Holiday Visit

Today, 12/29/11, Bigfoot was visited by Ganon and Heidi's family, here in the Valley of the Sun for a few days seeking relief from the Utah cold. Rebecca went straight to examine the bonsai Christmas tree.

They brought the gifts sent to them from Megan's family to open. TJ got a book.

Sarah and Rebecca got lovable plush toys

David got a book

Ganon laughed as he unwrapped reflective tape to wear as he rides his bike on frosty mornings. (inside joke--he recently was hit by a car. Minor damage to bike and rider)

Heidi smiled at her Mary Kay good stuff. These Connellys say mahalo to the Hammaris

Papa got a little facetime (is that the right word Amanda?) with each of the four visiting grandkids. Here is his minute with sweet Sarah.

Big activity was the excursion to the VDO model train city

Aunty Becca (taking many, many photos with her little camera) and TJ watch the action

TJ was fascinated

David ran after the trains, soaking up the details of the huge layout

Big sister Rebecca helps little brother get a better look

Gramma and buddy David sit on her scooter

Then lunch at the VDO cafe

Princess Sarah in a pensive moment

This was a wonderful post Christmas visit on a warm AZ day

Christmas at VDO 2011

Valle Del Oro RV Resort is all about holidays and they go all out at Christmas time. There are lights strung on all of the trees, bushes and buildings. Our favorite decoration is this inflated RV with Santa and reindeer visible inside, and a license plate saying Joll E RV.

There are cheerful banners on the patio.

Here is Becca by the tree outside of the library.

We went to the little Post Office in the VDO office and got the package from Meg's family with presents for us. (The wrapped presents on the ground are really decorations)

This is the tree inside the front office.

There is a wonderful outdoor model train layout...

complete with water features and tunnels.

Here Gramma is decorating our tiny bonsai tree. We'd like a pine tree, but don't have room. The upside--it doesn't require many trimmings.

But Gramma isn't done decorating. She is stringing red garland with tiny white lights.

You see the outline of a Christmas tree? Say yes. Here Gramma puts a little blue star/ribbon on top.

And under this faux tree are our presents, waiting for the big day--two more sleeps.

Outside, Becca sports her Santa hat and Bigfoot sports matching hats on his mirrors.

We're not done yet. On our patio, we have a Christmas BBQ.

And here it is at night. Pretty cool!

This afternoon, JJ a nice Mesa friend, brought by some goodies from "her kitchen" Very Ono. She met us three years ago and became a fast friend, especially with Becca.

So we are rocking the Christmas Spirit. Sunday, after church, we will have Christmas dinner with 1000 of our closest VDO friends. Plus Ganon and Heidi's family will be here in Mesa for the holidays. We are having a blessed Christmas, and we wish the same for you.

Christmas Cookies

Last Saturday, 12/3, was the Ellsworth Ward Christmas party. Each family was asked to bring a plate of cookies to share. Becca selected a package of Toll House cookie dough at the store.

So Saturday morning there was a Muddah - Daughtah baking activity at our house.

The dough was pre-decorated, pre-cut Christmas cookies

Fresh out of the oven--ho ho ho

Becca was pumped. She helped with every phase of the baking. Here she is scooping the finished cookies onto the plate to take to the party.

Both muddah and daughtah enjoyed much Christmas cheer

At the party there were dozens of cookie plates. When the children started through the cookie line, Becca's cookies were the first to go!

De pamplemousse rose

This is a fun sidebar story to the visit of Aunt Catherine and Aunty Pat. They rented a "Park Model" here in the Valle Del Oro RV Resort. One of the features of this park is the citrus trees growing everywhere. Behind the little rental was a grapefruit tree. Here is one of the fruit that we harvested. Note the little color of pink near the leaves.

When Gramma opened the fruit (note her beautiful hands) we saw it was pink. We have had pink grapefruit before, but this was the first time we picked one.

The rig parked to our left is from Quebec. Jean Luke and Francoise are very friendly. They speak French as their first language. They taught me the French word for pink grapefruit is De pamplemousse rose. Fun, yeah?

A visit from my sisters

This is Patricia Vercelli, or Aunty Pat. Becca calls her Little Pat and feels very close to her.

This is Catherine Connelly, or Aunt Catherine. Becca calls her Missy when she thinks her bossy.

This holiday weekend has brought a rare event to us, a visit from my two sisters. Pat is ten years older than me and Cath is 4 years younger. Pat's Dad was Beryl Baker, Nana's first husband. So her maiden name was Baker. Cath and my Dad was John Connelly. Interestingly we never felt other than sisters and brother. Never "half sister" or "half brother". I think we have enjoyed a close relationship.

Over the years, life took us in different directions, and although we got together at various family functions, I don't remember a time when just the five of us spent four days together.

Pat and Cath decided to go on a road-trip. Cath drove down from Sacramento to Azusa to pick up Pat. Then they drove to Mesa. I helped line up a rental here in the park. These inside shots were taken in their "Park Model," as they are called.

We had Thanksgiving dinner together (see last post) on Thursday. On Friday we went to see the new Muppet movie. On Saturday we drove over to Phoenix to try a fast food place we had heard about called "Maui Dog" only to find they were closed for the weekend. We had a lot of time to visit and reminisce and laugh. Sunday morning they continued on their road-trip to Sedona where a friend of Pat's lives. We hugged goodbye in the driveway of their Park Model. It was a special weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Holidays are special events at Valle Del Oro. Decorations are everywhere.

This is a big stuffed turkey sitting on the stage in the ballroom

The ballroom is transformed into a dining room to feed Thanksgiving dinner to 1000 of our closest Mesa friends.

Making this Thanksgiving extra special for us is a visit from my two sisters. This is Aunt Catherine beside a Mrs Scarecrow decoration on the wall.

This event is BYOTS (bring your own table setting). This morning Aunt Catherine helped us put out our plates and stuff. There is a marvelous albeit a complicated plan to have a 1000 person potluck. One of things they do is let folks sign up for a specific table but not specific seats. So if you don't reserve your places by putting your plates, etc. early, your group might not get to sit together. We were early enough this year.

Becca helped us with our Thanksgiving theme paper goods.

So at 3PM social hour began with dinner starting at 4. Here is my sister Pat (Aunty Pat) and Aunt Catherine at our table #10. They drove here yesterday from California. They made good time across the desert but when they got to Mesa they got a little lost and didn't get here until it was dark. They were safe but exhausted. After resting over night in their little Park Model (single wide) rental, they were up to joining us for the turkey dinner.

VDO RV Resort provided the turkeys (they cooked more than 400), stuffing and gravy. Everything else is brought by the diners. Our assignment was to bring potatoes. Gramma and her new oven prepared "Funeral Potatoes" using Amanda's recipe--very yummy. Plus she made broccoli with lemon butter--also very yummy. Our table was heavy with all of the traditional Thanksgiving fare from pupus to dessert. Aunty Pat spoke for us all when she said "I should stop eating, but I can't! Everything is so good."

Definitely a day to be thankful for. Hope your was too.