Christmas Festivties Abound

Christmas with family & friends that you truly enjoy being with is a joy that warms the heart in a way that we find hard to describe in words.

Children & adults who are just happy to be together is what Christmas means to us. Gifts are fun, scrumptious food is delightful, viewing splendid decorations is a plus--but seeing family & friends having fun together & enjoying the moment is spectacular!!


Christmas Eve was celebrated with Lisa & her family, and as always Frank & our family have always been included. We have daughters that have grown up together & a group picture around the Christmas tree is a must.

Soonita thinks this is a backpack that is the best!! Thanks Santa for making wishes come true:)

High Tea at the Heathman for Bookclub

Christmas holidays additionally provide us with a time to get together with old & dear friends that we miss and have not seen for a while. One of the things I (Dianne) have very much missed since being on the road was the best book club ever & the relationships we built throughout those years prior to leaving our home. Granted it was not just a "book club" in the strictest sense of the word--some read the book, some did not, but it was about us--read the book or not, we enjoyed our time together. The book club is no longer, but the friendships remain--so getting together during the holidays has been an event that has been retained. In years past Christmas was always a time we manged to get together & a special "High Tea" became one of our favorites. This event has given us a time to not only be together, but to reminisce, catch up on all that is new & renew our friendships. This year was no exception, & it was a true delight-thanks Myra for pulling it together this year. We once were all co-workers, most of us have moved in different directions since that time, but I am so thankful that each of these vibrant women were a part of my life & remain my friend! Merry Christmas-Mary, Marylou, Myra, Elaine, Judy, Lisa & Ethelyn!

Home for the Holidays

Frank & I decided this year we really wanted to spend not only Christmas at home--but Thanksgiving as well. So we stored our home at Wilderness Lake in CA and drove the Jeep back to Oregon, just a few days before Thanksgiving. It was an easy drive & proved uneventful. We so missed everyone last year, and we really wanted to be with our kids & friends this holiday season.

Since our plan was to stay through Christmas, we divided our time up with family & friends, that thankfully generously offered us lodging. So as not to overwhelm any one family with our stay:)
Our 1st week was spent at our youngest son Jaemes & Brandi's home, which gave us lots of time with our oldest grandchild--Cassady who is now 14. He is our delight & has been since his birth. We enjoyed Thanksgiving at their home with the family. These two provided us with a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner & time together as family.

They also decided to do Christmas Brunch for the family as well. And what a very special Christmas this was for us. Brandi's mom & dad joined us and this made for an even more special holiday. You guys are the best!

Our second week was spent with good friends, Gary & Joyce, who were our neighbors when we had our stick house. They were always the "best" of neighbors but more importantly they remain the "best" of friends. We love spending time with these two, they are such great hosts, & quite the ever wondering travelers--so not only do we enjoy spending time in their home with them, but we love hearing about their latest adventures!

Our last 3 weeks we stayed at our longtime friends, Lisa & Larry, who graciously included us in their family's holiday celebrations. Dianne & Lisa have been "best" of friends for 30 years. They raised children together, played together, laughed together, cried together, camped together, schemed together, worked together, traveled together, prayed together & enjoyed a friendship that afforded each of them with so many special times. It was so great to have the opportunity to stay at their home and celebrate this time of the year as family! We can never thank them enough.

A visit with the "Real" Santa

We traveled to downtown Portland via MAX mass transit to Portland's Macy department store, where we had heard the "real" Santa was available to visit children who still "believed". Our family has been coming to Meier & Franks (now Macy's) at Christmas time since our oldest two sons where young (that would be back in the late 60's & early 70's). We have enjoyed breakfasts together with Santa & talked about what we hope Santa will bring.

We had to wait for our chance to spend time to visit with Santa, so the monorail system of old is on display, & which Soontia & Priveen thought was terrific, but the train display enthralled them to no end.

Santa often seems so allusive, but our grandkids seem to think they know who the "real Santa" is....and we are very happy to oblige them in their quest:) They are happy to report this was Him.

We board the Polar Express

Christmas at home with the grandkids means time to enjoy the holidays from a child's perspective. And trains definitely are synonyms with Christmas festivities. So the Polar Express sounded like the perfect opportunity to experience a special time with grandchildren, Soonita & Priveen. Gina, our oldest daughter is their aunt, and the driver behind this event. She thought Grandma & grandkids should experience this special event & include her in the fun. And fun it was. There was hot chocolate & cookies, conductors punching letters in their tickets, the Polar Express story being read as we traveled to the "North Pole", and of course Santa & his elves boarded the train to ask each child what was their desired present. The evening was rounded out by a sing along. Too much fun!!!