Christmas 2012: The Youngs Arrive

December 22 the Youngs arrived from Arizona via Las Vegas. The fun and games began almost immediately. The next day was filled with shopping and last-minute errands before we settled in to make final preparations for Christmas and its eve.

 Three boys in transit

 A lovely winter sunset to kick off the festivities

 The cousins in a most serious game of Life

 The beginning of endless rounds of Pit, Canasta, 

and every sort of fun

Beckham working on one of the many treats that

arrived at the door during this season

More will follow.

OXO

D.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

December has been filled with concerts and preparations that give a boost to the feeling of Christmas. We put up a tree the week after Thanksgiving. I really don't like stringing lights on the tree and, thankfully, this year Kris helped tons! Last week Max's choir had a concert at Centennial Middle School that was followed a few minutes later by Madeline's concert at Timpview High School. So we dashed from one school to the other just in time to catch it all. They were both great! Yesterday evening we celebrated Madeline's 17th birthday with her favorite grasshopper ice cream pie. Tonight was the choir concert at Wasatch School. Lizzie sang with the 3rd-Grade Choir and Oliver sang with the Concert Choir. It was a highlight of the season, as always. Mother Nature has kicked in with some spectacular light shows and snow storms that are stunning.

 This year's lodge pole pine

Done!

 Max's 7th-grade choir

 The broken arm didn't slow him down in this venue

 Timpview A'Cappella Choir

 Great music

 The light was such an unusual color yesterday

 Ready to party

 Ready to blow

 New jeans

 Meg and Maxwell

 Last night's and today's storm is beautiful

 Everything is frosted

 Lizzie Tea ready to sing

 Singing up a storm

 These kids are well trained and sing very well

Handsome young man

We are excited to see Maren, Gavin, and the boys at the end of the week. They will be a welcome addition to the holiday mood. That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Thanksgiving in Reno Part 5

Sunday morning early, we packed the car and headed home. The trip was great with beautiful scenery and good roads. We arrived just in time to unpack before heading to the Colver's house for Sunday dinner with the family.

Reno sunrise view from the Hastings

Sunrise on Mount Rose

The leg lamp

Daniel, Emily, and Madeline

Meg, Lizzie, Max, and Ollie

We are behind the Christmas-decorating curve and will need to get busy to catch up with our neighbors and kids. Even Uncle has his lights up!!! So I will go hang some lights and that will be all for now.

OXO

D.

Thanksgiving in Reno Part 4

Saturday morning, Maren and Gavin headed to Las Vegas en route to Peoria. The afternoon was filled with errands, including a stop at Trader Joe's for Christmas Joe Joes, etc. When the various groups returned, we hopped in two cars and went in search of Christmas trees. It was a hard slog with a few false starts, but the final purchases were beautiful, fresh, green, and perfectly-shaped. The evening was full of decorating trees and eating Anna's traditional decoration feast. It has taken on a style all its own in response to most of the Hastings, who don't like cheese. She has added panini to the mix with great effect.

Eggs for breakfast

The Young boys loved bouncing with the cousins

The entire group

See you soon -- notice the cousins "running

with them" in the background

The elves are ready for a tree

This is a fine fellow

One tree per car

Bright sun two minutes before sunset

Placing the tree

This girl is a whiz

Ready for the party

A wonderful spread

Santa Lucia 

San Roberto

A long-standing Hastings traditon

These folks are excellent hosts providing food and entertainment of every sort. What a great holiday we had with them. Thanks for everything.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Thanksgiving in Reno Part 3

Friday morning Anna made an enormous batch of delicious ebelskivers for breakfast. When everyone was ready we drove up the Mount Rose Highway to Lake Tahoe and Sand Harbor. We skipped rocks, hunted crayfish, walked the nature trails, and snacked a bit. We drove back up the mountain to Tahoe Meadows for some sledding. Back home, Rob won several rounds of Bananagrams. For supper, Rob and Anna introduced the adults to 168 Chinese Restaurant. We were the first ones there, but very quickly it filled up with Asians, which is always a good sign. They have all the typical sweet Hawaiian kinds of Chinese food, but Anna ordered some extraordinary things off the chef's menu, and the server recommended an item. All told, it was wonderful: new and different dishes and flavors!

 Ebelskivers are us

 Yummy little suckers

 Beautiful blue Tahoe

 Rock skippers

 Live crayfish in the water

 Dead crayfish in the fingers

 The troops at Sand Harbor

 Walking the causeway

 Tucker instructing Beckham on the finer points of nature

 Gavin, is that "blue steel?"

 Beckham and his mommy

 The weather was very pleasant and warm

 Those are Joe Joes Kris is holding

 Avid sledders

 Across the meadows to the sledding hill

 Anders catches some air

 Beckham had a good ride

 Rob is the Bananagrams master

 168 Chinese Restaurant

Anti-clockwise: Pepper Chicken, Fish with Wine Sauce, 

Pea Sprouts,Mushroom Beef, and Steamed Rice

This was yet another fun day. The Youngs are headed back to AZ today and that is the only thing I am sure of. We will, however, let you know what happens today. That's all for now.

OXO

D.