It’s an annual tradition at our house to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a little party and then head to church for the Plum Pudding celebration.  This year, Kevin got to play with his cousins and see how gingerbread houses are made (below left).  His other favorite thing at the grandparents house is the talking Christmas tree. He’s too scared to get it started, but once it starts singing and swaying, Kevin breaks into an animated set of dance moves

Ryan was also a big hit at the party. He and his cousin Taryn got into a major stare down. I’m not sure who eventually won.  Ryan looks a little scared of his uncle Kim (below right) but by the end of the night they were best buddies!

Uncle Kim loaned Kevin his old sport coat. He really seemed to enjoy dressing up and posed for quite a few pictures with his little brother and the family in front of the Christmas tree.

After a big dinner at Grandma and Grandpa’s house we headed over to church where Kevin enjoyed coloring with his cousins, watching the choir and eating lots of cookies! Meanwhile his little brother was mesmerized by all the Christmas lights. He didn’t cry the whole time we were there, just stared at the lights

The last part of the evening was a children’s story. Kevin watched the slideshow intently that went with the narration (below right).

For the second year in a row, we hosted the Almaden Hills UMC auction hike and lunch. Last year, we hiked the Wildcat Loop at Rancho San Antonio. Since we moved to Saratoga, the Open Space Preserve of Fremont Older is right in our backyard. So, we introduced everyone to a new set of trails.

We had 14 hikers, and 16 for lunch. We walked a 4-point-something mile loop, with some steep ups and downs. The group pretty quickly split in two – the power walkers (the likes of John Baird, Jim and Sue Hughes, and Rosemary Steenhausen) setting a fast pace up front. And the chatty walkers – the rest of the group – bringing up the rear. Dave was the photographer, and Heather ran back and forth making sure everyone turned the right way.

The weather was cool, perfect for a hike. The dirt was bone dry, and rather dusty. But the views of the bay area were beautiful, and people enjoyed the rest stops.

After returning home, Heather made everyone shake the dust of their pants and get into a pair of slippers. (Our carpet is only 6 days old! It can’t get dirty yet!) Suzanne and Glenda were the only clean ones, wise enough to skip the hike and join us for lunch. We had French Market soup, salad, bread, and lemonade. Chocolate cake and cookies for dessert.

After lunch, we had everyone vote on their favorite fabric samples for the dining room draperies. Everyone had a different opinion!

It was a fun day, spent with great people. We are looking forward to hosting again next year!