2015 Off To A Fast Start !

January and back to the routines that were common before the Christmas and New Year celebrations. It is always great to get a fresh start in a new year but sometimes the holidays pass too quickly.

This past weekend we had dear friends, Susan and Billy, visit for a couple of days. We did a couple of enjoyable things but mostly just visited and caught up on our families. One of the things that we did do was visit the Lucero Olive Oil Company Wow, loved the tour, the tasting, and the shopping! The other adventure was to visit the grand kids. Susan and I picked them up and had a picnic and play time at a great park in their city.

 

Chloe....

 

 

Chris on the run...

 

 

Claire twirling until she was dizzy.....

 

 

 

Chloe again...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dizziness has set in....

 



 

Put a tree in Chloe's path and she will climb it...



 

Chris climbing the net....

 

 

Lots of fun and exercise that day.

 

Our immediate family has lots of January birthdays and our extended family has several too. This year Papa Norm's sister, Dode, planned a January birthday extravaganza. It was yesterday and what a wonderful time we all had. The food was delicious, the weather was great, and Dode went to lots of work to make it special. The best part was having cousins from Chicago and San Diego there as well, so it was really a great reunion for first cousins as well as their offspring.

 

Three beauties, Becky, Suzie, and Lisa....

 

 

Becky and Gabe, all the way from Chicago..

 

 Cousin Tim and the twins...

 

 Uncle Superman and C&C, the party was on his actual birthday....

 

The bounce house...what a hit with the kiddos....

Trying to get a picture of all the little ones....what a hoot and nearly impossible!

 

 

The take home goodie bags helped in getting the little ones in one place and sitting down.



 

What great memories were made! Thanks to Dode and Rog for throwing such a wonderful party!

 

This week Christopher has a birthday on Tuesday and Chloe and Claire on Thursday. Can't believe they are turning 4 years old and 7 years old. The time is flying by!



Goodbye 2014 !!

On this the last day of 2014, we met the three C's and Mike for a quick lunch out. Chris had just come from pre-school and the girls had been doing research about possible fish purchases for the new aquarium that Uncle Superman gave them all for Christmas. After reading and studying about fish, Chloe and Claire had each drawn a picture of the fish they wanted to buy. The plan was to take it to the pet shop and find the ones that looked just like their drawings.

Enjoying their lunches......

Now on to the pet shop and the decision making.....

Making sure they got the correct ones into the bag.....

 

Enjoying the moment....

 

 

Goodbye and see you next year!

 

 

Happy New Year to All!

Christmas Festivities

Christmas festivities seemed to fill the month of December which is the way we all like it! The first grade class spent the final Thursday before school dismissed for break, on the Polar Express  All students wore their pajamas to school and their teacher dressed as the conductor. In addition to the Polar Express story activities, the students waited anxiously while other staff and students of the school located the run-away gingerbread men that had escaped from the first grade classroom before the first school bell. What excitement there was! Below the students gather around as some of the missing gingerbread men were returned to them.

 

Once all of the missing gingerbread cookies had been found the students decorated them and ate them...along with candy canes and hot chocolate!

 

 

On Saturday it was cookie baking and decorating day at Papa and Grandma's with Aunt Suzie! Below the three C's start their decorating with a few pre-baked cookies.

 

 

Taking a little break.....

 

 

 

 

Continuing with their art work.....

 

 

Now it is time to start the Santa faces, a long time tradition of Papa's family. Chris took his work very seriously and did a great job. 

 

 

Completed Santa faces done by a team of bakers and decorators. Good job three C's!!!

 

 

 

Cookie making over and we moved on to a somewhat festive dinner.....

 

 

 

Christmas Eve was spent at Aunt Jenny and Uncle Mark's. What a fun time putting this puzzle together!

 

 

 

The family favorite traditional oyster soup was served along with many other delicious items. Chloe loved the oysters and she and Papa shared quite a few! Down the hatch Miss Chloe!!!!

 

 

 

 

Chris helped out by playing the box drum during a couple of  Christmas carols, coached by cousin Brandon and Aunt Jenny.

 



 

 

 

All three played the bells for a carol or two while cousin Jesse played the drum. All in all it was a great evening of celebrating Jesus' birth!

 

 

The three C's made a gingerbread house with a kit sent to them by Aunt Jenny. 





 

Ahhh...finally Christmas morning has arrived! Lots of great gifts.....

 

 

 

Uncle Superman Jon got the three C's a fish aquarium. 

 

Another Christmas has passed but not without leaving us with lots of good times and memories. Hopefully the true message of the season stays with all of us for some time. We continue to be so thankful.....Hope you had a wonderful Merry Christmas as well.