Christmas with the Rob Morellos!

It looked like it may not happen right up until they dropped their car in long-term parking in DC, but Rob, Rachel, and Peter came to San Antonio for Christmas. It was 80 degrees and beautiful - except for  a few foggy, misty mornings - and we had a fabulous time! 

Land Bridge

We wanted to do a "Jingle Bell 5K" on Dec 23rd, but I hurt my back, Ryan was recovering from strep throat, so we opted to go for a nature walk instead.

We headed to Phil Hardberger Park, and we ventured across the new land bridge that they just built over the highway. It was misty, but we hada great time. Katelyn would have pushed that stroller all the way back to DC!

San Jose Mission

After Peter's nap, we headed back out for more exploring. We took them to our favorite mission - San Jose. It was all decorated for Christmas, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Alamo & Riverwalk

After wandering at San Jose, we headed downtown. First, we stopped in at the Alamo. We were able to wander around a bit there before heading down the stairs to the Riverwalk. It was fun to show them around our town. 

Bowling

Christmas Eve morning we headed to our traditional bowling activity. It was much more crowded than we expected, and one of the bumpers was broken on our lane, so it wasn't our best time, but we still enjoyed ourselves. We even headed across the street to Torchy's Tacos afterwards. Yum! 

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, Peter got to open his "something to wear" present, which was matching pajamas to his cousins'. 

The elves are Musical, Princess, Littlest, Snack, and Tallest.

We ate appetizers, sang Christmas carols, and lit candles to remember those who had passed away this year. 

The kids snuggled up, and we listened to the story of the first Christmas that we lovingly call "The Tape." If you know, you know. 

Christmas Morning

Peter loved the boxes. We got him some board books. 

Collin's favorite gift was the used 3D printer that Papa gifted our family. 

Brennan's favorite gift was a squishmallow now named Snakey. 

Ethan's favorite gift was a small flying toy called a gravitator. 

He also got this fun Grogu blanket. 

Katelyn's favorite gift was her squishmallow that she named Nemo. 

She also got a craft to make your own soap that she and Rachel spent an hour on that morning.

Christmas Afternoon

It was 80 degrees, so we headed to the neighborhood playground. Peter loved the swing and the slides. 

We even splashed our toes in the water of the pool. 

Even though the air was warm, the water was frigid. Ryan has always wanted to do a polar bear plunge, so Ethan, Katelyn, and Rachel joined him. 

Sunday

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. I always hate when big, much-anticipated events end. It makes me so sad. 

Their departure came way too fast, but we had the best time meeting Peter and hanging out with Rob & Rachel. Love you guys! Thank you for coming to visit us in Texas!  

*** 

Seeing as the kids and I had THREE weeks off school, we enjoyed lots of other activities over our LOOOONG Break. 

Ward Christmas Party

My Primary Presidency was in charge of decorating this gingerbread house for the party as a backdrop for Santa pictures. I was so happy with how it turned out! 

Bell-playing

Our friends invited us over for a night of caroling, and they introduced us to bell-playing. Everyone was surprisingly talented. We had a lot of fun! 

Christmas at Six Flags

We also made it to Six Flags one last time before our passes expired. We enjoyed all the Christmas lights and lots of bubble snow. 

We rode the train and Ferris wheel. The kids still love Looney Tunes Christmas, and Ryan and I still love their Nativity - with live sheep, camels, and flying angels! 

Spurs vs. Jazz

We got Katelyn a babysitter and took the boys all to an NBA game. We went to Red Robin first and had a great time staying up late. 

The Spurs lost to the Jazz, but we had a ton of fun.

Anniversary & Temple

Ryan and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary by going to an Argentinian restaurant and doing a session in the temple. With Covid, traffic and busy schedules, we hadn't gone together in a long time, and it was nice to be the witness couple together. 

New Year's at Sea World

New Year's Eve we headed to Sea World. We saw their Christmas lights, as well as the orca show and the dolphin & beluga show. 

Last but not least, we saw the BEST firework show... at 9pm. PERFECTION! 

Fondue, Fireworks & Football

New Year's Day was filled with football (Ohio State eked out a win against Utah in the Rose Bowl), fondue (yum! chocolate!), and fireworks (because that's what they do in the south!). 

Bike Ride

With an unprecedentedly warm Christmas Break, I took advantage of the 70-80 degree temperatures to take the kids on a bike ride. This was no easy feat, since I had to transport our 5 bikes to a paved trail. 

But we all had a great time, and the Oreos sandwiches at Freddy's were the perfect conclusion. 

Exercise

Ryan spent New Year's Day switching around our exercise room so I could still watch the Today Show. Unfortunately, no matter how he pointed the antenna, we still didn't get NBC. I guess I'm an ABC GMA watcher now, after 13 years with Today. :-( 

But the new set-up got Katelyn on an exercise kick, and she made the goal to exercise with me on weekdays when she doesn't have school. She likes both the elliptical and treadmill, so we switch back and forth. So far she is 5/5! Go, Kate, Go!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank goodness school starts again in the morning!