A Very Merry Christmas.

2010 was a California Christmas.  We travelled many a snowy road to get to the west coast sunshine only to be met with overcast skies and rain.  But the trip wasn't about the weather outside - it was about the people and memories being made inside!  Enough smalltalk about the weather.

It was wonderful to see everyone - grandpa and grandma Lorla John, great grandma Rheta, uncle Bill & aunt Jenn, Kyle, Heather, Noelle & Jackson, Ramona, Ryan & Kerry, Brittany & Ashley, Carol, and the King family.  There never seems to be time enough for all of the visiting.

At the top of Amelia's wish list was a Pillow Pet.  And not just any old Pillow Pet... a purple unicorn Pillow Pet.  Grandma and Grandpa Lorla John did not disappoint!  To this day, I think this has been her favorite gift ever.  ("It's not just a pillow - it's also a pet.  It has a hook and loop system," quotes Amelia whenever anyone asks.)

A close second to the Pillow Pet were new Play Doh sets from Aunt Monica and Uncle Aaron.  I can't tell you how many pretend ice cream cones I have now consumed.  Good thing pretend food is light on calories.

David added in a pilgrimage to GMT Games in Hanford where we took a self-guided tour of their warehouse, bought games, and Amelia played with their packing peanuts.

No self-respecting Central Valley girl would pass though Hanford without a scoop of Superior Dairy ice cream.  Yes, that's just ONE scoop.  One scoop of strawberry heaven!

One parting comment before we leave Christmas past.  Amelia cannot stop talking about her "darling Lewis" (AKA my parents' dog who tortured her in his puppy days).  She misses him, she talks about him, she wonders what he's doing without her there.  This photo best illustrates their sweet relationship.  Amelia had fallen asleep in the car, we carried her in and set her on the couch, and darling Lewis promptly ran up and rested his head next to her, just to be close.