Saturday, December 23, 2006

Taking It Easy...Saturday

We had such a fun time at our family dinner Friday afternoon.  My son, Jim was there for a short while as he had to be to work at 6pm for a 12 hour shift.  He works his 12 hour shift again tonight and then is off until Tuesday at 6pm. You can see in the picture, there is quite a scar left where his face got cut in the Thanksgiving Day car accident.  It's very hard and swollen...as there is still a lot of swelling in his broken nose in the same area.  I hope with time....that the scar disappears.  We sorely missed my youngest niece, Janna, who was supposed to be home Thursday night.  She's going to graduate school in Denver and well...she's stranded there by heavy snow that shut down the airport.  She called my brother while we were eating and said that she was leaving Denver this morning, riding with a couple friends, heading for Salt Lake (about a 6 hour drive normally) and will get a plane from there.  She hasn't been home for a long time, and is desperate to have a few days with her mom & dad & sisters.  I believe she has to be back to work in Denver, Dec 29th so will only have a few short days.  Janna is the only one of my 3 nieces that is still single.  The other two are married and each have two children.  Becky and Ritchie are parents to Christopher and Callie Rose and Jill and Lance have two little girls...Lindsey and Ella. 

We had another celebration last night too...December 22nd was the 34th wedding anniversary of my brother and sister-in-law.  They were married in her home town of Santa Barbara, Calif.  I wondered for years why I wasn't at their wedding and I finally figured it out a few years back. It was the dead of winter for one thing, and our son Jim was only 16 months old.  I guess my former husband and I figured it was just too much to make a 2,400 mile round trip in the winter months with a toddler.  I know my folks drove down, taking daughter Julie with them. She was 11 years old and was much easier to travel with.  She had the time of her life...she caught the "bride's bouquet" and got to go to Disneyland for the 1st time with grandma and grandpa.

I use the clubhouse here at the mobile park where I live for these family events.  It has a full kitchen, so I do the actually cooking right there.  I just have to remember to take everything with me. I use disposable plates, but my tableware, serving dishes, cooking pans, etc.  so after the mess was all cleaned up, the table ware, etc washed.. we brought all the left-overs, etc back to my house. Last night I was able to put all that away, already washed and dried.  My two grand angels and friend Bob helped load and unload the car.  Then since the evening was calm and clear...we headed for a local park to take the  two and a half mile drive thru "Fantasy Lights." There are 300 displays set up by area companies and schools to entertain the public. This has been an annual event from Thanksgiving thru December 31st since 1994.  The first year there were only 38 displays...so it's really grown.  I took a few short videos (my 3.2 mp camera did not take good pictures of this) and I'll include them in postings in the next few days. After hot fudge sundaes at Mc Donald's the kids were deposited at their house , I came home and collapsed.  I was a very tired old lady !!  But what a wonderful afternoon/evening we had.  I asked son Jim to come over either Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day to open his gifts and eat left overs.

I thought I was home free and would not have to make anymore trips to any store today or tomorrow...well, after taking stock in both bathrooms...I do have to go to the store. For a package of a necessary bathroom item.  Can you believe that?  Out on this busy weekend for toilet paper ?!?!  Unbelievable !!    Until next time......Linda

 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suppose with all the preparations for Christmas we forget about life's essentials! I'm glad Jim is well again and has got over his accident. Your little brother is the biggest little brother I've ever seen! Lol! I hope Janna makes it through the snow to Salt Lake City! Jeannette xx  http://journals.aol.co.uk/jlocorriere05/Welcometomytravels/

Anonymous said...

LOL at the toilet paper Linda, I suppose we do forget these things with all the Christmas extras we have to buy!  I`m glad your son is fit and well now and I`m sure the scar will fade in time.  I didn`t even notice it until you mentioned it. How nice for you seeing all your family together. Have a wonderful Christmas. :o)

Love Sandra xxxx

Anonymous said...

Me, too!  LOL!  I was really frustrated thinking, I could I have over looked TP!  And I was just at Target YESTERDAY!  Your niece Jill looks like Natalie Portman to me...weird!  Jae

Anonymous said...

Lol at the toilet paper. That is the one thing you HAVE to remember at Christmas. I think we have everything but we are bound to have forgotten some little item.  Glad your son looks so fit and well. That scar will fade eventually, all scars do usually.  How handy that you can use the facilities on site for your parties.  Have a wonderful Christmas

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

So you're on a roll then Linda

Anonymous said...

I remember one year I ran out of tooth paste lol. what fun you had with the family ,lovely pictures A  Happy and blessed Christmas to you Linda ,,love Jan xx

Anonymous said...

I am so glad you had a nice day!  You look so happy! xox Barbara

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you had such a nice time with your family.  Your little bother Steve is not little anymore, Ha!  Wow is he tall and his girls are really cute.  Your son looks pretty good for being in the wreck, can hardly tell but I'm sure he can, very nice looking guy.  Funny about the TP, but we all run out of neccesary items some times.  Joni

Anonymous said...

glad all of you had a wonderful time.  you have a very nice looking family.
gina