Christmas 2020

So this post might not contain just Christmas stuff, or even all the things we did this past season, but the title will do for now. This past December included Lego Discovery, a couple Sea World trips,  a trip to Albuquerque (without Sam), celebrating Eli's 5th birthday, Christmas itself, and finding out where Sam is going for Fellowship(!). The Albuquerque trip and Fellowship story will be in separate posts.

Waiting to enter Lego Discovery for Eli's early birthday celebration.

Lion made of Duplos.

By far my favorite attraction: a lego model of downtown San Antonio
 (along with other well known places around here!)

!!!

I mean...!

The Friendship Statue that Joey was telling us all about (he learned about it at school).

The actual Frost Bank tower was built while we lived here,
so to see a lego version come up the same time was pretty cool.

Tower of the Americas.

Alamodome (I think...)

The rest of the time we build our own creations.

Christmas tree built out of legos, including the ornaments.

This is as close to a Santa visit we got this year.

Kudos to that person having to move around in a Lego Santa suit.

We hit the River Walk afterward since it was so close.

Our kids are so photogenic (not).

We found the Torch of Friendship statue.

For my sentimental gift to my parents this year I created ornaments of all their grand babies (that were born, of course).

I also got Eden's baby ornament made for our tree.

Eden LOVED the tree, and more specifically the ornaments.
She was always taking off her favorites and carrying them around.

Eli's birthday decorations...that ended being up for a month afterward.

A scooter being the big gift.

I made a cake that Eli could decorate himself.

He wanted himself on the cake.

I helped him with the letters.

😍

Sam took Eli to SeaWorld to ride all his favorite rides.

One day he'll be able to ride the Wave Breaker!

For Christmas Eve we decided to have a Bethlehem dinner and looked up things that would be eaten in Jesus' time. So we had homemade bread, melon, fish, salad with honey balsamic dressing and dried fruit and nuts, and Joey's favorite: olives. Here is Joey's plate:

Bread, mostly melon, and a heaping bowl of olives.

Here's my plate.

We also try to keep up a Luminaria tradition and light up our house on Christmas Eve. Can't take the New Mexico out of this family.

Lights courtesy of Sam's Dad over Thanksgiving.

No fires started luckily.

Opening Christmas books and PJ's.

A chapter book for Joey.

The Day the Crayons quit for Eli. 

An Elmo potty training book for Eden (I may have an agenda with that one).

First year of matching PJ's.

Christmas morning. Eden and Eli got a new kitchen.

Joey got a microscope and slides.

I got a new Diaper Bag! And Sam got his medical license in another state
(costs us a couple thousand).

We made prime rib for Christmas dinner. It was worth it! 

We hit Sea World again just to look at the lights (and see turtles apparently).

Didn't seem to have as many this year but it was still very pretty.

This beautiful tree was coordinated with beautiful (and loud) music.

They still had the singing Nativity despite Covid. 

And that was Christmas 2020. Some unexpected things that happened this month next.