Christmas 2018

It was wonderful to have some of the family gathered for Christmas. It is pretty much the same drill every year, but great nonetheless.

 Cousins met at Kreg and Dorothy's for a Christmas fête

 I guess Kris didn't get the memo about plaid

 I had two servings of Dorothy's delicious raspberry Charlotte

 Group Christmas dinner and party at Ostergars

 Dinner out at Straptank Brewery

 Maren and Holden going for it!

 Colver's Christmas picture

 Off to do some shopping with the the girlies

 Ready for Christmas Eve dinner

 Food, glorious food

 Never disappoints 

 Post dinner

 Christmas morning

 Dickie got a beautiful new Pendleton blanket

 Christmas brunch at the Ringers

 Millie gave us this puzzle and we were hooked for 

the rest of the holiday

 Finished

 Family dinners just about every night

 Followed by puzzles, of course

 Family dinner out at La Casita

 We just about filled the side room

 Even Keto eaters ate

 Starting Arthur early with underwear-like headgear

 Family visit to the MOA: wattle on steroids!

 Her close-up

And more puzzles

Everyone stayed through New Years, but because of heavy snow in NM, we missed the Hastings usual visit.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Early December in Arizona 2018

Early in December we drove to Arizona by way of Henderson, Nevada, to see Maren and Gavin's new home, visit Grandmother, and attend Daniel's graduation with his doctorate from Arizona State University.

 We tried a smaller fake tree that solved the problem of hating

to string lights on the tree

 Young Arthur is interactive now

 We enjoy dinner at Cheesecake Factory in Henderson

 Young's attractive new home in Peoria

 A spectacular sky after a storm (notice Gavin stringing lights)

 Dinner in Old Glendale at La Piazza Al Forno

 It's one of our favorites

 Christmas colors spotted in Mesa on a morning walk

 The fog on a morning walk completely changed the mood in Arizona

 Grandmother watering her bonsai Christmas tree

 The ASU hooding ceremony

 Dinner with Chip and Sandy at another AZ favorite: Bavarian Point

 You can actually hear the chef/owner pounding the schnitzel

in the kitchen

 A celebratory dinner at Firebirds Grill in Peoria

Daniel, Katy, Arthur, and Rick (Daniel's father)

 Evy LOVES her cousins

 Nana Jan, Evy, Grammy, Arthur, Pop Pop, Grandpa Rick, and
Grandma Bev at the college convocation

 Arizona State

 Lovely striped sunrise on a morning walk in Mesa

Back in Peoria for one night in the new house before heading home

It was a delightful trip with a chance to visit with family and celebrate Daniel and Katy's accomplishment.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Thanksgiving 2018

With the Provo kids all heading to their in-law families, we decided we would go to Santa Fe for Grandparents Day at Santa Fe Prep and Thanksgiving. With Michelle Obama reading to us from her memoire, the miles zoomed by. The festivities at the school and the Hastings' home were great! And Santa Fe is always fun.

 Anders and the Jazz Band performing for Grandparents at Prep

 We got to hear the band jam in their class

 Lunch with the boys and the daughters and parents of Rob's colleague

 Getting the rotkohl started

 Grammy and Pop Pop at the stove

 Rancho de Chimayo for Lu's birthday 

 Pretty fun and definitely delicious

 The old ranch house setting is great

 Happy diners, especially the momma

 Birthday celebration back at home

 19 fingers

 Light 'em up

 Still cooking on Thanksgiving morning

 This would soon become like Shakespeare's "groaning board"

 The preparation takes hours and it's all gone in minutes

 Getting close: the bird is done

 Rob escaped work long enough to carve the bird and eat dinner

 Rob home courtesy of a colleague who spelled him off

 Let the games begin

 Wonderful as always

 One of several outings on the La Tierra trails

 Lights on at the Santa Fe Plaza

 Rob and Clara

 Grammy and the Hastings

 Farolitos on the Plaza

 The Cathedral and La Fonda Hotel with farolitos

 The Loretto Chapel after dark

A spectacular NM sunset the night before we came home

Thanks to the Hastings for hosting. This was a wonderful visit, but this is all for now.

OXO

D.