Beautiful Days: 2016 in Seven Minutes, Forty-Seven Seconds

With one photo borrowed from the first hour of 2017.
Click here for last year's Six Minutes, Thirty-Seven seconds edition.

Longhorn Tower

After checking out aFrida Kahlo painting, a Gutenberg Bible, the first-ever photograph, and the Elliot Erwin photography exhibit at the Harry Ransom Center on the campus of the University of Texas, we set off on a self-guided campus jaunt. Not long in, Nina has to turn back due to a shoe malfunction and Mari accompanies her. I take a photo of the survivors in front of the Clock Tower.

Destination: San Antonio

First stop: the Alamo.
In the Long Barracks--formerly the Mission Convent, constructed in 1723.
A walk down Houston street.
Delicious beans at The Original on the River Walk. And Dad springs for a Mariachi serenade: "Dos Arbolitos."

The San Fernando Cathedral.

Back on the River Walk.
Belgian ice cream.

At LBJ's Boyhood Home

Granddaddy and Norah joined us for a two-night vacation trip to San Antonio. We took the Burleson, Cleburne, Meridian, Cranfills Gap, Hamilton, Lampassas route to Johnson City and our first destination: the boyhood home of Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Pablo and Lisa: Remembering the Alamo

2016: The Tree at Aunt C's

2016 Tree

Starting with the big ones: to Nina and Pablo from Grandmother and Granddaddy . . .

Bean bags!

A recommended reading list for Norah from Emilio, Pablo, and Norah.
First the art, then the t-shirts.
Pablo was very pleased with the singing machine Brian and Lyndsae gave him.

He was also very happy with the Pokemon cards Grandmother and Granddaddy got him.

Charades.

2016 Holiday Selfie

Santa 2016

Santa brought the kids Eurail maps and backpacks that they can use on our trip next summer. He also brought board games--Paris Connection and KLOO's Learn to Speak French; card games--Exploding Cats, This Game Has Not Been Playtested, and The Grizzled; a coloring Europe book--Vive la France; books--The Big Book of Bart Simpson, The Lost Boy, Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom, Explorer: The Mystery Boxes, The Lost Islands, The Hidden Doors; and, for Pablo, a K2-SO Lego kit; for Nina, CD's: Adele: 21, Shania Twain's Greatest Hits, the Sing soundtrack and the best of Loretta Lynn; and, for Emilio, a football card set.
Santa also brought Nina a stuffed owl.
And he brought Pablo a Magic Eight Ball.
Nina was excited about the Nutella and pretzel sticks in her stocking, and Emi dived right in to this football cards. Nina is taking Orange Whip classes.
Nina enjoyed her new graphic novel: Frazzled.
This year, Grandmother and Granddaddy opted for a Christmas tree of presents.