a Day in the Life of Us...: Baby's First Christmas

As that most wonderful time of the year finally approached, Cheryl and I were anxiously awaiting a fun road trip back up north for some quality time with the family. But first, a quick trip down south to visit some friends and introduce them all to our little Annabel. Once we got to LA, we headed to the dental school to see some staff and students. It was a lot of fun going back and seeing the dental school again, this time as a full-fledged dentist. It was especially important for Cheryl to see all her friends and coworkers and introduce them to Annabel since they spent nearly 6 months watching Cheryl's belly grow. As out parking meter eventually ran out, we said goodbye and headed into the city to visited some of our old stomping grounds.

Rodeo Drive - Annabel's first picture with Santa Claus.

Of the 4 Christmases we've spent in LA, we never saw a Santa Claus on Rodeo drive. Thinking the worst, we assumed it was either a private party, or that it would cost and arm and a leg for a photo. Nope, not only was it free, but Annabel didn't scream and we got a GREAT family photo! After a quick bite at a nearby restaurant, we headed out of LA towards Torrance. The next day, we met some friends at a restaurant and decided to have some dessert at Kenji and Liane's place. Before we realized it, it had gotten pretty late and Kenji and Liane were kind enough to offer us their spare bedroom for the night. Accepting the gracious offer, we hunkered down for the evening and hit the road bright and early the next day.

The Married couples: Jacque and JP and Kenji and Liane.

After a week of work leading up to Christmas, we packed up the car again and started the all too familiar drive up North for Christmas at the Wess household. The trick is to leave early so that while Annabel takes her morning nap, we are eating up the miles. Before we knew it, we had arrived and the vacation had begun.

A cute outfit that Tammy gave her for Christmas.

The forecast said cold and rainy, so we planned for the worst :)
Isn't she so Adorable.

Tom spend some quality time on these decorations and they looked great.

The Main Attraction - A Christmas Sailboat!
Just for fun, Tom and I drove to the opposite side of town and
were still able to see the mast. Amazing!

Our Christmas morning family picture.

Once we all woke up and gathered at the house for Christmas, Tom and Susie had a surprise for all the grandchildren. A motorized John Deere Tractor and Trailer to play with when they come over.

Tayden knew exactly how to use it!
Davis was just fine going along for the ride.

Look at my beautiful girls.

Reed got a new Radio Flyer Scooter for Christmas.
The only problem was how fast he drove it around the kitchen,
so we needed some grass to slow him down.