Samantha Claus
Fun times with Samantha, Jennifer and McKenny. They flew in at 8:30 on Friday and we met them at the airport. Jen had planned to have McKenny pick them up and then drive up to our place. Darla and I called McKenny earlier in the week and asked if we could pick them up (half the fun of having your granddaughter fly in is to pick them up at the airport. We surprised them, but Jennifer was irritated with McKenny as she called him twice after the plane landed and he didn't pick up. Samantha was in her pajamas and robe as they were up and on their way shortly after 5 AM for the 7 o'clock flight to Sacramento from Vegas. We drove them home, got Sam changed and then headed over to breakfast at a local coffee shop that we like. Sam saw Darla's Santa hats and wanted to wear one to the restaurant and that is the first picture.
We took her birthday presents to the restaurant and she opened them there. We drove home, met up with McKenny and opened Christmas presents. Darla, Daniel and I then took Samantha over to the park across the street and let her swing and climb and slide and have fun for about an hour. From there we drove over to Folsom and the outdoor skating rink. Sam is an accomplished little skater and had a part in the Las Vegas Skating Club's Christmas pageant. When we told her about ice skating, she didn't want to do it until she found out that it was an outside skating rink and then she was saying, "I wanna go, I wanna go!" McKenny, Jennifer, Samantha and Darla all decided to skate, while I decided to be the photographer. McKenny made it around the rink about six times and called it a day. He said his rental skates were like trying to "skate on a butter knife". His feet got tired and he joined me within 20 minutes of getting onto the ice. Samantha skated a round a few times and then said to Darla, "these teenagers don't even know how to skate, they keep getting in the way!" Darla, Samantha and Jennifer skated for most of the 90 minute session.
We went from the ice skating rink over to the shops of Folsom and then on to dinner at Hacienda Del Rio on Sutter Street in Folsom. We stopped at a horse drawn sleigh where the sleigh was sitting by itself with no horse. We took a few pictures of Jennifer, Samantha and McKenny and Darla said that they could use it as their Engagement Announcement photo. Nice, except McKenny hasn't asked her yet. The boys met us over at the restaurant and McKenny was nice enough to buy everyone dinner.
Saturday we took it easy and really just relaxed at the house all day. Darla fixed a quiche in the morning. We had family over in the late afternoon and Darla's parents came over and Alicia and Luke joined us along with the boys. Don had his Kansas City playoff game and had kind of a rough week from a health perspective so decided to stay home. Luke and Samantha took a bit of time to warm up, but were fast friends by the time we ate dinner and took every toy and Santa toy out of the toy box and down from their perches around the house and onto the floor of the living room. They were playing all of the Christmas music from the various ornaments and Santas that Darla collects. It was loud in here for awhile. Darla fixed a roast turkey for dinner. We watched the live version of the Sound of Music with Carrie Underwood after everyone left.
Today, Darla and I were up early and off to church. Samantha was up late and fast asleep when we left, although Jennifer and McKenny were up and in the spa. We ran a couple of errands after church and Darla had to meet a client with some jewelry. We got home after 11 o'clock and Miss Samantha was still in bed getting her beauty sleep. We got her up and Darla fixed pancakes and sausage and bacon. She got a shower with her Mom and then we headed over to the park to play some Smash ball and then over to the swings and playground afterward. Darla put a 5 pound prime rib in the oven and we took it easy in the afternoon. The kids played cards with Samantha while Darla and I rested.
They left for the airport at 5:00 o'clock and are in the air on the way back to Las Vegas as I write this. Darla is at a team meeting with her Silpada staff in Granite Bay and I'm getting caught up on the blog, photos and I still have to do some handicapping for the RGC event next weekend. I promised to have the handicaps to Neil tonight. We had a great time with Samantha and Jennifer. McKenny is really growing on me and he will move to Vegas in February. They are looking for a house now close to Sam's school. Jennifer's lease at the Apartment runs out in March and she has already given her notice. The plan has always been to find a house. They both make good money and want a nice home for Samantha.
I did get out and play golf on Wednesday January 1st. I played with Boyd, Robert and Andy and shot a 38+39=77. Boyd shot his age at 73 and Robert shot 75. Andy is 78 and enjoyed the ride in the cart. He shot a 90. That is the best round I've shot since I had the hole in one and 75 in November. I joked that I have shot in the 70's every time that I've played golf so far this year.
Well, I know it is a lot of pictures, but I have an absentee granddaughter and have to enjoy my fix when I get it. She is really growing up. She was well behaved the entire trip and her only issue was a burn that she has on her thigh from spilling hot soup on herself before she left Vegas. She has an open blister and Jennifer is treating it with polysporin. She changes the Band-Aid and dressing each day and Sam screams bloody murder when the Band-Aid comes off. John is already over reacting to the injury, but hopefully he will calm down soon. I hope your New Year is starting out with all good intentions. We finished 2013 at work with $22,900,000 in premium on a budget of $21,800,000 and coming off $18,460,000 in premium in 2012. My budget for 2014 is $26,000,000. Wow.
No comments:
Post a Comment