The 12 Days of Christmas Company Part 2

I know you have been waiting anxiously for Part 2 of the ongoing Christmas Company saga…. Tristan arrived late Saturday night and the poor guy got the floor bed because the bedrooms were full. Cammy was already on the floor also. It was very fun to have a house filled with relatives since we live so far from all our family. Let me explain the connections for those who are our newer friends…. Marilyn is my double first cousin- our mothers were sisters and our dads were brothers and we grew up 4 miles apart. Of course, I actually grew up with Marilyn's younger sisters who were MUCH closer in age to me. Marilyn truly did change my diapers! Marilyn and Wayne got married in their 30's so their children and our children ended up close in age. We spent many vacations together- mostly camping and since we shared all the same relatives (except for those in laws) we were quite bonded! Now time and life has scattered us all over the USA. 2 of their children are in SC and 2 in WA. We have 1 in WI and 1 in KS and we are in CA. We love airplanes! So we had 5 states represented in our home that weekend.

Sunday lunch on the patio

Of course we invited Jacinda and Chad since she is from that wonderful WI also-even the same city as us!

Lane, Alesha and Annika joined us. She is a native Minnesotean (sp?)  and a friend of Sarah's.

So happy to be together!

We treasure every moment we get to spend together.

The Lepak/Sanderson clan before they headed to AZ to visit other family.

Brooke Satterfield flew in on Christmas Day. Brooke and Tristan are dating.  She lives in WI where we are from and he lives in KS so airplanes are also their friends! We were so glad to have them both here. The menu: grilled swordfish and steak, sweet potato hash, salad, dates stuffed with goat cheese/wrapped in bacon and cake pops ( Brooke's contribution) and mango cream pie. YUM! A very non traditional xmas dinner in a non traditional setting.

We have an addiction when we are with our kids called Settlers of Catan. We love to play it and we love to whine if we lose! We have now corrupted Brooke with our addiction. We don't bother to put the game away and just eat around it.

The San Diego Zoo was one of the things on T and B's list of must do while here.  A beautiful but slightly cool sunny day. The baby panda wasn't on display.

Wow! Polar bears are huge!

Who is that cute couple?

Baby giraffe.

Back in La Jolla to see the seals and the sunset.

Lots of pregnant ladies in the maternity ward!

Sea lavender- winter is when it really flourishes.

La Jolla sunset. 

The next day was a Torrey Pines hiking day. Good thing we never tire of the view since we take all our visitors here.

Picnic on the beach but no swimming! The water is probably 60 degrees.

Had to bring our other new favorite game. Always girls against guys!

And a stop at Dave's Beach in Carlsbad to fly the glider.

These two share not only a name but also a birthday. Preparing for their party.

Big Tristan and little Tristan

Brooke,Owen and Wade join the photo op.

The crocheted portion of their gifts.

Our birthday "boy". Where have those years gone?

Matching owls.

A sad day when the last of our family left us :( We stopped at Mission Beach to give them one last dose of sun and  sea before they headed back to the cold.

Fun to watch the surfers while standing on Crystal Pier.

The little houses are part of a motel. You can stay on the pier for some $$$$

New Year's Eve at the Walkers. Our hostess was Julie in the grey sweater.  She is my friend and good walking buddy :)

Celebrated with some other native midwesterners. 

Fun glasses!

Meredith and Marissa. It must be so fun to have a second you :)

You can tell Jimmy plays the tuba… 3 horns at once!  So that ends our holiday story.  It was a wonderful 12 days in which great memories were made. How come I feel so tired? A very good tired though…..