Albuquerque Hobbs: 2021

We have a tradition of having the whole Dunlap gang over for dinner whenever Seb's parents, Peggy and Geoff, visit from Kirkland Washington. I always try to make a gourmet meal for them, and Peggy always showers me with praise and calls me "the best cook in the world." She really cracks me up! Because she doesn't cook, she really appreciates a good meal more than most people.

These photos are in descending order! We had the cake last, not before our main meal. We played a new game afterwards that Peggy and Geoff brought us for Christmas. They spoiled us with gifts! Mike and I always have a wonderful time with Geoff and Peggy. We sure love the Dunlap family.

We had Chicken Madeira, sweet potato casserole with a pecan crumb topping, petite green beans with bacon, and a fancy baked stuffing with balsamic--plus a 4-layer chocolate bar cake with a chocolate whipped cream (mousse) filling, a dark chocolate glaze, and dark chocolate shavings. It was so rich, but Mike and I are eating the leftovers and loving it!

I loved these holiday photos of Jessica's family which were taken on their front porch before Christmas.

December 20-25th: Mike and I drove to California to spend Christmas week with Sam and Kiley's family. We stayed in their Los Angeles rental home (slept in their quiet converted garage!) and had a wonderful time. Eden is talking more, and baby Noah is crawling around (super fast too!) and is so fun to play with, to feed, to bathe, and of course to cuddle. We took a ton of photos on this trip.

On the 21st, I went to Target and to the grocery store with Kiley and little Eden while Mike babysat the boys. Sam had to work through the 22nd. We bought food for the whole week but ended up going back to the store a few more times for items we forgot or that I wanted to include. In the evening, Sam took all of us to the L.A. Temple Visitor's Center and temple grounds to walk around and admire the beautifully decorated Christmas trees, the Christmas lights, and the lovely views of the city's skyline. It was cold out, but the kids had fun running around.

On the 22nd, Kiley took us to The Aquarium of the Pacific with the kids, and it was a fun outing. In the evening after Sam came home, Kiley filled a piñata with candy, and the kids took turns hitting it. Sam was the one who broke the piñata apart, dumping and scattering its contents all over the damp dirt and grass! There was plenty of candy for each of the three older children; in fact, Kiley filled the kids' stocking with their stash on Christmas eve--haha.

On the 23rd, we celebrated Elijah's 6th birthday by going to Lego Land in San Diego! It was overcast all day and was supposed to rain. Sam had purchased all of our tickets in advance, and it was the one place Eli wanted to go for his birthday. There was a LOT to see and do at Lego Land. We took turns taking care of Noah and Eden (and Joey during the scarier rides) and had fun on the various rides with the kids. We also enjoyed seeing all the amazing Lego cities, structures, animals, and other Lego characters. There was still more to see and do, but after a few hours, Eli told Sam that he was ready to go home. He was anxious to open his birthday gifts! We stayed for at least an hour longer, and then it started to rain. It rained that night and for the next two days. Heavenly Father truly blessed Eli on his birthday.

Christmas eve: I made a hot breakfast; the kids played; we made preparations for Christmas dinner; and we had dinner reservations at Benny Hanna's at 5pm. When we got to the restaurant, we still had to wait a half hour for a table. The place was busy, and everyone was hungry! We enjoyed a scrumptious meal of soup, salad, steak, shrimp, fried rice, and vegetables at a big hibachi grill. Sam picked up the $300 tab and used all of his restaurant points! It was a fun outing for all of us and so nice to have a break from cooking and cleaning. After we got home, we sang Christmas songs and reenacted the Christmas story with Sam's family. The kids had fun wearing the Christmas headbands and shaking wrist and hand bells that we brought from home. The boys were excited about the next day being Christmas!

Christmas day: We watched Sam's family open their gifts; cooked our delicious Christmas meal; enjoyed seeing the kids play with their new toys (All Lego for Eli!); watched the colorized version of "It's a Wonderful Life" (my all-time favorite Christmas movie; and played more Canasta of course.

Sam's ribeye roast was so tasty, and the sides were all yummy too. We had a sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with bacon, and fresh cranberry sauce. We left Sam's family with a few meals' worth of leftovers, which is always a treat!

It was great to be able to see ALL of our children and grandchildren this year during the holidays--Jared's family for Thanksgiving and the rest for Christmas. I know that will not always be the case. It's a blessing to have our children close enough right now to visit at least once a year.