Christmas Traditions

Christmas has come and gone but the pictures we took are with us forever. This year, we had a hectic schedule. Eve of Christmas eve, we attended hubby's cousins' 25th year wedding anniversary party. It was unseasonably warm that day but come Christmas eve, we were ready to wear our sweaters and scarves. For a change, hubby insisted to have a sit-down dinner of prime rib, ham and fixins. Another first was the white elephant gift exchange where we learned not to underestimate a gift at face value. Nephew E played Santa and distributed the gifts at close to midnight then the karaoke and games followed. We all had a great time. Click here for more pictures.

Measuring a Year

It’s once again the time of the year that we send our traditional holiday greetings and celebrate the past year. This year, we thought it would be interesting to measure it in journeys we planned, in new places we visited, in sunrises and sunsets, in things we learned, in shared laughter, tears and strife along endless roads traversed.

Below are mileage approximations of our fun travel this year:

Miles we were there…
3,791 Christmas 2004 and New Year 2005 in the Philippines
631 Manila to Singapore – celebrated our 13th year wedding anniversary
4,422 Singapore to Los Angeles – back to reality of work
546 Week-end in Las Vegas Nevada
54 Visited the Reagan Library in Simi Valley California
3,908 Springtime in Atlanta Georgia
738 Housewarming party in Suisun City, visited San Jose California
1,018 Memorial week-end in Mendocino County California
1,120 4th of July week-end in San Diego-Ensenada Baja California
6,256 Summer in New England states (New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine)
178 Santa Barbara California beach wedding
5,490 Thanksgiving week in Hawaii (Oahu and Kauai)
154 Week-end in South Orange County California (San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel/Monarch Bay)

Total 28,306 miles so far but not counting the hundreds of miles gained visiting family and taking friends on driving tours of Los Angeles all year.

Also of note this year: the romantic piano concert with LA Phil at the Walt Disney hall, the Playboy jazz festival at the Hollywood Bowl, King Tut showcased at the LACMA and the 50th year of Southern California's Disneyland visited during the holidays.

Lastly, we’d like to measure the year in seasons of love shared with our families and friends. We also lovingly remember always the memories of our dearly departed grand aunt and brother.

Check out this blog’s archives and link up to our yearlong pictures and online diary.

Adventing

No, I wasn’t just shopping the last few weeks. I attended hubby’s posh holiday party at the Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica (I forgot to charge my camera so no pictures there), threw a birthday bbq for my father who turned 78 years old, watched the Christmas light parade at Dana Point, visited the jewel of the missions in San Juan Capistrano and had a relaxing stop over in Laguna Niguel/Monarch Bay on my way back. Why south O.C. you ask? Hubby’s Laguna Beach office followed the swallows to San Juan Capistrano and he was there to set-up the computers for the new office for a few days. Not missing the opportunity of seeing the area again, I hopped on the freeway last Saturday after I made an effort to decorate our house. Click here to advent with me thru my pictures.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Begins in 05

My office party set off the holidays to a good start last Saturday night. It was great seeing co-workers dressed to the nines and ready to party. I couldn't agree more when I heard someone say it was the only time of the year that everyone from work gather to have fun as equals.

The following day, we bundled up bracing for a cold and windy outing at Disneyland with 3 nieces and a nephew. As expected, Disneyland was bedecked with holiday decorations. The commercial spirit was more prevalent than past visits but as the evening's candlelight pageantry started, the true meaning of Christmas was heard from the well-orchestrated angelic choir music, the blaring trumpets and the story told by Dick Van Dyke.

Thanks to nephew E, I have beautiful pictures to share with you. Click on this to go to the slides.