New Year's Eve

Chinese Food. Year-End Questionnaires. Movies. Chex mix. Countdown to the New Year. Sparkling Cider. Poppers. New Year's Eve followed our traditions, and we closed out 2025, welcoming in 2026 together. We watched the newest Superman movie, which Branden and Devin hadn't seen yet. And then we watched Kiki's Delivery Service for something a little more chill.

Branden went to the stake dance. He said it wasn't that great, unfortunately. Probably should have just invited people over here instead.

While waiting the last hour for the countdown, we cruised around YouTube channels. We watched some of the celebrations in Hong Kong, the fireworks from various places that had already celebrated like Australia, Taiwan, Dubai, UAE, Paris. We also had some sparklers. It was pouring rain, so we just did them close by the house.

We had a lot of great things going on in 2025. Excited to see what 2026 brings.

The Last of the Year

Let's wrap up 2025! Lots of relaxing and enjoying time between Christmas and the New Year.

Devin's cookbook includes some craft activities. He spent an afternoon making giant bubbles with ideas from the cookbook.

We had Jared and Carman come lead us in a watercolor painting activity. The clouds definitely proved tricky for most of us, but it's about the fun of being together and doing an activity together. We may need to watch some "how to" tutorials in the past before our painting activity to get better at this. It was fun though, and a good time together before Jared and Carman had to leave back to Utah.

The Sunday after Christmas, we drove to Pasadena to attend Sam's talk in her ward as she begins her service mission. Both of her parents spoke and then Sam spoke. It was very sweet and powerful to hear Sam's parents talk of her and who she is. And then to hear Sam speak of the challenges she's been through and the growth of her faith and testimony as she has worked and is still working through those experiences. We were so glad to be there, so touched by the spirit we felt. We were able to stay afterwards for a luncheon with her family, extended family, and some close friends. Sam is going to be a great blessing to all she serves for the next 18 months. We're cheering for her!

The last warm and sunny day for the whole week ahead, we just had to get out and enjoy it. We were going to go mini golfing, but by the time we got out and about, it was too busy. So we just drove over to the beach in Del Mar and walked on the sand, enjoying the sunshine and waves.

The water was so blue and so calm. Before heading home, we had to drive to my favorite scenic spot in all of San Diego. The top of the hill looking south to Torrey Pines. It is just breathtaking to me. A great way to be wrapping up this year.

We had to head home about an hour before sunset because Branden had work to get ready for, and Devin had basketball practice. I knew looking at the beach and the clouds that it would be a great sunset. And it was. Seeing it from home was pretty amazing. The pictures we saw later of the sunset at the beach itself, I'm so bummed we weren't at the beach to see it. Incredible beauty.

Devin and I spent time cleaning out his room. Always a good feeling as we start a new year. We emptied his drawers of clothes that don't really fit him anymore. Then we started going through shelves. We threw away junk or trash, organized things into bins and boxes, put things in the pile for donation. Some were projects he had made that were fun to make and then just time to be done with them. I was proud of him for recognizing he had outgrown things or really didn't have a need for things and his willing to get rid of stuff.

The hardest though was when it came time to part with some stuffed animals. He knows he's too old to have all of these and doesn't need them. But there are some that feel like they define his childhood or he has special connections to his brothers because of them. The tears in his eyes as he'd part with some things just tore at my mama heart. He is growing up so much. And he loves his brothers and every time he gets to spend with them. We cried together, saved some things away in his memory box, and left a few out on his shelf to keep his memories of brothers close. This little boy isn't so little anymore. Big things are coming for him this year.

The morning of New Year's Eve, we headed out early to do our mini golfing. It was threatening rain, but we only got a little sprinkle. And no one but us was there for the first almost hour we were golfing. I won the first round. Craig got a hole-in-one, and Devin got TWO holes-in-one! The second course, Branden won. He, Jesse, and I all got holes-in-one that time. It was a fun time out there. Always a favorite family activity.

Cooking with Branden

Branden is a senior and that means a year of culinary arts with Mom! I bought a curriculum off of Teachers Pay Teachers with our funds at the end of last year. It has some power points and activities teaching about cooking skills, foods around the world, holiday traditions, etc. We've go over some of that each week. And Branden cooks off of the list of things he has chosen to learn to make.

He's done everything from pigs in a blanket to apple pie, salmon to tandoori chicken, and homemade bread. I also have him make breakfast sometimes or help out with parts of dinner or dessert. Looking forward to more months of working with him.

A Merry Christmas Day

We got to be "all together" on Christmas Eve. Jared and Carman came into town late Dec. 23. They came over early afternoon on Christmas Eve. We played a new game together until our missionary got to call. It was Zach's Christmas morning when he called. He played the game with us a little bit. We talked and laughed together. He headed over to the mission Christmas activity. We talked to him until that started. It was great to have all of us talking together for Christmas.

We had our Christmas Eve dinner - roast chicken, rosemary bread, grapes, cheese, olives, grape juice. I pieced together a program including scriptures from 3 Nephi and Luke 2 with Christmas songs interspersed. We then read through The Living Christ and each shared something from it that stood out to us or meant something to us about who Christ is for us. It was really sweet and beautiful.

Devin got Branden up Christmas morning about 7:30 am. The rest of us slept til about 8 am. We had a relaxing morning opening some gifts, having a yummy breakfast, just being together. My favorite gift was the purchase of a dolphin encounter at Sea World in February! Can't wait for that. We played some new games, Blank Slate and How Well Do You Know Your Family? Jared and Carman came back over for the afternoon. We opened gifts with them then. And they had Christmas dinner with us. Although rain was forecasted, it was a warm, sunny day. It was a lovely day with my favorite people.

Christmas Activities

Christmastime! It came quickly with a late Thanksgiving this year. We jumped in full force and fit in our favorite Christmas activities when we could.

We picked up our Christmas tree that weekend after Thanksgiving. Devin couldn't resist his favorite game of hiding in the Christmas trees and having everyone try to find him. Although this year, he got himself stuck under some trees and had to be rescued haha.

 

The first weekend of December was our ward Christmas party. The signups for food were a bit lacking, so I signed up for a bunch of food. I made two dozen dinner rolls and took the opportunity to make two dessert recipes I wanted to try. One was a homemade peppermint chocolate chip bundt cake since I was so bummed about Nothing Bundt Cake not having it for my birthday. It was pretty delicious. I also made a peppermint poke cake that was also delicious. The decorations were beautiful as always and the program was a nice way to get into the Christmas spirit. It was a lovely event.

During the next week, we had a really warm day, which I asked if anyone wanted to join me at the beach. No one wanted to go, so I went for one hour by myself. And stopped for some peppermint bark ice cream to eat there and really give myself some self-care for the afternoon.

We made 3D snowflakes at Discovery.

Our stake joined with Poway stake in putting together the "Walk through Bethlehem" weekend. It was a LOT of work for many people. But an incredible weekend that really adds to the Christmas season. We volunteered Sunday night. Branden was a centurion. Mom and Dad were in the market as shop owners. And Devin played games with other kids in the market. We were able to walk through the whole thing before our shift. It was beautifully done and such a sweet spirit of what Christmas is all about.

One of my seminary girls surprised us by decorating our classroom for Christmas. We showed up Monday morning, and it was all decked out. It was so cute! The only trouble was she put this powdered plastic snow all over the tables and floor. I was worried it would track all over the building, so I had to have the kids help "shovel the snow" up. But we left the rest of the decor for the week.

That Friday we had our seminary Christmas breakfast. Cinnamon rolls, hot cocoa, fruit. It was the first of 8 dozen cinnamon rolls I'd be making over the next few days. We had a sweet message tying "Hallelujah" about Joseph Smith and the First Vision to The Living Christ and everyone sharing testimony of a name of Christ or something they learned this year of who Christ is to them and how He has blessed them this year.

Once that was all done, it was time for Christmas baking! With my boys' help, we knocked it all out on Friday. Peanut blossoms, fudge, tiger butter, gingernaps, chocolate pizza, Mexican wedding cookies, peanut brittle, toffee. I also made mini cinnamon rolls for the Christmas reception after sacrament meeting Sunday.

Craig's Sam was in town over the weekend. We took her to Christmas Card Lane to enjoy one of our favorite Christmas traditions. It was the last weekend before Christmas and was for sure hopping! Lots of people, lots of activity going on. It was a good time.

We did our Christmas Santa puzzle first. And then I got a new puzzle for us to do. We got it together pretty quickly.

We also read A Christmas Carol and watched Christmas movies. I gave away 3 dozen cinnamon rolls to people having a hard time this Christmas. We also made our Christmas treat plates and gave those out as well as Christmas bread. 

A very Merry Christmas season.