Home for the Holidays

We were very fortunate to be able to go "home" for Christmas this year. Home as in Napa, CA. Utah may be my primary residence, but Napa is home. Steve and I started the trip off on a great note by going to the Oakland Temple. My parents were working at the temple that day so it was neat to be there with them. I hadn't been to the Oakland Temple in years, and it was Steve's first time there. We loved how majestic it is and how you can see across the Bay over to San Francisco from the temple.

The next day, I left my heart in San Francisco, but I also lost my cool somewhere between Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. We love going to the City as a family... but without fail every time... and I mean EVERY time, we end up getting very "testy" with each other as I am trying to maneuver the streets of San Francisco, looking for a parking place that doesn't cost a million dollars an hour, with 2 back seat drivers who think they are "helping". By the time we end up pulling into a parking stall (in the SAME garage we park in every time and should have just parked at in the first place), my blood pressure is soaring and I am thinking about feeding my family to the sharks. But... all is not lost. What is the cure for restoring a little family love and unity? An authentic San Francisco sourdough bread bowl filled with delicious soup or chowder...

Alex's favorite part was watching the Sea Lions, he could have sat there for hours.

Alex helping to tell the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve.

Can't forget to leave a treat for Santa! This was the perfect age for Alex this year, old enough to really get what is going on, but young enough to completely believe with no reservations.

Christmas morning, waiting patiently to see if Santa came...

Love his expression here...

Here he is saying, "Oh my gosh!!"

Pure joy!

It was nice to have Christmas on a Sunday this year.

Soooo much good food... every single day. My motto for the week was "Weight Watchers, what's that?"

Aunt Lesley and cousin Weston teaching Alex how to play his new Candy Land game.

Of course, no trip to Napa would be complete without a drive "up the Valley" enhanced by a stop for lunch at Taylors. Nothing like eating outside in the sunshine in December.

Then a nice walk through Alston Park to work off the garlic fries we just ate.

I'm so lucky to have grown up in such a beautiful place. We had a really great visit. Alex was like my mom's little shadow and kept her busy doing puzzles and reading books. We were sooo glad that my brother Brett and his new wife Jessica got back from New York in time to see us before we left. Steph and her cousin took the ferry to San Francisco the day before we left also. At the end of each visit, as we are driving back I think of all the things that I had hoped to do but forgot or didn't have a chance. I guess we'd better go back this summer to cross those things off our list!