It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I know you are thinking, "Christmas is over!"  Tell that to Mother Nature.  It snowed a lot last night, and it has been snowing again today.  Besides, the title is appropriate for blogging about Christmas, which I was going to do last time, but we had company.

Anyway, I woke up around 8:00 AM on Christmas and nudged Sean awake.  After I woke Mike up, we opened the presents under our tree.  Sean bought me an iTunes gift card, Up In The Air on blu-ray, a Nintendo Wii, an extra Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and two games: Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Mario Bros.  We set up the new system and washed the dishes (because who wants to leave dirty dishes in the sink on a holiday?) before going to my parents' house at 11:00 AM.

We ate a yummy brunch and then opened more presents.  My grandma gave me various knickknacks, my stepmom and dad bought me a Walmart gift card, and my sister bought me Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tooth Fairy on blu-ray (it was a two-disc set...).  We then played a quick board game before going to Sean's parents' house around 2:00 PM, where we opened even more presents (Sean's dad gave me Telestrations, and his parents bought me a nice watch and a bottle of wine).

After eating lunch, we exchanged white elephant gifts (I ended up with the present I bought, a rip off bikini, which I gave to Sean).  We then played Scene It? Star Trek, as well as Telestrations, which ended up being funnier than I expected.  Around 7:00 PM, we went home.  Sean played with his new camera, and I played the Wii.

Christmas didn't end there, though.  A few days later, I bought myself a Nintendo DS Lite, a DS Lite Zip Case, and four games: Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, and New Super Mario Bros.  Sean bought himself gifts, too.

It was, among many feelings, sad Mom wasn't here to celebrate with us, but all in all, it was a good Christmas.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

I am currently sitting in the small, yet comfortable condominium we (the Welfy Clan) rented in Oceanside, California, and I am rushing to finish this entry before dinner at 333 Pacific (side-note: I wasn't able to and am now finishing this a day later). We arrived on Sunday, after an uncomfortable one-night stay at the Residence Inn Las Vegas Convention Center, primarily due to the 108-degree heat, but the hotel itself wasn't as good as others I/we have stayed at. The weather here in Oceanside has been very pleasant, though.

We've spent most of our time in the condo, on the beach, and in the hot tub. It's a short walk to the ocean, and the water is comfortable once you get used to it (I didn't actually go swimming, though, because I don't like swimming in bodies of water I can't see the bottom of).

On Wednesday, we ate lunch at Ruby's Diner. It was here we found out Proposition 8 had been ruled unconstitutional. Sean and I began talking about getting married, but that conversation ended when we found out a temporary stay had been issued.



Paradise? Not quite, but it's pretty close. I prefer quieter white-sand beaches, warm crystal-clear water, and skimpier bathing suits.  (EDIT: Photobucket decided a picture of two attractive men in skimpy bathing suits violated their terms of use.  Lame.)

Well, Sean wants to watch an episode of Mad Men, plus it's late, and we're waking up early tomorrow to begin our long drive back home (ugh). Goodnight!

To see more pictures from our vacation, please visit my mother-in-law's blog, Welfyville.

Quick Update

Hello! It has been a long time since my last real post. I would like to promise to change that, but I am pretty sure I would not be able to. I do want to update more often, though, and as I have said before, knowing I actually have readers is encouraging...

A lot has happened since the last update; some of it has been good, and some of it has been bad. Since this is supposed to be a quick post, I am going to avoid details right now, for the most part, but if you are interested in reading more about something I mention, please let me know.

First, my mom passed away March 5, 2010. It has been difficult at times, and I am sure it will remain so for awhile. She was a wonderful person, and I miss her very much, but I know I will see her again someday. If you would like to read her obituary, please click here.

I decided I needed to go back to church after my mom's death. For the past month, Sean and I have been attending the South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society. We have enjoyed attending and listening to various speakers, such as Charles Lynn Frost (AKA Sister Dottie S. Dixon) and former Salt Lake City mayor, Rocky Anderson.

Finally, after a year of waiting, I have been matched with a Little Brother. His name is Kyle, and he is 10 years old. We had our first activity together yesterday, and I am really excited to get to know him and hopefully make a positive impact on his life.

Much more has happened, but these three events stand out the most in my mind. Again, if you would like to read more about anything I have posted, please let me know; I will try to provide more information. Until then, best wishes.