The Last Christmas Celebration of the Year

Sunday night we had our last Christmas celebration of the year. We got together with our good friends, the Van Grootheests for dinner and presents. It was so nice to be able to sit still and catch up as we have all been so busy lately. All four of us adults are teachers and we all teach at different levels and in different school districts. They gave John the new Tiger Woods Golf game for Wii so Mark and John were busy battling it out on the t.v. Lauren got new pajamas so the girls turned it into a pajama party in their bedroom. We gave the girls, Tess and Chloe, new graphic t-shirts and Twilight key chains. Jason got a new Nintendo DS game to play and I got a beautiful new serving platter from our favorite company, Southern Living at Home, to match some bowls I had purchased earlier. I gave Barb some cute holiday wine glasses, which we had to use right away before they got packed away for next year. One of the nice things about the evening was that Barb took a picture of us in front of their tree and it turned out great. Their dog, Luna, even got into the act posing at the table with a couple drinks in front of her. Don't worry, dog lovers, we did not let her actually drink anything. She is just a poser.

Christmas Day/John's Birthday

What a wonderful Christmas day! We celebrated quietly at home while the rain fell and the wind blew outside. John made our traditional Christmas morning breakfast and we enjoyed cup after cup of coffee from my new coffee maker. The kids played with their new Wii and DS games after we watched Lauren's movie from Santa, HouseBunny. Lunch was delicious, as was the cheesecake Lauren made for John's birthday, and we got Eldon and Diana off to the airport on time. Thanks to the Hickory Farms gifts, we had a fun snack style dinner and I am ready for bed. I will try to hold out until after the 7:00 hour. Our favorite Two and a Half Men is on at 7:30 so I will try to remain alert until it ends. Anyone have any toothpicks to hold my eyelids open? Anyway . . . Here are a couple pictures from the morning. Enjoy the rest of the day.

Christmas With Grandma and Grandpa G and Christmas Eve

We had an early Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Gottschalk over the weekend since they are leaving Christmas day for Italy. It was a fun weekend filled with secret stocking gifts, Christmas gifts, and excellent food. I think we all came home a bit heavier than we left. Jason and Lauren have been busy with their new Wii games, spending most of today in their pajamas in front of the television playing away. John is waiting for a break in the weather to try out his new bike gloves, and I am shopping feverishly with my new Land's End gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

We have a great group of friends here in California. The ironic thing is that almost nobody is actually from California, John being the exception to that rule. We all got together tonight to celebrate Christmas Eve. The Lynch family hosted (they are from Massachusetts), the Glass family was there (South Africa), the Osbornes arrived as we were leaving (North Carolina), the Thompsons and their father from Iowa, Peggy (New York), and many others. I have found that out here, people all band together as so many seem to be away from family and loved ones. On our way home, we drove around looking at the Christmas lights in the neighborhood. It made me homesick for Christmas Street, and the near by street that has the Bible story of the birth of Christ. I long for the snow, Dad trying to get us to drink eggnog mixed with 7-Up, and Grandma's house on Christmas day. I know that so many things have changed over the last few years. Grandma has a new place to live and I missed the last couple of years that she hosted Christmas at her house. I think that is what I will miss the most. Looking forward though, I can't wait to see what my children think of their new gifts. I look forward to our family traditions of mincemeat coffee cake for breakfast and John's birthday celebration in the afternoon. I can't wait to eat the Honeybaked ham sitting in the fridge calling my name.

This Christmas I wish you all plenty of great memories of the past, as well as traditions, old and new. I wish you all hope and peace for the future, and pure enjoyment of the present. Merry Christmas!

Baby It's Cold Out There

Oh Man! My children are confused. I thought since we visit Utah a couple times a year, including ski trips every winter, that they got the whole "cold weather clothing" thing down. I guess I was wrong. Lauren's ears were cold and she thought this was the best way to take care of that. Really our hearts do go out to all of you dealing with monstrous amounts of snow and bone-chilling temperatures. It does serve to remind us why we live here. By the way it is currently 61 degrees and sunny outside. We will probably need to find real shoes, not flip flops to wear today.

Jason's Winter Musicale and the Boat Parade

Sunday was Jason's annual Winter Musicale (piano recital). He has been practicing so hard and was ready for this. The way that program usually goes, the little kids start out and the program works up to the players with more experience, with the kids in the fourth grade narrate the whole thing. Jason nailed his solo, Tarantela. We are so proud of him and his accomplishments in music. We video taped his performance and are trying to find a way to post it here, but we are having technological difficulties. Check back in a few days.

Saturday was the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade. Each year we go as a family to join my book club friends and others to enjoy the boats all decked out with lights and music and decorations. Unfortunately, we had some winter weather that day and many boats chose not to join the parade. It was a very small group of boats. We did have a couple favorites, and if I had taken my camera, the pictures would have been here. Next year. . .

Go Elf Yourself

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Decorating Two Trees

I know that those of you that have seen our house are wondering where in the name of all that is holy we could possibly put 2 trees. Well, one is not ours. Wednesday we put up our tree and decked out the house with "A Christmas Story" playing in the background. I think we can all quote the movie line for line at this point, but I would never suggest we have seen it too many times. Friday, while out in "the Desert" we helped Grandma and Grandpa Gottschalk with their tree with classical Christmas music playing in the background. It is much larger than ours and they have 50 years worth of ornaments to decorate it with. I love listening to the stories behind the ornaments as they go on the tree. The kids have their favorites that they like to put up, also. Grandma did scare Lauren with the "Christmas Pickle" and story that goes along with it. I have included a couple pictures of Grandma and Grandpa's decorating as our kids were in pajamas the whole time we decorated our tree, and I decided that they were not photo worthy pajamas.