Christmas 2010

For the first time in five years of being on the road, we decided to fly back to California to be with our kids and grandkids for Christmas.  First off after arriving we took our grandson Zach to pick out a tree, after he and Grandpa  cut it down, it was loaded into the trunk of our rental car, to be decorated the next morning.

We all were very pleased at how pretty it was and how good a fresh cut tree smelled.

 

 

Then it was baking day with Jenny and her kids, Justin, Abby and Lindsey, also Zach helped (he is Megan’s son).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon it was time to attend the Christmas Eve Eve church service, one of the 13 services held at the church Jenny’s family attends.  The photo below was taken at the end of the service when everyone had their own light sticks to simulate candles and then the snow (bubbles) began to fall.  It was awesome!!  Our son Rich is standing beside Bob.

On Christmas Eve day it was time for more cooking,  Christmas morning breakfast and for Christmas Eve dinner with Ed’s family and us, about 20 folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas morning breakfast, egg casserole, jam and cream cheese braid and orange juice, our traditional Christmas breakfast.  This year I was able to show Jenny, Lindsey and Abby  how you create the cream cheese braid.

Before the showers started on Christmas Day afternoon, we were able to get our group family photo.

Grandpa is really getting into playing baseball on the Wii.  In fact, we have ordered a Wii ourselves for the coach.

After day after Christmas, Rich and I baked his favorite cookies, Spritz and Russian Tea Cakes.

 

Zach has just finished up a school project for Egypt, he and grandpa created the pyramid forms and he covered them with self drying clay, as you can tell he is very proud of the completed project.

 

 

This is Zach’s cat, named Clover, he is huge!!

Abby and Lindsey with their violas'.

Grandpa really enjoyed helping Lindsey and Abby put together a world puzzle.

For our last night in California, Meg prepared us some seafood salad, good job Meg!

What a wonderful time we had while in California!!  We are now back in Livingston, TX getting caught up on our relaxation.