AND MORE!

THIS ARRIVED TODAY.

LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL PAIR OF PJ'S.

BOY, THIS IS GETTING MORE FUN BY THE DAY.

 AND I CAN'T FORGET THIS FESTIVE PAIR

THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE RIANDA GRANDKIDS

LAST WEEK. I WORE THEM ON CHRISTMAS,

SO THEY WERE IN THE WASH 

WHEN I DID THE LAST POST. 

 MY WISH HAS COME TRUE,
A DRAWER FULL OF NEW COMFY PJ'S!

"ASK

AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE"

YOU KNOW HOW IT IS,
ALL YEAR LONG YOU HINT
ABOUT THINGS YOU WANT,
AND THEN WHEN
CHRISTMAS ROLLS AROUND,
PEOPLE TELL YOU HOW HARD
YOU ARE TO BUY FOR.

WELL,  THIS YEAR WHEN I HEARD THAT,

I SAID I WANTED NEW PJ'S FROM  EVERYONE.

NOT FANCY PJ'S, COMFY ONES.  

MY CHRISTMAS WISH CAME TRUE,

TODAY I AM THE PROUD OWNER

OF FOUR NEW PAIR OF PAJAMAS.

IT'S NOT TOO HARD

TO MAKE ME HAPPY!

ANOTHER

WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

STARTING ON CHRISTMAS EVE
AT UNCLE DENNIS AND AUNT CAROL'S.

AND CONTINUING ON
THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY
IN SANTA CRUZ!

 IT WOULDN'T BE CHRISTMAS

WITHOUT SANTA STOPPING BY,

ALTHOUGH, I DON'T KNOW 

IF RAY WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.

NEW BABY NORA
DOESN'T SEEM TO BE BOTHERED.
SHE MAY FEEL DIFFERENT
NEXT YEAR.

AS USUAL
THIS FAMILY IS "BURSTING"
WITH JOY
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

NO MATTER HOW EXHAUSTING,
IT WAS,
ANOTHER WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

HOW MANY EXCITING THINGS

CAN HAPPEN IN THIS FAMILY

IN ONE YEAR?

ONE MARRIAGE,

TWO BABIES,

AND NOW 

EMILY AND ZAK'S ENGAGEMENT

ZAK WAS DUE TO ARRIVE ON SATURDAY,
BUT FLEW IN EARLY,
TO SURPRISE EMILY IN MONTEREY,
WITH A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL.
(SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING THERE TO
 CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY A  LITTLE EARLY.)

ROSE PETALS ON THE PATH, 

AND ZAK ON ONE KNEE,

OF COURSE SHE SAID YES!

 SOME OF HER CLOSE FRIENDS,
AND ROOMMATES WERE THERE
TO JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION,

AND TO TAKE, AT LAST COUNT,
SOMEWHERE AROUND 200 PHOTOS.

 THE CELEBRATING WENT ON
WITH DINNER ON THE WHARF,

 THEN EVERYONE HEADED FOR HOME
EXCEPT DARYL AND I.
WE HEADED FOR ONE
OF OUR FAVORITE SPOTS IN MONTEREY

FOR A CUP OF COFFEE, 

AND TO RELISH THE EXCITING NEWS.
CONGRAT'S EMILY AND ZAK!

HOW MANY SPORTS

CAN ONE GIRL PLAY?

I'VE LOST COUNT,

BUT RIGHT NOW,
OLIVIA IS PLAYING ON THE SCHOOL
LA CROSS TEAM.

LIKE IN ANY SPORT SHE PLAYS,
SHE'S VERY AGGRESSIVE ,
SOMETIMES ENDING UP WITH A FOUL.

 GOOD THING THERE'S NOT A NAUGHTY CORNER,

LIKE IN WATER POLO, HUH OLIVIA?

GO GET EM LIV!

WELCOME HOME ELISE!

DO YOU THINK THEY MISSED HER?

THIS PICTURE FROM WHEN SHE CAME IN
AT THE AIRPORT, TELLS IT ALL.
ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS BREAK ELISE!

A HOLIDAY MUST

IT JUST ISN'T THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

WITHOUT A TRIP TO 

SAN FRANCISCO!

OUR DAY STARTED OUT
WITH A DONUT AND COFFEE 

AS WE TOOK THE FERRY ACROSS THE BAY.

AFTER GOING THROUGH ALL THE SHOPS
AT THE FERRY BUILDING,
WE WANDERED DOWN MARKET ST.

PAST ALL THE VENDORS, 

 AND EVERYONE WAITING FOR THE CABLE CAR.

THE LINE WENT ON FOR BLOCKS.
WE WERE HAPPY THAT WE WERE
TRAVELING BY FOOT

TO THE NORDSTROM CENTER
WITH IT'S CIRCULAR ESCALATOR,

AND THEN TO UNION SQUARE.

EVERYONE WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE
OF THE BEAUTIFUL WEATHER,
AND ENJOYING THE ICE SKATING RINK.

 NEXT STOP WAS MACY'S

WITH THEIR WINDOWS
FULL OF PUPPIES, AND KITTYS,

AND DECORATIONS GALORE.

A STOP AT THE HYATT IS A MUST
TO ENJOY DECORATIONS

 AND MAYBE AN APPETIZER
AND A GLASS OF WINE.

AFTER THAT
WE CONTINUED OUR WALK
BACK TO THE FERRY BUILDING

FOR SOME DINNER,
OH, AND ANOTHER GLASS OF WINE.

TIME TO CATCH THE FERRY

BACK ACROSS THE BAY

AND SAY GOOD BYE
TO SAN FRANCISCO.

WE CAME HOME
 WITH A BAG OF TREASURES,
AND MEMORIES
THAT WILL LAST TIL
THE NEXT HOLIDAY SEASON.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

FROM THE PAST

I DON'T KNOW WHY MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER
SAVED HER CHRISTMAS CARDS,
OR HOW I ENDED UP WITH THE ALBUM OF THEM,
BUT I'M THANKFUL THAT I DID.

THIS YEAR I DECIDED THEY WOULD
MAKE A FUN DISPLAY
IN MY COFFEE TABLE DRAWER.

THIS ONE IS FROM GERMANY,
OR "THE OLD COUNTRY"
AS THEY REFERRED TO IT.

DOES ANYONE READ GERMAN?


 NOT ONLY WERE THE CARDS SENT TO THE FAMILY,
MANY WERE SENT TO MY GRANDMOTHER, BERTHA,
PICTURED HERE,

AND HER BROTHERS AND SISTER.

THEY WERE ALL IN THE FORM OF POST CARDS.
I GUESS FROM THE LOOKS OF THE ONE CENT STAMP,
IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE ERA
OF "THE PENNY POST CARD".

 THE COLLECTION SEEMS TO SPAN
THE YEARS FROM 1909 THROUGH 1912.

THE COLLECTION ALSO HAD EASTER ,
AND NEW YEAR'S CARDS IN IT.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SENT
 A HAPPY NEW YEAR'S  CARD?

FROM THE LOOKS OF THE CARDS
 WE'VE RECEIVED THIS YEAR'
(Upper right hand box)
THE CHRISTMAS CARD
IS ALMOST A THING OF THE PAST.

BETTER GET MINE  IN THE MAIL SOON!