Christmas Traditions: Cookies

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without cookies and this year I got to share some of the cookie baking traditions with our younger generations.

Baking springerles has been a Christmas tradition in my family in the United States for 150 years.  I don't know how long it was a tradition in Germany.  It made me think I need to do a better job of sharing that tradition, so I invited the local grandkids over for a little cookie making. I was helping, so I didn't get many pictures, but everyone got to try their hand.

Peter wore his great grandfather, Wesley Roehr's letter sweater from Spokane University as a nod to the Roehr/Pfeiffer springerle tradition.

The results were not bad, but my cookies never have the neat edges of my father's springerles.

My personal favorite Christmas cookie tradition is frosting gingerbread people for our Christmas tree.  We had some great ones this year.

Nick likes to stick out his tongue in pictures

Sometimes you need a little break from cookie frosting

I realized this year that I have been making Christmas bread for over 30 years. I got the recipe when we lived in Tucson and I just keep making it!

I love our traditions!

Christmas Traditions: Cutting our own Christmas Tree

I recognize that over the last 40 years or so we have developed Family Traditions.  We didn't really plan them, they just seemed to evolve. I never would have imagined 30+ years ago when we set out to chop our first tree that not only would we still be chopping our own tree, but that we would go with our grandkids!  So here are a few pictures from then and now.
This is our family on one of the early expeditions in the late 80's I think.

Here we are in 1993...25 years ago

We brought our green sled along on that trip

We brought that same sled along this year

And a new generation posed with their trees

And as usual our tree was a little bigger than it looked

Fortunately we had Sarah and Toby to help us carry it to the car.

We have a wonderful life!

Sayulita 2018

We made our annual trip to Sayulita the last two weeks of November this year.  We seem to be in a bit of a rut, but Sayulita is a great place to visit. So I'll post a few more beautiful beach pictures. We spent several afternoons lolling around on the north beach.  It is about a two mile walk through the jungle to get there, but it is worth it.

I saw these graffiti trees on the beach this year.  I probably shouldn't like the desecration of a tree, but...

This year Calvin rented a mountain bike a few times and discovered all kinds of new jungle trails.

One day we took a taxi to the next city north, San Pancho or San Francisco, whichever you prefer.  It has added some gated housing and a Polo club since the last time we visited. I saw this cool bird with yellow feet, which turns out to be a Snowy egret eating some unlucky crustacean.

We also took a kayak tour from Los Ayalas, about 45 minutes north of Sayulita. We were in sit on top kayaks which are a little less streamlined than our tandem.

We paddled past this rock formation called the Devil's profile. You can kind of see it in the picture if you have a good imagination

We stopped for lunch at a beautiful little cove where I actually went swimming in the ocean and let little fish nibble around my feet.

We took a short hike to the top of the point and admired the view and ourselves.

The guide pointed out this tourist tree..it starts out green and then turns red and peels.

Calvin spotted this whale skull just sitting in the parking lot.

And on a similar note we saw a cool caterpillar 

This green iguana, that isn't actually green, that measured about 4 feet from tip to tail

who climbed the trees overlooking our pool. He is the brown blob in the tree below the palm tree.

And as usual enjoyed evening strolls along the beach and meals in beach side palapas.

The full moon shining through the flags was spectacular, a phone camera doesn't do it justice.

Always a great place to visit.

Morro Bay

The first weekend in November we met up with the Wrights in Morro Bay for the weekend.  Rosie and Jay were doing a triathlon and we were there to cheer them on.

We always manage to pack a lot into a weekend with Rosie's family.  We were only together a little less than 48 hours, but it was a fun time.

We had dinner at a child friendly seafood restaurant on the bay and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset with our food.

 We enjoyed evening beach time both Friday and Saturday night. Lots of fun watching these kids on the beach.

I tried to take a candid family picture on the beach, but discovered with a family of 5 just getting them to be at the same spot on the beach is challenge, Leah is missing here and getting anyone to look at the camera was not going to happen.

Saturday during the day we wandered around town a bit cameras in hand.

 We then took a tour of the bay in a glass bottom boat. The captain had to really stretch to make the tour last 45 minutes, even letting passengers drive, but it was just about right for the kids.

We saw sea lions

 and sea otters

and lots of little silver fish

And lots a smiles

Sunday Calvin and I had grandkid duty while Rosie and Jay headed off to the race.  It took us a while to get going, but we arrived just as Rosie was starting the run. And she was still smiling.

After lunch we headed back toward Reno, stopping for a quick visit to Pinnacles National Park.  It is not really a park that lends itself to a quick visit.  We may have to visit again some day.