After being away from our home for over two weeks, our little cat missed missed us a lot and let it be known as soon as we returned.
She had up to five visitors a day and never less than two so she was not neglected at all but they weren't us.
We are all happy to be home but Sam, the cat, will be the happiest tonight when she curls up on the bed with us.
We arrived in San Francisco this morning before 9:00 AM and the place seemed so quiet.
Duh! It was cold and evidently the smart tourists wait for the sun to warm things up.
Once it did, (and the stores opened their doors) they came out in droves and it was reminiscent of London streets during the holiday season.
No doubt every large city's shopping district looked much like this today!!
Yippee we are back in the sunshine once again!
Yesterday was the beginning and today once we got through the redwood forest to Cathedral City in California, we saw plenty of the bright stuff.
Oh yay!!
We are enjoying it very much after a rather wet Christmas in Mission, BC.
After spending 11 colder than we'd like days with our grandchildren (and their parents) we are back on the road heading south to Desert Hot Springs.
We'll miss the kids (big and small) but we are looking forward to some warmer weather once again.
Today it was sunny for most of the day though the temperatures didn't go above 6C (42.8F).
Just the same it sure was nice to see sun once again.
I was so excited, I am even posting this blurry picture of the "glorious" sunset, taken while we drove through Portland, Oregon!
Makai, our wee grandson, received a Fisher Price train set for Christmas.Though it is designed for little folks, it can be quite complex as well. This afternoon, Makai's daddy, Ian, his Grandpa, his Great-Uncle Fred and his Uncle Jay added some extra parts that Makai got for his birthday today to the train set . Please note the absence of Makai and the intense looks on the menfolks faces.
With little ones around once more (by way of grandchildren) Christmas has changed once again. The excitement has returned and I can't believe it is over already. Oh well, we had a blast yesterday and for the next several years it will continue to be so. In a couple of years we will explain the true meaning of the day but until then to them it will be a day that lots of loving relatives come together to give them presents!
I hope everyone reading this enjoyed their Christmas as much as we did!
It was a day of joy and laughter, love and sharing; a day of wonderful memory making.
From us here in Mission, BC, we wish you the same!
Merry Christmas everyone!
So little did I realize when I wrote here two days ago that the Queen of Gingerbread Houses was yet to arrive in Mission.
It seems our wee grandson Makai had a well kept secret Gingerbread House builder stashed in Victoria BC.
His Nana MacLachlan makes these "homes" from scratch and arrived here this afternoon with her homemade rendition in tow.
Now HERE is the Queen of Gingerbread Houses!!
The construction project that Grandpa and Makai worked on yesterday was a resounding success.
With the exception of a few candies that were tasted then added to the house, (mmm, yummy!) it went together very well.
Here is the finshed product...a vision of perfection don't you think?
There's nothing like a little construction project to bring two males together even if it is only a gingerbread house!
Today, Grandpa and Makai worked very hard designing and constructing a beautiful edible house complete with lots of icing and candy.
And there's nothing quite like a little sugar to make every boy, big and small, very happy (not to mention...a little wired!!).
Monet, our wee granddaughter, has learned how to jump in her Jolly Jumper.
In fact she loves bouncing in it and regularly catches air...the higher the better!
Her Grandpa caught these moments with the camera today...going, going....!
With Christmas Day just a few days away, there's no room for mistakes.
This little fellow is just making sure Santa knows how good he has been by giving his baby sister one more kiss.
Makai, our wee grandson is always this sweet except perhaps when he is overtired but surely Santa would understand that!
It seems Grandpa has become quite the celebrity with the wee ones.
He has even gone to the extreme of balancing two kids at once and keeping them both entertained without any injuries; quite a feat!
Monet and Makai both had fun being part of the balancing act!
Makai isn't the only happy person around here.
His little sister Monet is a pretty happy person too as you can see here.
In fact there are some pretty happy people all over the MacLachlan household right now!
It sure is nice to be here!
We arrived in Mission shortly after 3:00 PM and we were greeted by a very happy little boy.
Our wee grandson Makai, was so happy all he wanted to do was dance.
Here he is with his daddy Ian, cutting some rug!
On our drive north to BC, the forecast was calling for some rain and nasty weather.
We even anticipated some snow but instead the blue sky followed us along our route.
Fortunately, the only snow we saw was in the mountains and we were quite happy to see them surrounded by blue!
We left Catalina Spa & RV Park this evening to drive to Mission BC for our Christmas holidays.
Grandchildren bring the sparkle back to the season so it is well worth the drive.
Have a Merry Christmas Catalina Spa and we will see you in a couple of weeks!
Sam, the cat, is going to be staying in California with the Moho as we drive the car to BC to spend Christmas with our wee grandchildren.
While we are away some friends will be coming by twice a day to visit her, feed her and make sure she has water and a clean littler box.
Though she will love the company, she will miss us a lot and no doubt we will hear all about it when we get back.
Though she may be relaxed right now, deep in sleep, tomorrow she will be pacing!
Though we are only thirteen days away from Christmas, it just doesn't feel like it to me.
But then when this is the kind of thing I see at the park, is it any wonder?
Here is my sweet hubby raking in the cactus garden beside our RV site!
It has been almost three months since we have been able to cuddle our wee grandchildren. This little one was just over two months old when we left Mission, BC and she has changed so much. She may not know who we are now but before we leave, she'll know two more people love her very much. Okay Monet (and Makai)...we will be there in just five more sleeps and we just might be a little excited!
Last night while we were sleeping we were wakened by the sound of rain hitting the roof of the Moho.
Being in Desert Hot Springs, that is a pretty rare event.
This morning though the sun was shining, the ground was still damp from the overnight moisture.
We looked out towards the San Jacinto Mountains and could see that the precipitation there came as a very light dusting of snow.
As long as we don't get it, it is very pretty to look at!
Since we have been away from Karley, Ian and our wee grandchildren, our saviour has been a webcam and MSN Messenger Live.
At least four times a week we manage to have a face to face chat with the MacLachlan clan in Mission.
Here are Karley, Monet and Makai having a chat with Grandpa.
We may not be able to touch but as you can see it is a pretty good alternative to being there in person.
There is nothing quite like the wee hours of the morning. When I go on my daily walk before dawn at Catalina Spa, it is dark and quiet but as the sun begins to break, folks begin to stir. I managed to take a few pictures this day when the sun was just beginning to rise. It is my favourite time of day!
Lately I have been learning about my computer.
As a teacher of a computer class, it amazes me how much I have yet to learn about my own machine.
This photo is a result of my discovering an unused program on my computer.
It's kinda fun to play!
Monet our wee granddaughter has had her first experience with solid foods.
Like her older brother, she has taken a serious liking to it.
Now when Karley is holding her, she must be careful or Monet will pull her mom's food or beverage to her mouth in order to feast on it.
Here she is getting all she can from the spoon!
Last week we had a chilly spell but fortunately, it didn't last long.
The daytime highs aren't as high as they were but they are still plenty warm enough for folks to enjoy the pools.
This is one of two large hot tubs here at Catalina Spa and the daytime temperatures are warm enough that the pools are more inviting.
However at night the air temperatures plunge to almost freezing and in the evening once the sun sets, this tub gets plenty of traffic!
Today after I was finished work, I went over to a neighbouring park to help a friend with his computer.
As I drove through the park I noticed a variety of trees laden with citrus fruit.
After I finished, Ron, my friend, was kind enough to give me these beautiful, huge lemons.
They are so big that when I first saw the tree, I thought the yellow fruit must be grapefruit!
We really love it here.
The climate is mostly perfect at this time of the year and every morning we wake to sunshine.
It seems no matter where we look in this park, Catalina Spa, there is a beautiful view as you can see!
Makai loves his daddy, Ian.
He likes to follow him in the morning and has watched him use his razor to shave.
Like all children, he has become a great little mimic and here is is trying his hand at shaving too!
Today is the first day of December and the entire year seems to have flown by.
In just a few days we will take a two day drive by car to visit with our wee grandchildren in Mission, BC for Christmas.
Here is Monet, the youngest one who has become quite "grown-up" in the short time we have been away.
After being away from our home for over two weeks, our little cat missed missed us a lot and let it be known as soon as we returned.
We arrived in San Francisco this morning before 9:00 AM and the place seemed so quiet.
Yippee we are back in the sunshine once again!
After spending 11 colder than we'd like days with our grandchildren (and their parents) we are back on the road heading south to Desert Hot Springs.
Makai, our wee grandson, received a Fisher Price train set for Christmas.
With little ones around once more (by way of grandchildren) Christmas has changed once again. 
I hope everyone reading this enjoyed their Christmas as much as we did!
So little did I realize when I wrote here two days ago that the Queen of Gingerbread Houses was yet to arrive in Mission.
The construction project that Grandpa and Makai worked on yesterday was a resounding success.
There's nothing like a little construction project to bring two males together even if it is only a gingerbread house!
Monet, our wee granddaughter, has learned how to jump in her Jolly Jumper.
With Christmas Day just a few days away, there's no room for mistakes.
It seems Grandpa has become quite the celebrity with the wee ones.
Makai isn't the only happy person around here.
We arrived in Mission shortly after 3:00 PM and we were greeted by a very happy little boy.
On our drive north to BC, the forecast was calling for some rain and nasty weather.
We left Catalina Spa & RV Park this evening to drive to Mission BC for our Christmas holidays.
Sam, the cat, is going to be staying in California with the Moho as we drive the car to BC to spend Christmas with our wee grandchildren.
Though we are only thirteen days away from Christmas, it just doesn't feel like it to me.
It has been almost three months since we have been able to cuddle our wee grandchildren. 
Last night while we were sleeping we were wakened by the sound of rain hitting the roof of the Moho.
Since we have been away from Karley, Ian and our wee grandchildren, our saviour has been a webcam and MSN Messenger Live.
There is nothing quite like the wee hours of the morning. 
Lately I have been learning about my computer.
Monet our wee granddaughter has had her first experience with solid foods.
Last week we had a chilly spell but fortunately, it didn't last long.
Today after I was finished work, I went over to a neighbouring park to help a friend with his computer.
We really love it here.
Makai loves his daddy, Ian.
Today is the first day of December and the entire year seems to have flown by.
