Linda's Great Mission Adventure in Houston: I'll Be Home For Christmas!!!!

December 22nd,

I flew home on my birthday to have birthday dinner and spend Christmas with my kids. In the airport in Phoenix was this group playing for us. they were great.

Made the wait much nicer since my connecting flight was late. But got to Sac airport in time to join most of my family at Ludys for dinner! It wass the best with 2 cakes and great food.

http://www.ludys.com/menu.html

After a good nights sleep it was run around time on the 23rd to finish wrapping presents, buying food and like I said, lots and lots of wrapping. Next day was Christmas eve so it was time for last minute stuff, cooking and getting ready for the big dinner! Kevin cooked a turkey in his deep fryer that was excellent. I over cooked the ham because I set the temp. wrong so it was good but a bit done. We had funeral potatoes, jello pretzel salad, green salad, pumpkin pie and Texas sheet cake, yams along with homemade rolls from Toni. It was all great!!!

Elizabeth came along with Jamie, Dave, David and Michael and Donna.

And then the kids played and waited for Santa who made his regularly scheduled appearance. It was so much fun!! Kind of crazy but lots of fun. I was going to have a nerf war but the kids were all playing so nice I didn't want to bring chaos to such a wonderful scene. We saved it for the day after Christmas when no adults were around. And we saved them for next year's

Christmas. Christmas morning was shear chaos! Presents and more presents, paper, ribbons, boxes and stuff everywhere. There were so many gifts! I spent lots of time balling up paper, breaking down boxes and getting the trash ready to go. The kids had so much fun playing with all their toys. And then the grandparents came! Raquel's parents came with more toys. I was done and decided to walk over to Dale's house and visit with them. It was a nice day for a walk. We watched some basketball (awful NBA) and then we both fell asleep. Dinner after we woke up which was good. After some more visiting with Brooke Dale took me back to Kevin's. It was calm with everyone playing. Toni and Trevor came back for a few minutes before they headed back to Dale's.
Next morning I watched the kids while Kevin and Raquel went Christmas shopping for next year at all the sales. The kids and I had a nerf war and they played more and went outside to enjoy the sun. Toni and Trevor came over to say good-bye to everyone before they headed off to family stuff in Utah. I went to lunch with Eric, Paul Drew and Amanda. I wish I could have seen Cynthia but she left for Alaska the week before. :( Went to dinner with Dale and Amber at Sals. It was so good to have real Mexican food again! Quiet evening back at the ranch, Dale's house. Church on Sunday. Good lessons and good visits with a few of my friends. After church we celebrated Samantha's 19th birthday! She will be heading off to Oregon State for a campus tour on Monday. It was a nice family party. Dale took me to the airport where I proceeded to loose my phone. I thought I had fallen out of my pocket in the security check but they checked and it had not. Trying to find a pay phone???? Found one but they only take credit cards now. Called Kevin because I blanked on Dale's number and Dale happened to stop by Kevin's house. He checked his car and found it. A couple of days without a phone. no big deal. Came int he mail on Tuesday.
Delays at the airport in Phoenix again so finally home and in bed at 2:00am. I decided it wasn't worth it to drag myself to work at 8:00am so went in at 10:00. It was all good. I had a great vacation!!!!!!