Mele Kalikimaka - 2011

Merry Christmas to all of you in blogland who happen to read my blog. I so appreciate your interest in what I have to say. I hope you are having a great day with family and friends.

Here is one of the cards I made for this year. To see the others, visit my Elegant Reflections blog. The link is on my side bar.I used this picture to send with the Christmas cards. It was taken at Disneyland on Black Friday. We are standing in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle with our two youngest granddaughters, Katelyn Joy (almost 7 years old) and Emma Louise Yniguez (4 years old).

This is the Christmas letter that was also included:

"Joy to the world, a Savior has been born".

Christmas Greetings from our house to yours...another busy year is about over...here's a few highlights from our year.

• The big excitement was the birth of our first great grandchild...a precious girl. Chayse (pronounced Chase) Katherine was born on September 2nd in Fayetteville, NC. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz, 20 inches long...with lots of dark hair. This is Denise and Stephen's first grandchild...son Nathanael is her daddy...her mom is Megan Elizabeth. Megan posts lots of pictures on Facebook.



• Gerry and Jason went on the annual Bogus Basin trip in February to ski and snowboard. Erik plans this get together every year...2011 was the 10th year. Plans are already in the works for the February 2012 trip.



• In June I flew to Enterprise, Al for Rebekah-Elizabeth's high school graduation. Gerry and I were in Enterprise in 2009 for Nathanael's graduation. I spent 2 weeks there in hot, humid weather...typical weather for the south.



• In October Gerry did the bicycle ride around Clear Lake in Lake County again...he did that ride for the first time 10 years ago. We spent two days in Lakeport...the weather was gorgeous...our hotel was lakeside.



• November 1st we celebrated our 31st anniversary by going on an overnight trip to Lake Tahoe...beautiful daytime temperatures with cold nights...32 degrees the morning we left. We took a route back home that we had not been on before...Highway 89/88...up to Carson Pass at about 8000 ft...the highway closes during the winter time because of heavy snow...it was a beautiful drive.



• We spent Thanksgiving in So. California with our daughter, Joyce, and her family. On Wednesday, we drove to Irvine to meet up with Gerry's sister, Jeanne, and her family...Jeanne lives in San Marcos (San Diego County)...her son Kim and his wife Robin were visiting from Connecticut, daughter Karie flew out from Arizona and son Kevin lives in Vista (5 miles from San Marcos). We had a great time visiting and catching up.



• George (Joyce's husband) fixed the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner...what a feast.



• On Friday we were going to go to Knott's Berry Farm for lunch. Instead we went to Disneyland...George works there...he had some extra passes so we spent the day. George joined us when he got off work. Gerry and I hadn't been there since our 10th anniversary, 21 years ago. Being with the girls (Katie and Emma) made it so much fun! We came home on Saturday, tired and in my case, hurting. I surprised myself by being able to walk all over the park. Being able to sit and rest helped...I did pay for it on Saturday.



• The rest of the family is doing well. Stephen and Denise continue to minister in Enterprise...their business is doing well. Denise has taken up sewing and quilting...is enjoying finding new projects to make. Rebekah-Elizabeth enrolled in the local community college and has a job at a spa/salon. Nathanael is still stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC.



• Daughter Jenni was laid off from her job last year...she is going to a business school taking accounting classes. Daughter Elizabeth continues to homeschool Hannah and Emily. Ashley graduated this year. We see Jason occasionally...his step-son and girlfriend are expecting a baby early next year...so that will be great grandchild #2...a girl. Erik was here earlier this year for a couple of weeks...he put a new roof on the house where Elizabeth and their mother live. Jason and Gerry helped. Grandson Seth (Erik's youngest) is going to Boise State...maintaining a 4.0 GPA...pretty impressive. Erik's 2nd son, Joshua, was married this summer. He and Mary Ann live in Dumas, TX. Keith didn't come out this year; Gerry will see him in February. Joyce and her family are doing great. So is Wendi. Wendi's job takes her to Riverside every day...a long commute for her. Granddaughter Katie is in the 1st grade...she has been taking Mexican Folk Dance lessons and is absolutely amazing...Joyce told us Katie reads at a 3rd grade level...Katie will be 7 in January...sweet Emma is quite amazing too...she celebrated her 4th birthday early November.

May this Christmas season be a blessed time for you and your loved ones.

Mele Kalikimaka & Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Merry Christmas & Happy New Year),

Gerry & Betty Townsend