 of the points that they are trying to steal from me so that they can have Fun Friday). Well, I completely forgot I was wearing them and NOBODY in the halls said anything until the STEM teacher was like, “Oh! I love your ears!” You know you work in an elementary school when something like this happens, haha.Chilly nights are meant for popcorn, hot chocolate, and board games.Our shelving unit was getting overfilled with games, so Paul bought another one. Now it looks so much better!This is the other one. I pulled some games out of the bins we have in the living room so now the ones we play the most are out.Paul made stew yesterday. The meat was venison from a deer he hunted and the potatoes are from our garden.There’s something rewarding about a meal where key components are things that you either procured (without a store) or grew. I made rolls (not pictured because I already have a ton of roll pictures, haha) that I felt very accomplished about as well.The first “dusting of snow” picture: the cats we are feeding ventured out to get food and probably decided to hunker back down (Paul thinks they’re hanging out under his office shed).We got an email last night cancelling school in preparation for crazy weather. This is what our part of San Antonio got.Being reminded that snow is, indeed, frozen water.The teen even ventured out into it.Not much came down.Scraping snow off the slide (they discovered that scraping it from the ground just meant…muddy snow.Getting ready to try to throw some at Joseph……but it wouldn’t stay together.I guess this is what they mean when they talk about fresh powder.Look at that stink face, haha.Documenting Snow Day 2025…and trying to figure out how I was going to combine two lesson plans into one for tomorrow so that I don’t fall behind.He figured out that getting a big handful and then vigorously brushing it towards her was more effective than trying to throw it. That’s a GT mind at work, haha.Right before they decided they were done. I think we made it about 20 minutes. 😛It was all gone by lunch time.I decided that as a reward for successfully figuring out a way to merge two days worth of lesson plans into one (without losing too much content), I would put up Valentine’s Day decorations.I know I’m early, but it makes me happy and I don’t know when I will have another day as wide open as today was…and yes, that is a Halloween countdown. It stays out all year long because once Halloween passes, I switch it to Christmas (the sign flips)…and then back to Halloween. 😛
This past week, we made what will be our last Christmas trip to California. Mom is now up in an assisted living place in Utah (Aaron’s kids are making sure the house is lived in and okay until it gets sold), so this trip was mainly me and some of the other siblings going through boxes and making sure the sentimental stuff gets sorted. It was bittersweet being there without Mom, but it was a good visit, nonetheless. We took the time to go to Universal Studios and Knott’s, so that was fun for the kids, too. Stap in for a lot of photos!
AC stopped by with his youngest daughter who is just a couple months younger than Abigail.The two of them had a ton of fun.Kayla pulling “oldest girl cousin” duties.I don’t really know what was going on here, ha.Jason and Luna came over as well.Going down to the Lower Lot at Universal where Mario Land is.We only rode one ride in Mario Land, which was Mario Kart. The line was long, but entertaining with tons of detail.Joseph made it his mission to pop his head into the background whenever possible.That’s one happy girl!The star in the background was cool.She loves selfies.Ope, there’s that “surprised happy” face.Yet another photobomb moment.The details in Mario Land were pretty cool.Pointing out fun stuff.The entrance to Bowser’s castle.I think Abigail was done with the line at that point.Playing with her power-up band.The other Lower Lot ride we went on was Transformers. Not as much cool stuff to look at…but a ton of buttons and switches to play with.With the spark.Cool Transformers logo.I asked to take his picture.THAT’s better!It was fun going during the holidays.Up where you can see out into LA.It was pretty cool to look out and see everything.Visiting Hogsmeade.It was crazy crowded at that point, so we didn’t go on any rides. We did the wand experience (for me and Abigail since Joseph had his wand from an earlier visit), got some butter beer, and called it good.Waiting in line for the wand experience.With Hogwarts in the background.We felt this was also really well designed for details.She liked the first sip, but once it got fizzy, she was done.Joseph didn’t mind getting an extra. 😉The funny thing about this was that Sirius is moving around in this a lot (as is typical for Wizarding World newspapers), but I got the shot right as Joseph happened to be making the same face.We met up with one of Paul’s LP friends and she got some good shots of us.It was a long day, but fun!Snuggling with Daddy.My wand (made to look like Tonks’ wand) and some Mario mushroom ears.On our way to Knott’s, we saw a really cool vapor trail. I took a picture and you can see the jet at the top (it looks like a pin prick, but if you zoom in, you can see the jet shape).Hopefully the only time she’ll be behind bars.Right before Paul took Abigail to Camp Snoopy and I took Joseph to the big rides.The ride that probably did me in. We rode this ride and one other (which was much smoother than this wooden roller coaster) before my back muscles started to spasm really bad. After that, Joseph went on a few rides solo. The next day, I ended up in urgent care for muscle relaxers and extra strength Ibuprofen.One of her favorite rides.She loved being able to go on stuff on her own.Striking up a conversation with the kid next to her.She really liked this ride.I love seeing such a happy pictures of her!Joseph on Silver Bullet.See? There he is!Seeing a donkey.Any time she saw a coffin, she had to take a picture.See?Sitting with the other girls. 😀We went on this train ride (which Abigail ended up not caring for since it was mostly in the dark)… …and this one which takes you around the park.Abigail with Snoopy and Yoshi.The measuring door at Mom and Dad’s.My address for the first 21 years of my life.The fireplace my Daddy built.This is a permanent fixture in the house.Foothills, citrus, and palm trees…The last time in the back yard.Man, I’m going to miss this house!The last time (for a bit) driving past the windmills in the high desert.One of the things I brought home with me…now I have a bit of home at home.
I’m finally getting caught up on my pictures! As soon as we went on break, we had a few chill days at home, then it was Abigail’s birthday, then Christmas, and then we left for California (which will be a separate post). We’re back home, so it’s time to play catch-up!
Joseph had his holiday concert (the same night as Abigail’s winter fun event). I went with Abigail and Paul went with Joseph. Here’s a great shot that Paul got of our percussionist in action.I like that the directors give parents a chance to get good end-of-concert pictures, too. It’s hard when he’s all the way in the back!One of my coworkers put this together, framed it, and gave it to me for Christmas. It just about made me ugly cry, y’all.We decided to have Abigail’s friend party at Peter Piper Pizza. It was easy to plan, the kids were entertained, and Abigail (as you can see) loved it!Blowing out the candle.Unwrapping presents.I love how genuinely happy she was with each present.When we got home, we let her unwrap presents from us and Jason, Saira, and Luna.Did I mention this cat (which we’re pretty sure is feral) has decided our yard is a good place to live? At first, Paul was kinda chasing it off…because there was evidence that it had probably caught some birds (we have bird feeders in the back yard because we like seeing all the birds).Pretty soon, though, we found out that it had kittens. Three, to be exact. Well, Paul said he didn’t want to see kittens starving, so we are now feeding four cats. Hopefully once they get bigger, they will all head off. We’re not playing with them or anything, just setting out food. We’ll see what happens.Abigail’s interests are always so fun to see. Things that are the typical things girls like right next to things that are more typically reserved for boys. I love that she doesn’t care and just…likes what she likes.She’s into making excited faces for pictures, as of late, so…there’s that, haha.She’s eight!!On Christmas Eve, we decided to go see Sonic 3 in the theaters. It was a fun family outing!Two of my favorite things about Christmas are all the lights and the nativity. I got this ornament this year and couldn’t help but get this shot with the lights in the background.Christmas Eve prep…Stocking fun (Santa got her Rescue Bots).Santa got him a new game.Playing with her new Care Bear doll (it’s a Barbie that is dressed up like a Care Bear that has its own Care Bear).Showing me a fun book from one of our good friends.We got him an electronic drum kit……that he put together on his own. Yay!Abigail got a Switch for Christmas, so it was fun seeing the two of them playing together.
