WINTER HOLIDAYS
Fall weather was unusually mild. That was a good
thing since Matt gave away his portable Weber grill after he completed
his summer project - enlarging the patio, building a fireplace and
creating a wet bar which also houses a grill. No longer could he cook
the Thanksgiving turkey in the protection of the garage. But as you can
see, the bird was perfectly cooked and it tasted marvelous.
Following dinner, Brandon and Sophia worked off energy riding their bikes outdoors.
When Brandon was still a baby and could be carried,
that would be about six years ago, the Valentines would visit a tree farm, search for and then cut down a Christmas tree. Now Brandon and
Sophia are too big to carry and dragging a 12-foot tree through the
forest no longer excites Matt in a positive way. Fortunately there's a
nursery less than a mile from their home where the family can still
enjoy the hunt for a tree without the labor to get it to the car.
Gifts for Brandon and Sophia began arriving in mid-December. There were packages from Nana and Pappap which were put under the tree to be opened on Christmas Day. But gifts from Uncle Brett and Patricia were opened immediately. For Sophia were the twin dolls, a boy and a girl, and a matching dress for her. Brandon received communication accessories for use during his James Bond play.
Brett flew in from San Diego on Thursday evening. A storm in the Denver area created havoc throughout the U.S. and hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed, but fortunately Brett was only an hour late arriving. We didn't tell Brandon or Sophia that he was coming because we'd hear, "Is Uncle Brett coming today?" ["No, not for three days."] "Is it three days/two days yet?" ["No, not yet. He'll be here Friday."] "Is today Friday?" ["No, one more day."] You get the idea.
Dawn brought them over Friday morning and Brett laid in bed waiting
for them to discover his presence. Brandon immediately spied Brett's
backpack and asked, "Isn't that Uncle Brett's backpack?" I responded it
was very much like it. I asked Brandon to go in the bedroom and bring
something from the closet. He went in, turned on the overhead light,
walked into the closet and was on his way back when he spied the big
lump in the bed. And the weekend officially began.
Brett enjoys playing with Brandon and he got a double dose Friday
since Christian was visiting next door for the day. The boys like to
have Brett drive the car around the circle while they play their spy
games. Note that it was a rainy day, but that didn't deter the outdoor
activity. When they tired of espionage, they tossed a football around.
Getting ready for the Big Day is chaotic. There were presents to buy, gifts to wrap, letters to be written to Santa, and parties to host or attend. But finally it was Christmas morning. Brett and I arrived at the Valentines just after Brandon and Sophia found the plate with bits of cookies left by Santa and traces of carrot and apple the reindeer had not eaten. Stockings were emptied and then serious gift unwrapping began. I marvel that Santa is able to get gifts for all the children in his sleigh when he brings so much for Sophia and Brandon.
There was a BIG present for Brandon in the garage. Fortunately his dad has long legs, because Brandon's aren't long enough to reach the pedals.
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| Big guy and little guy |
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| Brandon and Brett in go-cart |
Brett left late Christmas morning to fly back to San Diego. But the fun continued as Brandon and Sophia opened boxes and played with their gifts. A week later we welcomed 2007. A new year with new experiences awaits!
