Photography Experiments

This month, I’ve done a lot more experimenting with my photography. We have been blessed with some incredible sunsets and starry nights, which are perfect for bringing out the camera!

I was in my room reading one afternoon/early evening, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the colors outside. I had to stop and snap this picture from my bedroom window!

This was another sunset that caught my eye. The colors were much less dramatic than the ones above, but they were perfect and soft.

Recently we had a couple of nights in a row that were unseasonably warm. I had been inspired by some friends to try taking star pictures. The first night, I got no good pictures. But after some trouble-shooting help from my astrophotography friends, I gave it another go the next night. After several attempts, this is what I got. There was a lot of light pollution, but it was the first night shot I’d ever taken that was in focus and showed the stars clearly.

Then I turned the camera around and tried to get some star trails. This was the best one out of them all. It still needs work, but I’m happy with it for a first attempt!

Another stunning sunset I couldn’t possibly ignore. J

It has been a lot of fun expanding my photography skills! I make a lot of mistakes, but I am learning and having fun in the process.

New Year's Celebration

Our family got to ring in the New Year from home, yet again! After spending Christmas with extended family, we enjoy having a more intimate celebration at home for New Year’s.

On New Year’s Eve, we had a special dinner of Hawaiian Sweet Roll Sammies, chips and salsa, veggies with dip, grapes, pretzel salad, peanut M&M’s (leftover from Christmas) and Coca Cola Cake. It was good!

After we ate, we played a board game in front of the fire. “Aggravation” has quickly become a family favorite! J

At 11 p.m. our time, we were all in the den in front of the TV. We watched the ball drop in Times Square and shouted with loud jubilation at the arrival of the New Year. Even though it hadn’t come to Texas yet. J

After a late night, we slept in and then had our New Year’s Day brunch! French Toast Casserole is an annual treat around here!

New Year’s Day was spent working on projects and relaxing. It was nice to have a quiet holiday at home as a family!

Christmas in Ohio, Part 4

~Friday, December 27~

Friday was a pretty quiet day for us. Daddy left early in the morning to visit a friend in another part of the state. After breakfast, my Grandparents went out to run errands. So it was just mom, us kids, and our cousin E at home.

We had fun playing our favorite board game together (it’s called “Aggravation.”) Some people got so aggravated, they quit partway through! Haha! J Most of us stuck it out though, and finished it.

That evening, we went over to my Aunt and Uncle’s house for dinner. My eyes immediately spied this corner of the counter. My Aunt had made the most amazing hot chocolate I’ve EVER had (recipe coming soon!) She also had peppermint marshmallows, chocolate whipped cream, and candy canes to add to it. It was the perfect dessert!

Oh, we also had dinner too. J We had barbeque chicken sandwiches, kale salad, sliced oranges, and vegetables and crackers with hummus. Delicious after so many heavy meals in a row.

Abuelo playing chess with Ruby in front of the fire.

We had a great time visiting during and after dinner! It was difficult to say our goodbyes. L We are so blessed by our family and love spending time with them! We pray we’ll get to see them soon!

~Saturday, December 28~

Saturday morning, we loaded up our minivan and had to say goodbye to Abuela and Abuelo. L It was time to head back home. Thankfully, the weather was MUCH more cooperative this time. We had smooth driving all the way to St. Louis.

We arrived in town just as the sun was setting. It was incredibly colorful!

We got to our hotel, unloaded, and then headed next door to Bob Evans for dinner. We hadn’t eaten there since August, so it was a nice treat. We went to bed early that night, knowing we had another full day of travel ahead of us on Sunday.

~Sunday, December 29~

Sunday morning we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel before packing up and leaving again. At this point, we were all getting travel-weary and ready to finally be home!

We stopped for lunch at a tiny little café that Dad found on his very first drive to Texas (when he moved down here in October 2012.) The Red Barn Café and Hen House Bakery has some incredible southern comfort food, even though some would classify it as a “dive.”

I had a roast beef “sandwich” with mashed potatoes and gravy. It was HUGE! I only ate about a third of it.

For some reason, the second day of driving always feels longer. But finally, we made it back to town, where we stopped for a quick dinner at Braums before heading home. It was so good to be back in our own beds after such a long day of travel! We had a marvelous time celebrating Christmas with our extended family!

Christmas in Ohio, Part 3

~Wednesday, December 25~

Christmas day had finally arrived for us! Most of us slept in, because we had planned to have our Christmas celebration later in the day when my Uncle and his family came over.

For breakfast, my Abuela made Mazamora! It’s a delicious, sweet breakfast porridge made with cornmeal.

That afternoon, we set the table all fancy in preparation for our Christmas “linner” (our lunch and dinner, served around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. J) I love Abuela’s Christmas dishes!

When my Uncle and his family arrived, we dug into the Puerto Rican feast! We had pasteles, mofongo, pork, arroz con gandules, avocado slices, bread with butter, fruit, a cheese ball with crackers, homemade punch, and coffee!

We had a smorgasbord for dessert! This is only a sampling, really. Abuela made casuela, brownies, Russian tea cakes, and served coconut candy that they bought on their recent trip to Puerto Rico. We also brought leftovers from our Christmas desserts.

Then it was time to open up the gifts! It always turns into a loud and happy chaos. J

I hope I never have to have Christmas without at least one little kid. J Their joy is unmatched!

After we opened our gifts, everyone sat around, examining/playing with/using new gifts, talking, and watching funny youtube videos on the iPad. It was such a fun day!

~Thursday, December 26~

Thursday morning, after breakfast, we all piled into the car and drove off to meet my Aunt and two cousins at the mall. We were going to the movie theater to see “Frozen!” I had heard so much about the movie, but wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of a Disney animated film. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The movie has a well-written plot, strong antagonist and protagonist characters, conflict, humor, romance, and excellent music! I would definitely recommend it!

After our movie, we went home for a couple of hours to relax, and then cleaned up and dressed up for dinner. One of Abuela and Abuelo’s Christmas gifts to all of us was dinner at a fancy restaurant!

This restaurant is decorated with WWII aircraft paraphernalia. There are pictures of pilots, models of bomber planes, and best of all, the restaurant overlooks the airport!

The kiddos’ end of the table. J

Rubia and I, with the airport in the background.

I had pork roast with vegetables and mashed potatoes for dinner. It was SO good!

Dessert was absolutely decadent! So decadent, I couldn’t finish it. I had the Godiva chocolate cheesecake. Talk about death by chocolate! J

Outside, in front of one of the large models and the airport in the background.

It was hard to believe our week in Ohio was almost over! We were having such a fun time with family!

To be continued . . .

Light of the World

Here comes the letdown Christmas is over

Here comes the meltdown, there goes the cheer

But before we have a breakdown, let us remember

The Light of the world is still here

Happy day after Christmas

And merry rest of the year

Even when Christmas is over

The Light of the world is still here

The Light of the world

Come January I’m ready for summer

The Super Bowl’s over and I’ll settle for spring

Sometimes we all need a change in the weather

But it won’t change the reason we sing

Happy day after Christmas

And merry rest of the year

Even when Christmas is over

The Light of the world is still here

The Light of the world

The Light of the world

The Light of the world

So take down the stockings, take back the sweaters

Take down the lights and the star and the tree

But don’t let this world take your joy after Christmas

Take joy to the world and just sing

Happy day after Christmas

And merry rest of the year

Even when Christmas is over

The Light of the world is still here

The Light of the world

--“Day After Christmas” by Matthew West

Recipe--Mock Pecan Pie

One recipe we tested out at Thanksgiving this year was a Mock Pecan Pie. Our pecan trees didn’t produce much this year, and so we haven’t had many nuts around. This recipe tastes almost exactly like the real deal! Skeptical or not, I encourage you to try it out. J I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Mock Pecan Pie

2 cups packed brown sugar

½ cup butter, melted

1 Tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup cooked mashed pinto beans

1 unbaked 10 inch pie shell

In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir in mashed beans. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350°R for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cooled with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. If desired, top with a few pecans before baking. Serves 8. Enjoy!

Christmas in Ohio, Part 2

~Monday, December 23~

Monday morning, everyone enjoyed sleeping in, relaxing, and settling-in. We just stayed at home all day.

That evening, we had a big meal and my Aunt, Uncle, and cousins came over! The menu included pork with peppers, mashed potatoes, fruit, chips and guacamole, sweet potato casserole, and salad.

The kids’ table. J

It was so good to be with family again and spend some time together!

~Tuesday, December 24~

Tuesday was a pretty low-key day as well. Some of the kids went with Daddy to the mall that day to do some shopping. We picked a crazy day, of course! J

Watching a movie.

We had our big Christmas Eve meal around 3 p.m. We ate some of the most amazing ham I’ve ever eaten, along with fruit, Asian salad, potato salad, and bread.

Then we got dressed up and headed to my grandparents’ church for their Christmas Eve candlelight service. It was a great time of worship and reflection.

One of our Christmas Eve traditions when we’re in Ohio, is to drive through this cul-de-sac that has an incredible light display. This was one of the 6 or so houses there. Amazing, isn’t it?

Then when we got home, Abuela made her homemade hot chocolate, and we had it with crackers, cheese, and cookies.

Then it was off to bed for all of us!

To be continued . . .

Christmas in Ohio, Part 1

~Saturday, December 21~

Saturday morning dawned bright and early at our house! It was time for our annual Christmas trip to see family. We crammed all our things in the minivan and headed northeast.

Due to some bad winter weather in St. Louis, we had to take a different route than we normally do. This time, we drove up through Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and then Ohio (we usually do Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.) We kids were kind of excited to see some new states!

Unfortunately, we ended up tracking a huge storm front. The ENTIRE day. L

Due to the torrential rain (which never let up), and tons of construction and flooding, it took us 13 hours to get to our hotel in Dickson, Tennessee. Somewhere in Arkansas, we actually drove within 10 miles of a tornado. We are so thankful that the Lord protected us, and that He gave Dad the strength to drive that long (it should have only taken us 8-10 hours.)

Needless to say, we were very relieved to finally arrive at our hotel. It was pretty late, so we went straight to bed!

~Sunday, December 22~

Sunday morning we all woke up pretty tired from our grueling day of travel before. After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we continued our drive.

We got to go through a lot of big cities on this trip! On our first day, we saw Little Rock, AR, and Memphis, TN.

We also got to drive through Nashville, TN! As you can see, the weather was MUCH better the second day. We also drove through Louisville, KY.

For lunch, we stopped in Florence, KY and had some Cincinnati style chili! Basically, it’s chili served over spaghetti noodles and topped with lots of onions and cheese. It was good!

Then we drove through Cincinnati, OH! A Bengals game was going on when we drove past the stadium. We also got to drive through Columbus, OH.

FINALLY, we made it to my Abuela and Abuelo’s house! It was so good to finally arrive, unpack, and settle in for the week.

Abuela had prepared one of our favorites for dinner: pastelillos! They were so delicious and comforting after such a difficult two days of traveling.

That evening we relaxed and caught up with my grandparents. It was so good to know we had the whole week ahead of us to spend with them!

To be continued . . .