Christmas Eve in Rancho Santa Fe-Part 2

Christmas Eve was in James and Camber's new home in Rancho Santa Fe. The Carlstons (Camber's parents) were there to spend the weekend as well as me. We had plenty of room. This is Camber's brother Chase with Jacob. Chase will be leaving soon for the MTC and then off to Switzerland for his mission.

 

Mary, Camber's mother, has just launched into a new career and is excited about that. She is beautiful, too.

James is sitting in his new comfy chair he bought from Costco that day. Going to Costco with James on a holiday is a whirlwind experience. Fast, fun and expensive! Kelsey, Camber's sister, is a volleyball coach at Utah Tech in Orem, Utah. Also beautiful.

" Santa" poses with Lea.

 

Camber is also beautiful in her new vest for Christmas which is hiding baby number four coming in 2006.

 

After a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner of ham and sweet potatoes and all the trimmings we have the traditional Christmas Eve Nativity story with Jacob and Lea as Joseph and Mary and Chase was the donkey this year. For years when my children were young, Richard was always the donkey and Maria and Linda took turns being Mary. The Hardy family also read the last of the Book of Mormon, completing it as the Prophet had asked everyone to do by Christmas. It was a lovely Christmas Eve.

Christmas, Rancho Santa Fe, Part 3, 2005

Christmas morning and Santa has arrived--new bicycles for Jimmy and Jacob but Lea is happy with her pink bicycle and has something else to bring a smile.

  New pajamas at Christmas are always fun.

  Hey, I can ride my bicycle in my new house.

  Sarah and Lea pose for Grandma the day after Christmas.

  Jacob loves the new bike.  

Come for fajitas the day after Christmas.  Kristi, Amy, Tanner, Kelly and Camber

  The newlyweds, Mike and Kristi.

 

Finish the dessert and then it is off to the Visitors Center to see the Joseph Smith 200 year Commemoration Movie. It is good to be with family. I had a wonderful Christmas holiday and now it is back to Beaumont, Texas... but for how long??? Don't know.

Moody Gardens 

Last Weekend in Galveston

This will be the last weekend in Galveston for me. Wednesday I am flying to San Diego, Ca to spend a few days with Linda's family and then over to Jimmy's for Christmas. To celebrate our last weekend Gwenda, my SBA co-worker, and Peggy, our FEMA friend started off to see one of the historic homes in Galveston. Prior to the 1900 hurricane Galveston was the busiest port and many wealthy people resided there. The Greshams built this huge home in 1886 at a cost of

 

$250,000. It has been designated one of the 100 outstanding buildings in America. The interior was carved by German immigrants. The woodwork is rosewood, satinwood, white mahogany, oak, maple and pine. Some of it is that priceless burl unattainable now. The outside was built by Italian immigrants. In 1920 it was sold to the Sacred Heart Church and the Bishop lived there until the Church headquarters were moved to Houston and it was turned into a tourist attraction--and it is something to see. 

We also went to the Gingerbread House to do some fun shopping for Santa Claus rings, Listerine decanters, gorgeous jewelry, unusual umbrellas and many gorgeous things to look at. Then it was time to go to Moody Gardens and see the fish in the aquarium, the birds in the rainforest, a fun Winter musical, and to view the beautiful lights all along the bay and on the grounds. Of course, we had to eat kettle corn, chocolates and such. It was a fun day.

We decided we would have to come back to Galveston from Beaumont where we will be working after Christmas until that DRC closes also--we have just not been able to see it all. Peggy is going home to Louisiana though and who knows when we will see her again. She is a sweetheart.

Year 2005 in Review

As I sit here and view the sunrise in Galveston, Texas I am thinking of my life in 2005. 2004ended with a major snowfall in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah. All of my living children and grandchildren had gathered for the traditional ski and snowboard Christmas. In total there were about 100 of us gathered there this year as my husband Richard's brother and his family also make their Christmas at Park City. This began in 1976 when Richard had the wonderful idea of a simple, close knit way to spend Christmas. It has been good and rich and we miss Richard and my son John as we open our presents and play our games and remember the past. We are in to the grandchildren skiing now and soon it will be great-grandchildren with all these handsome grandsons and beautiful granddaughters soon to get married. After processing loans in Sacramento for 7 months I came home in April to Lake Almanor and beautiful new wood floors in my home and Bandido waiting for me. Meagan, John's daughter, dressed here as a Thailand princess, had invited me to Hong Kong and Singapore and in May it was a memorable trip. Unfortunately all my pictures are in another place but we have extensive beautiful pictures of Meagan and Matt and I seeing the sights and eating the marvelous foods. Meagan was a terrific host and guide and I will treasure that trip forever. My daughter Linda came up and spent time alone with me in early June--not often a Mom and her daughter who has six children can do that. It was memorable as well. In July, Meagan came to visit for the 4th and then Meagan, Linda and her two children Tanner and Sarah, and Maria's son Mitch all went to my Dad's cabin in Silvergate, Montana, to Yellowstone, and to Jackson Hole, Wy. Unfortunately pictures of all these things are in another place but we had a wonderful time and I am so lucky my grandchildren will travel with me. During the summer new carpet was laid in the bedrooms and significant leveling for a flagstone patio in front of the back deck and then Hurricane Katrina hit and I was off to Sacramento and then Houston and then Baton Rouge where we had an office across the street from Hurricane Katrina victims housed in a huge stadium--and we slept in a gym miles away and then off to ... Port Arthur, Texas where we ran from Hurricane Rita and drove to Tyler in north Texas and then stayed in Fort Worth until we could come back to Houston and then off I went to Spurger, Texas where I braved the heat and humidity and cold and rain to take applications from the victims of Hurricane Rita. On October 29th I was able to be in San Diego, Ca for the wedding of my granddaughter Kristi Pulsipher and her fiance Mike Stewart. The reception in El Cajon was outstanding with lush settings, wonderful food, and fun dancing. Then it was on to Beaumont, Texas where we were meeting with victims from both Hurricane Katrina and Rita. After being the only SBA rep in Spurger it was fun to have other SBA personnel to eat with, talk to, laundry and work with. From there it was on to beautiful Galveston, Texas and a walk on the beach. The year will end with Christmas in Carlsbad with the Jimmy Hardy family and who knows where the New Year will take me. I've already chosen a goal for the year. "Being an Up person in a Down World!" Can I do it?--not sure, will need lots of help. Onward and upwards as they say. 2004 with the death of my son John, and Hurricane Charley, Francis, Jeanne and Ivan was a very tough year and 2005 had its ups and downs so what now...

Dickens on the Strand

Above is Gwenda Barker, my SBA partner at the Disaster Center in Galveston. She is getting into the spirit of Dickens on the Strand when Galveston 's historic Strand area transforms into the Victorian London of legendary author Charles Dicken's era. What started in 1974 as a potluck supper to attract interest in saving the crumbling Victorian commercial buildings from demolition has become a worldwide attraction and is considered one of the 100 best events in the US. The parade is huge with more than one bagpipe group and several bands of sorts in uniforms. Unfortunately I forgot to charge my batteries so can't elaborate more. You can tell the Galvestonians from the tourists because they are in elegant Victorian dress--quite spectacular. Something to come for in your travels, it is the first week in December and hosts over 100 entertainers on six stages and on corners throughout the area. The crafts and arts for sell are also really first class. Quite a show. And what a tribute to Dickens though he had nothing to do with Galveston. His great-great grandson Mark Charles Dickens even comes to do signings of his ancestor's works.

Victorian Christmas Home Tour

The tour started out at the Sacred Heart Church, one of the treasures of the Galveston Island. It was built after damage during the 1900 storm. Everything here is related to before or after the 1900 Hurricane. This church was modeled after the Alhambra in Spain and is the only Roman Catholic Church in the United States with Islamic architecture. We listened to the Moody Methodist Handbell Choir.

  The homes that we saw were mostly built as tenant homes or bride and groom starter homes between 1892 and 1900. They have all had several owners and been lovingly restored and refurbished with modern kitchens. The woodwork has been refinished and in most of the homes is the original. Very beautiful.

Most of the homes are being used by their owners as vacation homes. The tvs are well hidden in armoirs. One of the owners actually lives full time in her home and it was spectacular. I especially like the full mirrors at each end of the bathtub so you could look forever at yourself in the tub! 

It was a fun evening of walking through the town, riding in a horse carriage and viewing homes of another era. The homes have long windows on the porch that could be opened to use as doors! They also have porches on the front or back to take advantage of the breeze from the gulf. One of the locals who had lived in San Diego told me the difference in the gulf water here is that it is very dirty from all the fishing that goes on. She also said there are not good beaches or sand like California and it costs to park and go to a beach where you can swim. She likes the California Pacific beaches much more and the Pacific Ocean which is so clean!