California Christmas

Jonathan and I have been married for 3 1/2 years and up until this year we were 3 for 3 for all holidays with my side of the family.  It just happens that way for one reason or another so this year we were going to California for Christmas. 

We got all packed up with luggage, high chairs, and presents.  I don’t know how we will do it with more children because we were packed full.  We were fortunate enough to have my Grandparents home in St. George to stay at to help us break up the drive for Hannah.  However, because we didn’t have much car space we left the pack and play behind.  Jonathan’s parents had one for us in California but in St. George we improvised.

Christmas was great with the Snow’s.  His mom had made all sorts of treats and a delicious Christmas Eve dinner.  That evening we did a program and acted out the nativity with what children we had.  Hannah got to be Baby Jesus. 

 

She did better once she got a toy to play with. 

After the nativity we sang Christmas songs.

  Then opened up Christmas Eve jammies.

Christmas morning we did the traditional stair line up

Then opened presents.  Hannah mostly got stuff that we got for free and saved until Christmas.  She doesn’t know the difference…right?  She got rattles, books, a singing caterpillar, a laughing penguin, and an outfit.  From her Snow grandparents she got some books and from her Weiler grandparents she got an umbrella stroller.

Thanks GG and GQ!

  

Sunday evening we went to the LA Temple to see the lights there.

Monday morning we drove down to San Diego to see the Mormon Battalion museum.  I was quite impressed with visitors center.  The church always does a good job.  It was much better than I expected as it had talking picture frames, themed rooms, and interactive activities.

Panning for gold

Then we out to lunch at a yummy Mexican restaurant and toured Old Town San Diego.  Hannah was a trooper the whole day but as soon as she could relax in her new stroller she was out.

While there, Jonathan’s parents watched Hannah so we could go to Knott’s Berry Farm where we learned the Jonathan is getting old and no longer has a stomach of steel.  I’m saddened to say it was my first time at an amusement park where I rode the train around the park.  To his credit, he did much better in the afternoon and we went on all the roller coaters I wanted to.

Of course, the best part of the whole trip was seeing family that we rarely get to see.  Hannah has a cousin in Arizona that’s just 4 months older than her and it was great to see her and her parents.  It was so cute to watch them interact.  Four months is a big difference as Shalya is much more mobile and coordinated.  They spent most of their play time stealing toys and poking at one another's eyes but they were really cute in their high chairs.  They couldn’t touch each other or go anywhere and they were at the same level.  They would talk and talk and it was so cute.