It's a Marrvelous Life: Christmas, New Years, and Beyond

Family Picture

taken by Calista Perazzo

(see more at the end of this post)

Alicia- I recently finished reading the Book of Mormon again. I love it. This was the quickest I have read it which helped me notice repeating spiritual themes and the frequent mentions of Christ. Reading it in a short period of time also helped me follow the stories better. I applied little and big principles from it to my circumstances. I had questions answered. I shared bits of what I was learning with my kids. I hope I can follow the good examples and avoid the mistakes of the bad examples of the people it talks about. My kids got to see me reading the scriptures and asked me about it.

I ended up listening to a good chunk of it on my phone (quick instructions below) while doing household tasks. I reaffirmed my feelings and belief that the Book of Mormon was written by real people and that the events that are written in it really happened. The teachings in it are from God and for our good. God spoke through prophets of old, restored Christ's church through a prophet less than 200 years ago, and we have a living prophet today.

(Gospel Library App- scriptures- Book of Mormon- play audio/headphones symbol - play) The playback speed and main voice can be adjusted in audio settings.

Adeline quotes:
"If cars see water, they've got to get on a bridge really fast."
"He plopped out of the fountain. He glopped out of your tummy and now he's here." (Talking about Abram, when we passed the hospital that Abram was born at)
Dallin: "Why do you need to ask Mommy?" Ad: "Mommy might say yes, because she's a girl."

Adeline's make-believe friends are named Alvie (girl) and Donnie (boy) and they are now also part of Peter's pretend-play narrative.

Everett quotes:
"I'm so mad. That's why I want to be a monkey and not be in this family."
"That did not cannibal through the air."

Christmas in Texas

Christmas in California

yummy food: Mexican fiesta, ribs, cinnamon rolls, and more
Peter hair cut
taking turns being sick

Hockey game with Brennen

A friend of my parents made this quilt for Alicia.

Christmas in the Park and Tech Museum, San Jose, with the Grandparents Perazzo

There was an awesome Lego exhibit that the kids loved. All the little Lego towns had random Star Wars characters in them. Ev really loved finding them all.

New Years in Nevada

Finding shells

S'mores at Daniel's house during the New Year's fireworks show.

Back home

Getting in our car at the airport to drive home

10 minutes later

Gas prices are a little lower here than in California

Homemade Donuts

Under 6 experience at our library

Human Pac-Man

Adeline

Adeline having fun with her Preschool friends

She dressed herself

Peter

Cooking with diapers

Abram

Abram made his first alternating knee crawling forward motions on 1/7/19 moving a few inches forward

Kids

Visit from Julie

First lost tooth!

Trip to Houston Temple
So grateful for temples and that families can be together forever.
We swapped watching kids with another family from our ward. I even ran into an old missionary companion, who was at the temple getting married!

During our turn watching the kids we took them to a city park close to the temple that had these:

"Join us for our annual Old Fashioned Sweet Tooth Sugarcane Event at the Durst-Taylor Historic House & Gardens. Sugarcane will be pressed by a mule powered cane mill and made into ribbon cane syrup right before your eyes. We will also have blacksmithing, a spinning demonstration, pioneer crafts, music and ribbon cane syrup for sale." They served fresh cane syrup over dutch oven biscuits with smoked sausage.