Christmas in So Cal with Mr. T and Mr. P 2011

Mr. P

Mr. T

Let me say something right up front, We had a GREAT Time but the saddest thing happened the day we got there and it is affecting this post.  Papa's wonderful DSL 7000 fell out of the car and was run over.  Don't ask, we don't know how and we'd rather not think about it, but it meant that my little point and shoot was the only camera and I am BAD at taking cute pictures.

Papa Rose in mourning

 Mr. P was taking us on a tour of the ornaments on a fabulous tree.  Their mother is a decorator extraordinaire.  She is very artistic and has a great eye for what is really beautiful and striking.  And she also is a woman after my own heart in that some ornaments have to have value and meaning.  She did a beautiful tree and P. is a great "tour guide".






Christmas morning these little guys seemed to proliferate along with various ships and other accouterments belonging to them.  The guys had a great time. Even the Christmas Eve PJ's went along with the theme.  It was very fun.











In fact there are so many of these little guys in the
abode that Mom found an antique printers tray to house them all.  When she got them all in the tray it was a fabulous wall decoration for the boys room.

 Of course the really big deal was the Lego Star Wars computer game.  These guys are just at the age (6&4) where they are getting into computer games.  Dad held it off as long as he could but he finally gave into the dark side this Christmas.  And they are loving it.









The weather was outstanding; Mid 70's, shirt sleeve days and jacket nights.
We had great food, Mom and Dad are both great cooks and we had a smoked lamb and lemon rice dish that was really tasty.  The Brussels sprouts by me weren't too bad, and plenty of the "bubbly" (non-alcoholic kind) to drink.  On Christmas Eve we had what I call "a back to Bethlehem Dinner"; flat bread, dried figs, other fruits and vegetables that we ate with our hands.  We pretended the milk came from a goat and the Martinelli's was from a goat skin. And cheeses that were delicious, goat, I think?

These guys have great parents and they see to it that they are Renaissance men at an early age.  They play sports, are read to from the best books every day (including the scriptures) and they are both learning a musical instrument.  Mom is really good about home work and keeping all the balls in the air.  We are always impressed when we visit these guys. Christmas night we were treated to a short concert on the violin. 

 It was a great trip (except for the lack of wonderful pictures that I have come to expect)
The camera is irreparable but a new one has been ordered.