Sylvans baptsim and birthday Thanksgiving weekend 2023

 Our final family gathering of the weekend was for Sylvan's baptism and birthday. It was a busy weekend, but great family memories.

Cookie Decorating Thanksgiving Weekend 2023

 Once the trees were chopped and set up the family gathered again at our house to decorate gingerbread men for our tree.

 

Amazingly we have made it almost to Christmas Eve with a few cookies left on the tree!

Thanksgiving weekend 2023

 We had a busy Thanksgiving weekend this year and got to enjoy lots of great family time.  We started with a big dinner that everyone helped cook.  We had to use my grandmother Brown's table to fit all of the kids this year and I believe I attended my first Thanksgiving dinner at that table almost 70 years ago.

First thing Friday morning we all met up to chop our Christmas Trees

We had some excellent woodmen chop our tree

Our gang of cousins

And a surprise visitor waiting for us at home

Palm Desert 2023

 We took a break from fall and enjoyed a week of summer in Palm Desert, a place that reminds me of the time we spent in Tucson

 We rode the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway to the top of Mt. San Jacinto at 8,500 feet above sea level

Then we visited the Salton Sea at 227 feet below sea level

We took a nature trail at sunset in Santa Rosa and San Jacinto State Park

We enjoyed dinner and an evening stroll along El Paseo in Palm Desert

One evening we went to the play Rent at the Palm Canyon Theater

And on our way home we spent some time hiking around in Joshus Tree National Park.  This is a young Joshua Tree