Family and Holidays--What a Wonderful Time!

Glendale Americana Christmas Tree

The new 2013 calendars have been hung. The Christmas tree is being recycled.  The ornaments, garlands and knick knacks have been placed in their bins for 11 months, and the stuff briefly stored that graced the house before has been returned to where it was.  Besides the excess weight that we’re trying to lose, all that remains of the Holidays are memories and pictures.  I want to briefly enjoy those memories and to share them---and some pictures---as I reminisce about the Holidays just passed.

Last year, we had the Adam Johnson family during the Holidays.  It was chaotic and exciting to have Emily, Adam, older sister Elizabeth, and the triplets in our home at this special time of year.  This year there was definitely not much chaos, but it was exciting to have our daughter Rebecca, and her son, Isaac unwrapping presents in our living room on Christmas morning.  They were accompanied on Christmas morning by our son Douglas and his son, Daniel.  There is nothing like seeing this holiday through the eyes of a seven year old and almost three year old!

It was fun to have Isaac help decorate the tree, even though most of his ornaments rightfully ended up on the front, bottom half.  We enjoyed listening to the familiar tunes of a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album as we trimmed the tree.  Ann and I had already placed the knick knacks and seasonal stuff in the living room and elsewhere, and we had saved the fun of the tree for our daughter and grandson.   Uncle Doug lifted Isaac up to allow him to place the star on top, much to the delight of everyone.  It was fun to look at the ornaments that we have accumulated (and continue to accumulate), obtained from places either we or loved ones have been, and lovingly place them on the boughs.  

I enjoyed taking Isaac to see the movie Rise of the Guardians.  We enjoyed taking him to our nearby park where he could climb and run and slide.  It was fun to drive up and down Christmas Tree Lane in Pasadena and see the lights.  We enjoyed drinking Ann’s homemade wassail, eating our traditional Christmas time food of German Pancake, and Reuben sandwiches served with homemade potato salad and baked beans, and munching on the delicious treats Ann made after finishing teaching for the semester.  Besides those calories we are attempting to burn off, we accommodated Rebecca’s yearnings by going to eat at In-N-Out a couple of times.

Claymation Christmas--A Davis Holiday Viewing Tradition!

There were plenty of smiles and laughter as Isaac popped packing bubbles, as we put together a puzzle, ran up the street from the park, took pictures, watched Claymation Christmas (a long-standing Davis tradition) and A Charlie Brown Christmas, and watched Daniel play with this cousin he has never seen before.  There was contentedness, tranquility, and hugs as Ann and I took a breather one evening from the activities to sit on the sofa and listen to the strains of soft Christmas music with only tree lights and candles illuminating the room.  So nice.  So memorable.

We said goodbye to Rebecca and Isaac on the 27^th as they returned to Washington State, but then welcomed travelers from the East the 29^th.  The long-awaited sibling reunion with my brother and sister and their loving spouses from Utah began when they arrived in the area that afternoon.

Ann, Tom and Darlene at the Americana, Before the Movie

Ann cooked up a storm for our guests.  Other than their occasional run to a fast food place for a drink or a bite while at the hotel, they were served all kinds of delicious food in our home.  The women wanted to get recipes from Ann for some of the delicious delights they ate.  It was wonderful afterwards just to sit around the table or put feet up in the living room and talk about our families, our memories, our lives.

The six of us attended Sunday services and asked a friend to take a picture of us dressed in our Sunday duds.  I particularly wanted to make sure that we had a photographic memory of this rare occasion of us being together.  As I remarked to them, it’s pretty amazing that 1) we’re all still alive, and 2) we’re all still married.  I will treasure this photo and make sure it is placed in a prominent place in our hallway of family pictures.

Yours truly, Ann, Janeen, Tom, Darlene, Bill--My Family I love!

Leading up to attending the Rose Parade on Tuesday, we decided on New Year’s Eve day to watch the movie version of the musical Les Miserables, and then went out to dinner (for the first time since their arrival).  Tom and Bill were unable to eat all of their HUGE but delicious chicken pot pies.  We then retired to their hotel where the six of us reminisced more about our upbringings before running out of steam and calling it a night.  I think we were all asleep by 10:30, knowing that we were needing to get started early to attend the Parade.

I sense that we all enjoyed the beauties and pageantry of the Rose Parade.  We didn’t need to spend the cold night outside; we just showed up and took our reserved bleacher seats in the morning.   

The floats were gorgeous.  The marching bands were wonderful.  The horses and costumes were at times breathtaking.  Just beautiful.  The parade experience was enhanced by the fun we had sitting with other Pasadena City College families, and being constantly led in sometimes ridiculous cheers for people in the Parade.  “Yay, pooper scoopers!”   "Happy New Year, Support Vehicle #5!"

Bill even won a door prize as we wore our red PCC ball caps, threw confetti, smiled a lot, and cheered the Davis High Marching Band from Utah, and marveled at all of the beautiful flower-laden floats.  I hope that the Parade experience was as memorable for my family as it was for me.  I am looking forward to attending next year's parade.  It's definitely a special occasion. 

Afterwards, we marched to Ann’s office where once again Ann provided a delicious lunch while waiting for the crowds dispersed.  After returning to our beds to recapture some lost sleep, we went out to dinner one last time in a folksy, comfort food restaurant in Burbank, and then said our fond farewells.

What a memorable holiday it was!  I tried to capture in pictures a fleeting moment or two of these singular experiences.   I tried to live in the moment, to soak it in.  It is the most wonderful time of the year, and to be able to spend it with those I love.