Christmas times 3

Well, we've just finished up with an extended Christmas celebration here at home. It started with a holiday from the office beginning on Thursday the 23rd and ended yesterday, Monday the 27th.

On Christmas eve, Lisa and Katie (Carolyn's sister and our niece) joined Carolyn, Wanda and me for an afternoon that started with a church service that found us in the overflow tent, followed by gift exchanges, talking and dinner served on Spode Christmas plates of prime beef, roasted potatoes, vegies, wine and dessert. I got a Seinfeld DVD from the first two seasons and Lisa and Katie got homemade knitted scarves from Carolyn. Lisa and Katie left in the evening while Wanda stayed over to share Christmas morning with us.

Christmas day was Southern California winter warm at around 70 and with no small children to start the process, we all slept in a little longer than our norm. But I had to have a shower and shave before starting with our stockings as I didn't want to scare Wanda with my "bed head". We found stockings stuffed with unique magazines, decadent chocolates, and small gifts like a new pocket knife for Carolyn. After fueling with coffee and homemade scones, we dug into the big stuff. I was gifted with several new shirts and slacks along with a new 70-210 telephoto for my old Olympus 1 and topsiders from Wanda for my future boat (the sailboat that my friend and I are talking about acquiring in the 25 to 27' range). Carolyn scored a pearl ring (she had found it on her shopping trip to the jewelry mart area of LA), several CDs, and a promise of a new drafting board and chair that are on their way from the mid-west for her art work. I enjoyed watching some of the Lakers-Heat game along with a little football as well. Then I drove Wanda home.

Sunday, we made it to church and this time were early enough to sit in the main sanctuary where we heard a good sermon on putting the past behind you - what benefit is there in worrying about the past? The admonition from Paul was to press on, to try to be more Christ-like. Good reminders for the upcoming new year! We then went home to ready our house for the return of Ashley and Bryce! We did manage a nap however.

John and Sally Hales stopped by in their Suburban on Sunday around 6 p.m. and the four of us headed up to John Wayne to pick up Ash and Bryce. They arrived timely at 7 and it was good to get/give hugs from/to them after nearly a year (for me, at least). After getting their bags, we drove directly to In N Out to satisfy Bryce's cravings, and he certainly seemed to enjoy it. Then back to our home where the elder Hales left us. Bryce managed to stay up to 9:30 or so before he collapsed in his own king-sized bed with a sigh of pleasure heard down the hall. Ashley managed to talk to us for another half hour before heading to bed herself. It is good to have them back for a little while.

Monday morning was Christmas No. 3 and we enjoyed gifting Ashley and Bryce. Their stockings were filled with socks, candy, magazines and gift certificates for In N Out, Chipotle and Starbucks so they can go out together or with friends. Then we gave them a couple of their gifts before the Hales family returned that afternoon. Bryce got a U2 Ipod (definitely a hit) and they finally got a DVD from their wedding. In the early afternoon, the Hales including Blake, Margaret (Bryce's grandmother), Lisa, and Wanda returned for more gifts exchanges and dinner. Ashley ended up with lots of new clothes, Bryce received the Ipod and some clothes, Carolyn had made scarves for everyone, the Hales had given Ash and Bryce the gift of the plane tickets home, and various other chocolates, bottles of wine, etc. were exchanged. Before and after, everyone huddled in our new kitchen eating appetizers and drinking champagne which was followed by dinner of pork loin, twice baked potatoes, green beans, cranberry molded salad and rolls along with a nice cab/merlot.

We finished up the evening with a Hales tradition of bingo played for white elephant type gifts that Sally and Carolyn had provided. We had a hilarious time as various participants had trouble reading the numbers off the balls or mis-hearing the numbers called. Meanwhile, I continued my poker luck by winning four or five or six times even after being handed cards by others who complained that their cards never won. For my success, I ended up with two rather tacky picture frames and a box of chocolates!

Everyone then left and Ashley and Bryce headed up to bed still trying to overcome the jet lag of their 18 hour journey home. Carolyn and I finished cleaning up and then hit the spa for a few minutes to sooth my aching back before heading off to bed ourselves. We had a great five day holiday break and look forward to more evenings and days with Ashley and Bryce in between their getting together with all their California friends and family!