What REALLY Happens When Santa Comes to Town…. — December 13, 2011

Santa and Mrs. Claus, 2011

David spent another year being Santa Claus at Walmart.  :)  He really enjoys getting to do this, and of course, I reap all the benefits of the hilariously traumatic bad Santa photos.  Poor children!  I just can’t help it if they look so funny. One of the first things I ask David when he gets home from his Santa shift is: “Did you get any good criers today?”  :)

This is really always one of my favorite holiday traditions – the funny Santa photos!  I don’t know what exactly gets the kids so worked up, but I do enjoy the laughs.  It’s ironic especially since lots of them actually know David – he entertains kids all the time at Walmart, making funny noises to them, teasing them, and stopping some of them from crying.  A few of them actually do realize who he is once they start talking to him, but the ones that are in the throes of trauma just have no idea!

Some of them are just….concerned….

I'm really NOT SO SURE about this.....

 

We're nervous about being here....

 

Now we're nervous AND mad!!

Some of them just try to put on a brave front:

My lion hat makes me very brave.

 

Is my family going to save me?

 

...They just keep smiling like everything's okay.....

 

I tried, but I'm just not as brave as she is!! Get me down!

 

Some develop a coping strategy:

If I flap my arms hard enough, maybe I'll be able to fly away....

 

Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look....

 

DON'T LOOK, DON'T LOOK, DON'T LOOK, DON'T LOOK!!!!!

 

Daaaaad! I said, DON'T LOOK!

 

Quit laughing! I might accidentally smile after all.

Some just try to scream their way through it:

I wore my favorite pink socks for THIS?!

(love the concerned/amused random shopper in the background)

 

We have to go...NOW!

 

hurry, hurry, let's go!

Dad! This is not funny! And, why is sister laughing so much?

Without a doubt, David’s personal favorite criers were the members of our own family.  This is our niece and nephew, Leia and Parker.  Keep in mind that they normally love David:

Santa's voice should not sound familiar! Why is it familiar?

 

Parker's growing longer and longer in his getaway attempt....

 

They did settle down for the family picture – everyone is happy after all:

David's parents, two sisters, and the kids

 

Merry Christmas!

 

The First Step… — December 7, 2011

David and I recently purchased a brick to be placed in front of the new Ornelas Student Center at ETBU.   We were there one evening several months ago and saw the fliers for the student center walkway brick program.  We decided it would be a fun way for us to donate to the school while also making a memory for ourselves.  It was quite some time later before our brick was placed — we stalked the walkway in front of the student center numerous times before we finally had a successful trip!

Here it is!

Yay! :) It was really a challenge to fit our message into the very few number of characters allowed!

We met at ETBU and when we were deciding where we wanted to get married, we decided pretty early on that the campus of ETBU was a very fitting place.  The campus already held lots of memories for us, so we knew it would be a great place to have wedding memories as well.  We were married in front of Marshall Hall, just in front of the “light on the hill.”

We’re also pretty excited about finally getting our names on something at ETBU!  This is just the first step, hehe.  One of these days we’ll be so rich and famous that we’ll have our names on all kinds of buildings!  :)