The Rest of Christmas in San Francisco

Christmas Day continued when Klarissa and Newland woke up from their naps. We had a little Santa visitor.

Ben read about the birth of Christ from the Bible.

We opened presents.

Next day was wear-your-BYU-clothes day. Breakfast before the rally.

BYU pep rally in Union Square where I got mugged.

I guess I technically didn't get mugged because I wasn't beaten or robbed. It was more like a purse-snatching. But, then again, my purse didn't actually get snatched. It was more like an attempted cell phone snatching. But, thankfully there were some observant, trustworthy people standing next to us who noticed the guy snatching my phone out of my purse in the back of the stroller and one guy grabbed my phone out of the snatcher's hands and put it right back inside my purse.

That will teach me to keep my eye on my belongings and not so much on trying to get pictures of the BYU shenanigans while in Union Square.

Ben got a good picture of Klarissa, Abe and Newland with Cosmo.

Christmas wreaths in all of Macy's windows. Looked so beautiful lit up at night.

Glen pushed Newland in the stroller back up the steep hills to the apartment where Newland slept and Glen worked. The rest of us went to see The Hobbit. They all liked it. It was not my favorite.

 Abe having a good time in front of the movie posters.

 Dinner was at a place where we cook the food ourselves.

 After dinner activity was swimming in our hotel pool. Newland loves the water.

Klarissa left early the following morning to catch a flight to Utah for a friend's wedding. Glen and I went back to IHOP for breakfast again. The boys left us to our own devices that day until it was time to hook up for the ball game.

BYU playing in the Hunger Bowl.

I laughed so much when I saw this picture. It gives us an idea of what Ben would look like sporting the Duck Dynasty look. (Beard courtesy of the fur on Newland's hood.)

Newland kept his eyes on the guy with the strange cougar cap who was sitting behind him.

On departure day, Abe snatched Newland out of a sound sleep (believe me--he and Ben were in a sound sleep as well) and we were on our way driving back home to hook up here with Klarissa. First stop: buffet breakfast in Reno, Nevada.

Our other meal on the road was a McDonald's at a gas station stop. YUM! Yeah right!?!

Home again. I opened the Christmas present Sarah's family gave us. Cute photo!

 Cousins' reunion huddled around the popcorn poppers.

Sarah and I were getting a kick out of Rebecca's pregnant tummy. She carries her babies straight out in front like a basketball is stuffed in her shirt. Baby is due first week of March.

Poor Abe got the vomits which lasted about 24 hours. Thankfully little Newland didn't have any throwing up issues. New Year's Day Abe's family flew back to San Francisco.

By the time they left, Newland had warmed up quite nicely to us. But his favorite was always Ben.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Quotes of the Week

"I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far; for a might have-been has never been, but a has was once an are."
-- Milton Berle

"Over and over again, we lose site of what is important and what isn't. We crave things over which we have no control, and not satisfied by the things within our control. We need to regularly stop and take stock; to sit down and determine within ourselves which things are worth valuing and which things are not."
-- Epictetus

"There is no passion to be found playing small -- in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of
living."
-- Nelson Mandela

Christmas in San Francisco

Look at the deceptive fall-colored leaves on the tree outside our hotel. Hard to believe it was Christmas Eve looking at that scenery.

The reindeer at the mall reminded us of Christmas.

We were some of the first ones at the mall that morning.

We even beat Santa Claus there. We could have been first in line to sit on his lap.

We hooked up with Abe, Klarissa, Newland and Ben at the Palace Hotel for brunch.

This photo makes me laugh because it looks like Abe is about to eat the centerpiece instead of his food.

We got seated at a table that was pushed right up against the gigantically tall Christmas tree. Abe laid on the floor to see if he could get us and the whole Christmas tree in the photo.

The place was so beautiful and the food was delicious and it was a shame Klarissa had been throwing up in the night and even at the hotel. She was convinced it was the cream in the Krispy Kreme doughnut she ate with the boys the night before.

Despite feeling so yucky, she still looked beautiful and didn't let the yuckies prevent her from joining in on the activities she and Abe had planned for us.

Imagine our surprise when they treated us to a Cirque Du Soleil performance under the big top.

Newland loved wandering around the parking lot. In the background is where BYU would be playing football a couple of days later.

At dinner that evening Newland liked to dip his chopsticks in the soy sauce or use them for drumsticks.

 Glen and I went to IHOP for Christmas morning breakfast.

Ben stayed at Abe and Klarissa's and slept on the couch. We watched "Elf."

Abe was grilling the Christmas turkey outside. I was trying to help out as much as I could to help out Klarissa who was tired and weak from all the throwing up.

 Once again, she didn't let illness hold her back. She whipped up some great side dishes for us.

 Newland was busy trying to figure out how to get the keys to reach the door knob.

Abe was proud to reveal the turkey he had spent the morning grilling.

Newland played with the toys on their back patio. It was so lovely back there. Quite the luxury to have some outdoor space in the city.

 Their apartment is the yellow one on the ground floor.

Ben set the table, we toasted the occasion, we gave thanks for the food and we feasted upon all the good food.

Klarissa reached her limit at the end of dinner, so while she and Newland slept, we cleaned up the dishes and played Bananagrams.

 Ben won.

Quote from Sarah, "He is the least fun person to play games with because he always wins!"