Christmas in NM and wedding in CA

So, I had an awesome Christmas break. There was rushing around times (mostly in California for Jamie's wedding, and when I ran around the house saying "the Parkinson's are coming" New Years Eve), and plenty of taking it easy times. Melanie did an awesome job of posting about it so I will just refere you there.

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/christmas-eve.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/wordless-wednesday.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-which-my-friend-sisters-roommate-is.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/californina-hearst-castle.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/california-beach.html

However, I decided to put a few pictures that Melanie either missed, or I really liked so I duplicated.

Mom rewrapping some cinnamon roles because Angela didn't do it right :)

I got to shovel snow while at home. There wasn't much new snow Christmas morning, and it was light and powdery so I got to break in my new Christmas PJ's without a sweat! There is something very satisfying about snow shoveling. I think I get a kick out of because at home I didn't even need gloves, coat, or socks because even though it snows, its just not that cold there. Although Mom and I did have to push Aaron's car out of the snow, I still prefer NM winters to UT!!!!!!

Thorpe got his Christmas "monkey" and throughly enjoys it. This year it is a hedgehog that makes two differen types of squeeks. I always enjoy playing with Thorpe when I go home, and he doesn't seem to mind much (but Angela does).

I got lots of cool presents. Thanks mom and dad! It was hard to leave the next day for CA, especially as Melanie and I were just missing the Parkinsons coming in.

Pretty picture of me at the LA temple (doesn't happen much so I thought I'd point it out)(oh, and Melanie put the flower in my hair because she is cute like that!). Its a pretty temple, especially on the inside. even if the x-mas lights are kind of funny. Its a HUGE temple, and I'd like the chance to go on a session sometime (yes Jamie, you were right!)

Roommate picture. I sure have loved all these girls and miss them!

Mandy, Melanie (who has been my roommate, but not Jamie's), Jamie, Me, Melissa, Jen. Many other "cherry chubs" wanted to be there, and they were there in spirit. Congradulations Jamie! I am sure going to miss you but I'm so happy for you and the good life you are going to have!

I had fun at the reception that night. Jamie had a barbeque with awesome tri-trip and sour dough bread on the huge grill her uncles brought over. The beans were really good, with lots of cumin. With all that good food Fay decided to get a hot dog and sort of eat the bun. Oh well, she was happy! It was fun to hang out with Fay and she seemed to like hanging out with the girls!

When we were still in LA, Melanie and I decided we were going to head to the reception and not go to the Ghetti (too bad its not about speghetti!) we discussed dropping Fay off, and from the back of the car Fay piped, "I LOVE YOU!" I think she was worried we were just going to leave her somewhere. Cute girl.

On my birthday after church and a pizza lunch (thanks Jamie's dad!) which is my favorite, we had a short time to go to Montana de Oro. You go through this cool Euculiptus forest, and see some dunes, and an estuary and then take a cool walk on the bluffs over looking the ocean. We also had a few minutes before the sun went down to explore the tide pools. As the sun was mostly down, the colors weren't as bright and most of the anenenenenamies were closed up, but it was still cool. Poor Kimball wasn't feeling good for much of this trip, but he did stop whimpering when he saw the seaguls. He would move around to try to see them, so I had to move around to get better pictures. He started whimpering more when Mitch or Mandy got close because he wanted to be rescued from mean ol aunt Emily, too bad Kimball! ha ha ha It was really windy before the sun went down, but it was stopped for our way back. Good thing because otherwise the pot smoke from those teenagers would have been blowing our direction :)

The next morning Kimball was feeling better, and he ate all the cereal. Maybe thats because he was distracted by being outside, but it was too beautiful to waste by being inside. Again, thanks to Jamie's mom for letting us stay at her condo. I'm not sure Fay was feeling better (lots of cute pictures and I decided to put in the one where she is making a face!) We went to the Hurst castle which was fun. I'm including a few more pictures that Melanie didn't put on hers.

After that we went to lunch and I got fish and chips. YUM! Kimball was feeling better so I gave him some of my fish. He was ok with that, but he really liked his mom's avocado. He was a lot more smily and was more like the Kimball I saw last time I visited! After lunch we went to the beach before Melanie and I had to catch our plane. I SURE LOVE THE BEACH! I wish we could've spent more time there, and I felt bad because this one didn't have too many shells. Its ok though, its still fun just to walk in the water (freezing though it was). We saw sand pipers, and then these cool little birds that would follow the waves in and out. They looked liked miniature seagulls with long legs! Fay fed the seagulls in the parking lot all the spilled snacks from the back of our car. It was a quick trip, and I was only sortof onry from lack of sleep, etc.

Catching the place was funny. Thats the smallest airport I've ever been in! Ticket counter, security, and gate all within the same room. In fact the guy at the ticket counter went to help load the bags, and there was only one gate.

It was good to come back home and sleep in a real bed! I'm sure glad the family let me sleep in so much while at home, it sure helps me live up to my middle name :) I don't have pictures for the rest of the trip, but it was fun too!

Mom made pizza dough for mini pizzas the next day (Tuesday) in honor of my birthday and we had do it yourself triffal which was very tasty! I got lots of fun presents for my bday as well as for Christmas. THANKS EVERYBODY!! Almost forgot the sledding. Wish I had pictures, but needless to say it was a fun time and no one got hurt!

Although Rancho de Chimiyo was closed, we went to Tomasitas for lunch on New Years Eve and drove around Santa Fe for a bit. Tom picked up some other kinds of Root Beer for our test tasting contest that night. New Years Eve was fun. Root Beer, silly kids, fireworks! I like all things fire!

The next day we had lots of good food and fun, and just lazed around. I'm glad that the Parkinsons decided to stay an extra day so that could continue! We didn't do too much else for the weekend, Melanie left on Sunday and then I left on Monday. Thanks to my super roommates who came to get me from the airport even though the roads were horrible and it took them forever!