Christmas traditions: Y**** Family Party

Sammy was introduced to and participated in her very first 'Y' Family Christmas party. She met her second and third cousins and her great aunts and great uncles. She was a trooper because when we all get together it is total mayhem. This was also her first visit to Camp Runamuc which you read about here. This is a picture of Sammy with her second cousin's wife, Jamie. Jamie kept her entertained while the rest of us acted like idiots and opened our White Elephant gifts.

Many many hats

It's been awhile since you've seen a picture of Sammy in one of her many hats. Here is her Uncle Dave's hat from the other evening. She looks good in anything! This also brings out the blue in her eyes. And it brings out her tongue, too....

Christmas traditions: Plastic Santa

One more item absconded from my mom's stash of decorations. This one screams 1960's. I don't like it at all but both of my kids and Grumpa insist, no, DEMAND that this Santa makes an appearance every year. It used to plug in and light up, but the light bulb burned out in 1965 and can't be replaced. Thank God and Greyhound for small things. Last night we all gathered to decorate the tree and Auntie inquired as to the placement of the Plastic Santa. I told her that it wasn't 'out' this year. Oh, the uproar! Apparently, being 'out' is the new 'in'. I located it, grumbling all the way, and introduced Sammy to it. I didn't want her to even touch it. You can see how the white has yellowed with age. I'm sure that Sammy in years to come will consider it part and parcel of Christmas decorations at Mimi and Grumpa's house. A battle I will continue to lose.

Wet Willy

Here, Daddy, let me drool into your ear...

Like mother like daughter

See this toe curl? Mommy does this too. All the time. In her high heels.

Fairy Tales

Thank God Sofie went to France! She had her consult, met with her new doctor, and had her facial transplant. I'm so proud of her and the courage it took her to undergo this life altering procedure. She now can go out in public and not be ashamed any longer. And I love her new hair do!

Sofie has also met someone. Someone who understands the hurt and pain she went through. He was also at the same hospital. Another coincidence? I think not. Meet Gerard:

And they lived happily everafter. The end.

Peace on Earth

Goodwill towards man

Christmas traditions: Cutting the Tree

One more of our Christmas traditions that we introduced Sammy to was cutting down the family Christmas tree. When Daddy and Auntie Kenna were young, we would travel to northern California with our close friends "The B's" to their family ranch. We would spend a weekend with the "B" clan eating and playing and of course cutting the tree. After acquiring the necessary permits and clearances from neighboring ranches (**ahem**) off we went in search of the perfect tree. We made a day of it out in the forest. Here is a picture of Daddy and Auntie Kenna with their good pals, Jimmy and Mandy B. These four were a BIG HELP in the scouting and locating of said trees. We would point to a thicket of trees and say, "Go there, look there, it might be THERE!", or "Go Fetch!" while we parents would stay at the trucks talking it up. When they found something they liked, we would set off to give our approval or not.

Yesterday, after acquiring the necessary permits, TWICE, off we went to a national forest nearby. I have to mention permits in this post because apparently I've been purchasing permits for a forest that would pretty much cover the family ranch area BUT NOT IN THE AREA WE'VE BEEN CUTTING FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. Obviously, I've been confused.

Permits + tree cutting = always illegal.

So here is the current version of Christmas tree cutting:

And guess who we saw while we were in the forest? A pretty pink bear!

Red White and Blue

Can you imagine the expression on her face if the wrapper were off this candy cane and she tasted mint for the first time? As it was, the drool was non-stop during this photo shoot.

Christmas traditions: Elves

This is our Christmas elf. It has no name; it just shows up early December and makes his last appearance on Christmas Eve. My mother bought this set of elves. It could have been three elves or two or maybe a whole herd, I don't remember. This is the only remaining elf. I do remember her setting them out each year as part of her holiday decorations. It certainly doesn't resemble Peter Jackson's idea of blondish elves now, does it? Anyway, when I got older and had children of my own, in the true spirit of Christmas I stole this from my mom's stash of decorations. This elf would appear one day in December surprising all of us and we would find him in different rooms during the day. Daddy and Auntie Kenna's eyes would get big when they would find him in either of their rooms as we had explained that this is how Santa found out about being naughty or nice. Every evening the elf would appear in the dining room making sure that dinner plates were cleaned of every broccoli spear and chicken leg. This worked for many years; it was great. Today I introduced Sammy to the Christmas elf. She was enchanted by the elf and wanted to experience the texture and flavor I believe. Sorry, Legolas, this elf has my heart.