My Christmas Trip

I visited all my family for Christmas, and the second part of my trip was spent at Nel's house.  When I first got there, Mia had just gotten out of school, and we headed over to the village to our favorite taco restaurant.  Now, the chips and salsa here are the best I've ever had.  They serve them warm every time, and they give different types of salsa to try, some sweet and some spicy.  This place is fun and lively with an eclectic and whimsical vibe, with giant elephant and alligator sculptures on the walls, and a big upside down Christmas tree in the center of the room.

Look what Mia made me at school today.  I will keep it forever.

We did a little shopping in the village, and these windows were decorated so festive for the season.

Nel's Christmas tree is so lovely this year, and she found pretty red and gold ribbon to wrap around it.

Like Jess, her ornaments are a little of the old and new, and so unique and pretty.

Mia got her bangs cut.  I like her new look.

One night we watched the movie My Secret Santa.  It was funny and entertaining.

Then, it is a tradition of ours to always watch Rick Steves' European Christmas together.  We love this show, as it explains all the traditions and foods of Christmas in the different countries, and we can just visualize ourselves right there sharing this special time with the Europeans.

I wrapped some presents for Mia from grandma and uncle b.

And while I just put a bow or two on mine, Nel puts a handmade bow on every present.  She loves doing this, and it brings her joy to create them.  They are just wonderful.

We baked sugar cookies one night, and one of the sprinkle containers just spilled out.  It was so much fun baking with Mia, using the star, tree, and gingerbread man cookie cutters.  The cookies were messy, and oh so Yummy.  The frosting was homemade too.

We went to a favorite French bakery in the morning, and sat and talked with coffee and a chocolate croissant.  In one corner of the shop, they had panettone for sale in festive containers.  Now, I spend about $7 for panettone at the store, and these tins come from Italy and range from $40-$85.

Nel had this mix of red berries and greenery on her table all week.

We played Candy Land, with Mia winning the game. 🍭

Mia made me cinnamon toast one morning.  I was so surprised and pleased, as my mom used to make that for us kids growing up.  Four generations enjoying this cinnamon toast.

We went to Mia's school performance, which was called "It's a jungle out there," and Mia's character was a monkey. 🐵  She did so well on stage.  She got flowers from the relatives, which was thoughtful.

Afterwards, we all went to the pizza place, and it was delicious.  Such a fun event.

Here's Mia coloring with me right before her ballet class.  I love her bright and cheerful pictures.

Mia went to see Santa the week before I got there, so I didn't get to see her joy with Santa, but I love this pic of her with her mom and dad and the reindeer.  Renecke makes me laugh, and I appreciate all that he and Brian do to help out when I come for a visit.

Back at home, and I had to go to the DMV.  They had everything they needed except a photo, so I had to drive up the mountain, and wouldn't you know it, there was FOG!  But it was only a small patch - most of it was down in the valley.  After finishing up at the DMV, I went to a few places in town, the grocery store, the nursery, the coffee shop.  I got myself a chocolate donut and coffee and drove over to the lake.  As I was appreciating the stillness of the December morning, I began to think about the baby Jesus who came into the world for us.......and His Mother Mary, who gave birth to God's Son.  As the three wise men approached, He laid there, a gift of love for the entire world.

And a Christmas gift.  There were two on my lawn, and four in the distance.

Merry Christmas, friends.