THE PAUSE THAT REFRESHES!!

Chilean mission friends Laurie and Steve Sowby gave Victor and me a great gift!  Laurie phoned to ask if we would be interested in joining them at a rented beach house in Oceanside for a few days during the week since their daughter and family had left for a three-day stay at Disneyland.  Victor's eyes lit up!  I, who am not even necessarily a beach lover, leaped at the chance to give end to a very hectic week for both us:  Victor doing some end-of-year Bishop reports, me throwing together a workshop on Family History (in Spanish, mind you) for the sisters in our ward during the Stake Women's Conference. 

We had lovely very comfortable facilities,  78 degree weather, privacy, tranquility (as only the off-season can bring) and absolutely NOTHING that we had to do!  Though we went packed for all kinds of possibilities the allure of just sitting, reading, doing nothing, napping in the sun, and a tad of computer genealogy work was just too great.  It was a lovely healing balm to our souls and a great way to bid our friends farewell as (poor them) they leave the sunshine and head off into the cold snows of Washington D.C. to start yet ANOTHER mission!  They will replace our other mission friends the Ellsworths teaching Institute and being in charge of facilities for a little over a year.   They will be great at it.  We'll welcome them back next year.  Thanks, Steve and Laurie, for the memories!  (We liked the beach house so much we have decided to hold cousin camp there next February with OUR family).

That really IS just a nice sunsest, not a nuclear explosion!

Austins, Sowbys - a fond farewell

 

CHRISTMAS SIMPLIFIED

     When a two year old moves into your house a lot of things go UP!    That means 4 ft. trees on tables.  Which translates into SIMPLIFICATION!!    What a beautiful word.   And you know what?   No one really cared.  We had lights enough and decorations enough but we didn't go crazy.   And Christmas came and went and we did just fine.  (Only two ornaments broken and two grandkids who came to look at the trees and wag their fingers and say "no, no!" )   

     The biggest simplification was outside.  Charles preferred to decorate his own house & yard this year (smart choice) so we never did do the yard lights this time.  I have always wanted to try garland around the doorway so for the first time in several years I sprang for some new decorations and had one new tree and new doorway decor.  What stands out the most?  The fact that we have garland with lights and sparklies or the fact that Victor got his way and had the door painted red earlier this year???

Our one large tree still got placed up higher.  It is white with teal, turquoise and that new green (kinda limey) color that everyone was selling this year.   It was fun and went well with the new green walls.  Another year I will try the same combination on a green tree.

Becky reminded us that we started a new tradition last year.  Go to a Buffet for Christmas Eve Day Breakfast.  This year we chose the new Casino "M" - at the very southernmost part of the city.

Christmas Eve we were invited to Becky and Charles' for dinner - a lot of it made by Charles' mother Irma.  Great taquitos and tamales, along with Adele's refried beans and Becky's Spanish Rice.  (Yes, you are beginning to see a pattern with the expression Charles chose for most ALL of my Christmas pictures of him!)

But Christmas is still all about cute kids!

Ethan took a personal interest in the Christmas Tree Decorations

Aly thought Peter's "garbage find" perfectly fine!  (Our kids are great dumpster divers)

Audrey's gift was pretty popular; however it turned into a wish to go "big people's bowling" soon after.

Nathan and Colleen and girls celebrated at home in Twin Falls.  Their annual Christmas Eve nativity got to have more characters this year since Colleen's extended family spent it with them.

Merry Christmas to all!   And a hopeful, successful New Year!