This was a busy year for the Sierra family. We moved twice, John started a new job, Savannah started a new preschool (twice)...I am already exhausted in the retelling of events.
...brie and salami break...and tea too (PG Tips).
I put the brie and salami on the new snazzy cheeseboard that we received as a gift this year from Paul and Margie. As the picture below shows, the bottom slides out to the side to reveal a recessed arsenal of cheese cutting/slicing weaponry. 
We live in the land of wondrous inventions, no? Let's talk about the holidays now.
For Thanksgiving, we did the traditional drive up to Placerville where Kirsten and Derek created a delicious and lovely day of Thanksgiving. Mom flew in from Tucson, and although Karen had to work, most all the immediate family came. Dad supplied the 22 lb turkey, and I made a couple pies. The rest was up to Kirsten and her recruits, and it certainly did not disappoint. One tradition I enjoy at Kirsten and Derek's house is taking turns reading Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation. His words are poetry and the sentiment he expresses seems timeless. I recommend that you read it 'round your table or living room next year.
...tea break...
We hosted our first Christmas last week. We've always lived in smaller-type dwellings in the East Bay, and now that we are renting a home out in the Delta, we can let the masses in. This year Kirsten, Derek and Carl came to enjoy the tree and all it represents this time of year. We ate ham and yams and jello with marshmallows. We drank sparkling cider, and devoured Kirsten's delicious homemade pumpkin and apple pies. We went on a frigid walk to the park, and also attended a local church's Christmas Eve overly rock & roll candlelight service. The best of times.
Savannah had a violin waiting for her under the tree. It's a 16th size, and seemed more appropriate to hang on a Christmas tree branch, than to play. I was surprised that she knew what shoulder to rest the violin on, and where to place the bow, as I didn't think she payed that much attention when mommy played.
For New Year's eve, we took Savannah up to the Sierra's for an afternoon of tubing. We took her last year as well, so we knew she'd be excited to return. We brought with us a big tube, and hiked up the hill many times with Savannah. Sometimes she hoofed it by herself, but otherwise we took turns carrying her on our back. Eventually she tired of accompanying us on the way down, and she informed us that she would now tube by herself. We found a suitable location part-way up the hill, and she solo-tubed fearlessly several times. We definitely have a thrill-seeker on our hands...
Later on new year's evening, we drove to Placerville (with nacho fixings) to bring in the new year with family. There were tons of kids there for Savi to busy herself with as the adults played 2 hours of "Catch Phrase". We laughed and laughed, and it was a good time for all. We stayed overnight across town (in a different part of the forest) with Kirsten, and the next morning Savi slept in while mom and dad dashed out the door for a full day of skiing at Sierra at Tahoe! It was my Disneyland, because neither John or I had been skiing since 1/12/05. Our gym membership definitely paid off, because we were able to ski most of the day and never crashed. It was a very fun date, just me and my guy. Who knows, perhaps in another 4 years we will go again. I did notice that my skiis were out of date. Most skiis are now are much shorter, and a big wider, and I'm sure a lot lighter. I'll need to remedy that in the coming seasons...
Recent Comments