Christmas 2023

 I've heard from so many people this year that it just didn't feel like Christmas. I have no idea why.

Damien helped me pick out the 2023 ornament this year. They're magnets! So cute :D

I went to my squadron's holiday party this year and had a good time. Photo courtesy of Damien.

I ran out of time to finish my last oil painting in my class so I had to finish it at home. 

An early Christmas present to myself--insulators so my hands don't have to touch the cold can! My Raynaud's is terrible.

Christmas Eve--Ready to go for the morning!

Damien opening his first present

After all gifts were open, this is what Damien said was his favorite--a squishy ball lol

More presents to open

Damien opening his gift from Scott

Which was a new monitor. Here is both his old and new monitor for comparison.

Damien jumped on his computer as soon as I set it up.

Here is the breakdown of gifts:
- Great Grandma and Tom: money
- Grandma and Grandpa Hanks: money
- Great Grandma and Grandpa Whitehill: money
(Damien is excited about the money and says he wants to buy Robux and a new video game right away)
- Scott (and maybe others in his family?): 27" gaming monitor
- Sarah: 3 plain T-shirts without graphics in his favorite colors (red, black, and yellow), socks, yellow squishy ball, red stretchy stress man, candy to include a 1-lb chocolate bar, Five Nights at Freddy's board game, Dumb Ways To Die card game, an Alien dissection thing, a new cell phone case which has a hidden compartment to hold his new debit card (I opened him a Youth Spending account)

Playing Dumb Ways To Die after Christmas dinner

Damien has had a cough and low grade fever since Saturday, but is doing well and had a great Christmas. Thank you for everyone to sending money/gifts to make our holidays special. We love you all!

Fall 2023

 Apparently I haven't been keeping up with this blog at all. I've already missed a season and a half!

Damien is doing well in school and has a close group of friends. He's also learning a little bit about love and heartbreak along the way with his first girlfriend and first break-up. 

Back in October, UND had a Family Day to use their rock climbing wall. I've always wanted to try one and I only ever see them in very public areas. What I learned is that I don't have the upper body strength for such an activity lol. I could only get up off of the ground at the easiest point and I couldn't go very high. I have a new appreciation for it. Damien was excited for it when I bought the tickets, but when the day came he didn't want to go anymore. He ended up enjoying it, although it was a bit rough on the hands.

I'm proud of myself of making an attempt :)

A lot of those "pegs" are tinier than you would think. Also, the rocks start jutting outwards which makes it even harder.

To get back down, you push off of the wall and the cable slowly lowers you to the floor

Going even higher. He did well!

We had a low key Halloween this year. I decorated the apartment and we painted pumpkins, but that was it. I think it might have been cold and snowy around this time. I can't remember. 

Our pumpkins: Saitama from One Punch Man (anime series) and Jack Skeleton from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Speaking of painting, I signed up again for the fall oil painting class like I did last year. I really enjoyed it.

Even though I said I didn't like painting animals, I decided to try a bird this time and I think it turned out. I had a very difficult time with getting the feathers to look right. I was using a photo as the source.

I wanted to try a palette knife painting at least once. These next 4 pictures are the different layers of paint. I REALLY struggled with this one. This is the first layer here and I hated it at this point.

Finished the background in layer 2

Started the flowers in layer 3

Finished in layer 4. I didn't know if I even liked it or not when I finished. It's grown on me and now I like it.

Heading off to Thanksgiving dinner. Damien and I went up to base where my supervisor and his wife hosted a big event. Damien had a great time discussing anime and video games with one of my coworkers and I was exhausted lol