I just realized that I didn’t have a post on Christmas. So, Merry Christmas, Everyone! Thanks for all the Christmas cards!! I think we got a record number this year!

On Christmas Eve, we took Jia to South Coast Plaza for breakfast and a little shopping. She arrived the night before and it was nice to have everyone together again. The rest of the day was spent hanging out, playing video games, shopping for groceries, and making cookies.

On Christmas morning, I woke up early to go hang out with my parents. They were on their way to their hangout, McDonald’s, so I tagged along. It was fun just sitting there with my coffee (like everyone else) and watching their friends come and go. They’re like a bunch of teenagers again hanging out there every morning until lunchtime. My dad says that retirement life is awesome. I mean, he didn’t actually use the word “awesome” but that’s the gist of it. I want to retire.

Later that morning, the Laos piled into the Mountaineer to go visit Grandma in the nursing home. She’s been there for a couple years now ever since she fell and has been semi-comatose. Surprisingly, she was much more responsive that morning and being the therapist, I checked the tone and range in her arms and hands. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to make sure she was comfortable and positioned correctly. It was so sweet to see Jes’ dad with his mom (our grandma). We all want her to get up so badly but she’s 90-something and had a pretty bad injury to her head.

On Christmas afternoon, the roast was placed in the oven and we all played the “watch the temp rise” game” in hopes that it will be done in time. Everyone just hung out at home and some took naps, making for a pretty relaxed afternoon. That was until people started arriving and it was about one hour before dinner was served. That’s when all the action happens: take out the roast and finish everything else. It always seems to be that way. Watching Jes in the kitchen with so many people hovering and helping him reminded me of Iron Chef…such controlled chaos. Dinner was at Jes’ parents’ house in BP this year with both families gathered for the meal. We had a giant standing rib roast, corn, Yorkshire pudding, smashed potatoes, a Harry & David ham that someone left for his parents on the front porch, and lots of pie. We were all stuffed by the end of the night but still had some energy left for Wii and some family portraits.

Christmas vacation was fun but way too short. On our last night, we slept at my parents’ house in C-Town and it was so cozy since they turn the heater on at night. The next morning, I woke up pretty early to hang out with my Dad and then we started the drive back up to SF by 11 am.

Here are photos from the long weekend.