super CALI fragilisticexpealadocious

Where does the time go?  Where does the stinkin' time go?

Uh oh.  I just realized I'm old.  Old people say those exact words.  'Cept maybe they don't say "stinkin'".  Old people use bluer words that I use.  Trust me, I had old parents.  They were blue.

So... baby brother Joe.  Here he is.  Not sure why I used the word "baby"...  maybe I couldn't find the right blue word?

Brother Joe and Yours Truly

Weird how we placed our hands so similarly.

Brother Joe's wife Janice (and my new friend)

So what else did we do in California?  (I refuse to call it 'Cali' like the NON NATIVES do.)  Well, we brought Elizabeth a bunch of Christmas presents.  Sadly, my dear, darling daughter can be with us this Christmas (this is the VERY first time) so ... we went to her.  Just not on the correct day.  Sigh.

Then we all loaded into the car and headed to Newport Beach, where I spent a good part of my growing up years ... well, the weekends anyway.  I took everyone on a ferry ride ... and Liz didn't know what to expect.  She was afraid to get out of the car!

We played around on Island Avenue.  I swear I want to live on Island Avenue!

It doesn't look like the below photo ... but it should.

... and while on Island Avenue, we saw us some beach.  And some ocean.  I swore I wasn't going home until I saw some ocean.

Um, I know it's here ... somewhere.

I found me some sand ... and a couple of these shell-things.

Aah, there it is.

And there I am!   Try to imagine me in a bikini and not in that down parka.  No, wait.  Don't try to imagine me in a bikini.

My toesies found some sand.  And yes, my toes were cold.  

BUT I TOUCHED THE SAND!

Later we celebrated Rick's birthday.  Not because it was his birthday ... which it was ... but because we wanted free ice cream.  I confess.

Yum.

Met up with sister Jeana and her family again...

... And before I headed back to Texi (well, if I'm forced to say Cali, then y'all must say Texi) Liz and I took in one quick trip to Disneyland.  I got to stay for all of two hours.  

Long enough to see this, though.

I swear Disneyland didn't know it was December.  Nor Christmas time.

Oh, wait.  This is an angle.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Well, not a lot ... but a little?

And now I'm home and getting ready to celebrate Christmas in the proper way.  Except I'll be missing Elizabeth something fierce.

;)