Highlights from 12/21-12/28
Saturday night we walked down Eucalyptus Ave to see all the decorated houses and lights. It was a little chilly out.
Sunday our CT family arrived! One car headed straight to Uncle Hank's and the other car stopped at the airport to pick them up. We had fun singing a bday song we wrote for Hank. It was started on his 80th bday and we added to it. It was a long song based on the 12 days of Christmas but was instead the nine Decades of Uncle Hank. My mom happened to save it from his 80th and basically we rewrote most of it and we all cracked about the words. Hank seemed to enjoy it.
Video of Katie and Hank playing piano.
We took him out for a birthday dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. We were back in San Carlos by 8 and everyone headed to Janet & Stephen & Evan's for dessert. I stayed home with Josie so she could go to bed.
Monday, Christmas Eve, we all went to Stanford and walked around campus. It was a beautiful day. We headed to downtown Palo Alto and walked around and ate lunch at Paxti's Chicago deep dish pizza.
Palo Alto fountain. Young violin students were playing C'mas music as a fund raiser for an upcoming European trip. Josie sat for a long time watching and listening.
We made it home to change clothes and went to the 5pm Christmas service. It was special being together at Church on C'mas Eve. I'm pretty sure we haven't all done that together before. Josie is wearing a cute hand-me-down from our neighbor Adriana.
We had a delicious Christmas Eve dinner. We moved one of our couches into our dining area in the kitchen; we moved another couch back against the wall and then brought out our kitchen table, another table that goes with our kitchen table, and our round picnic table. All 12 of us sat at what seemed like one long table. We had Swedish meatballs and ham; delicious rice pudding; boiled potatoes; limpa bread and cardamon bread; I'm sure we had a veggie or salad but alas my memory is failing.
Imagine our good fortune when a knock at the door was answered by Josie only to see Santa right there along with two helpers. Josie had a pretty big smile on her face.
Christmas morning we woke up and the kids opened their stockings. Josie asked for two things and Santa was very generous and brought them both. A pink elephant and La La Loopsy.
We loaded up and headed to the Amtrak train station. Eric drove us in the car and Karen & Luke drove in the van and they continued on to SB. The rest of us enjoyed a leisurely train ride down the coast. What a beautiful day and relaxing ride.
The train was not very full so we took a tour of the sleeping cars. Saw their theatre and dining car as well as their very cool sleeping compartments. The deluxe family one was pretty tight but they make good use of all the space. We had a little longer stop in SLO so got some fresh air and soaked up the 80+ degree sun beams.
We met a nice young man on the train who brought his guitar and asked us if we wanted to sing Christmas carols. He even had song sheets. We had a great time singing. At one point one of the female conductors joined in. He hung out with us for quite awhile even after the singing. He got off in SB and his dad who picked him up was impressed with the following his son had.
The CT cousins gave up snow for sand and surf.
Josie loves Katie's tree house especially the cool pulley system.
Josie wanted to be buried. She still very much prefers the sand over the surf.
We enjoyed some yummy food out one night. Josie and gram read to pass the time waiting for food.
Josie eating with the big kids.
More books after dinner.
On the last day we hung out at the tide pools before Josie and I headed north and everyone else went on to Palm Desert.
Tree climbing adventure.
Thanks for a great trip!
We loaded up and headed to the Amtrak train station. Eric drove us in the car and Karen & Luke drove in the van and they continued on to SB. The rest of us enjoyed a leisurely train ride down the coast. What a beautiful day and relaxing ride.
The train was not very full so we took a tour of the sleeping cars. Saw their theatre and dining car as well as their very cool sleeping compartments. The deluxe family one was pretty tight but they make good use of all the space. We had a little longer stop in SLO so got some fresh air and soaked up the 80+ degree sun beams.
We met a nice young man on the train who brought his guitar and asked us if we wanted to sing Christmas carols. He even had song sheets. We had a great time singing. At one point one of the female conductors joined in. He hung out with us for quite awhile even after the singing. He got off in SB and his dad who picked him up was impressed with the following his son had.
The CT cousins gave up snow for sand and surf.
Two videos in the sand.
We enjoyed some yummy food out one night. Josie and gram read to pass the time waiting for food.
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