Christmas Past

As we alternate holidays on the east and west coasts annually, this was our year to spend Christmas on the Left Coast.

Tom's parents, Pat and Ed, flew in from Portland, OR for a week which was a lot of fun for all of us and especially for Jack.

We spent some time during the week to visit with Pat's lifelong friends, Art and his partner Earl, who have interesting stories to tell of their lives and travels as a teacher and an intelligence officer in the service as during WWII repectively. We also visited with another of Pat's good friends, Bessie, who spent several years as a librarian in the Marin school system and lives in Berkeley.

On Christmas Eve, we continued a Blossom family tradition of Pat's homemade spaghetti, and we kicked off a Burke family tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve (of pajamas, surprise!).

Christmas morning was relaxing as we waited for church services to conclude at the historic Mission Dolores church (down the street from us), and then opening our stockings (Stella included!) and presents before lunch.

In the late afernoon, we attended a kids' circus caberet called Mittens & Mistletoe at our local Mission theatre.

The next day we drove to Sacramento for a big meal and more holiday fun with Tom's cousins.

CLICK HERE for more pictures of Christmas 2010.

Click below for a video of Jack with his new xylophone:







And click below to watch Jack dance with his Honey Bear: