Matt and Stacie and their family came to enjoy the beautiful San Diego Christmas with us.  We were so delighted to have family here.  It makes life happier with cute little kids around, plus their parents.  We had a great time together.

Billy and Amy gave Matt and Stacie a surrey ride on Coronado Island for a Christmas gift.  So, we got to go along for the ride also.  We did get off a couple of times to look at the ocean.  Above, Jacob and Owen pose for a picture.

We got all seven of us on the surrey.  It was really fun and the kids had a great time.

We stopped at a park to let the kids play for a few minutes.  The boys went to the baseball diamond, and Stacie and Evie watched Anna play on the slides.

What a gorgeous view.  That's mighty fine weather for December 23rd.

Matt and Stacie and their kids.  Love this picture and this family.

Enjoying a little lunch together.

Here we all are on the surrey.  Fun, fun, fun.

We took a little detour to Coronado Beach because the kids had never been to the ocean.  The water was cold but Matt and the boys enjoyed wading around in it.  Anna was not happy to go in the water and stayed with Grandma.  Stacie went out a bit and grandpa went on a walk along the beach.

That night, we went to the Mormon Battalion and watched a musical Christmas program put on by some of the missionaries. They did a really fine job, and it was fun to see some of our missionaries that have served in the Santee YSA branch--Sister McKee in particular, front row, fourth from the left.

President Schmitt and his cute family perform a Christmas Primary song.

After the performance, Dick took the kids out to the covered wagon at the Battalion and let them sit in the front of the wagon.

Christmas Eve day was spent preparing food for Christmas Eve.  Stacie, Anna, and Grandma cooked food all day, while the boys went to see the carrier ship Midway.

In the evening, we had a nice dinner with the sister missionaries (Sister Stakkeland and Sister Serrato) who sang a nice Christmas song for us.  We had also invited two of our branch members (Colin Henderson and Odko) over, as well as a senior couple (Elder and Sister Barlow).

After dinner, we had a talent show.  The children sang a Christmas song and Jacob played the piano.  

Then, we had the nativity, with Owen as "Joseph" and Anna as "Mary."

Stacie was the angel.

Jacob was a shepherd.

Colin and Odko were wisemen.

Grandpa Dick was the innkeeper.  Here is the whole group.  Elder Barlow entertained the boys with a glow- in -the -dark soccer ball.

The lineup on Christmas morning.

Owen surveys his goods.

Anna seems pleased with her gifts.

Jacob loved his electric circuit kit.

Matt enjoyed everything.

Stacie had fun with Anna.

The day after Christmas is the busiest day at the San Diego Zoo, so we went that day.  We didn't know it was the busiest day.  It was very crowded, but we still had a fun time.  

Anna's happy.

This baboon was very entertaining.

This pretty colored bird was fun to watch.

Not sure what this is.  Maybe an Owen baboon.

Four gorillas.

Anna and Grandma had fun making a family out of playdough.

Matt and Stacie were able to go to a session at the San Diego Temple.  We brought the kids later so we could have pictures taken. This is a great little family we love.

What a fun Christmas holiday we had together.  

Part 2 of December Activities - 2014

After our institute classes were over, we volunteered to help in the office with the missionary Christmas mail.  So, for three and a half weeks we went to the office on Monday and Friday mornings to label packages, record them on the computer, and then put them in the various zones.  Every Tuesday, the Zone leaders came into the office to pick up the packages.  During December, there were tons of packages.  It was fun to get to know the office couples better.

In this picture, the packages are sorted into their zones and ready to go.

We also helped Sister Soffe (office secretary) put together packages for missionaries who did not receive packages from home or who got few packages.  

The San Diego Temple was beautiful with all the lights up for the Christmas season.  For three weekends at night, there were choirs from other churches who came to perform, as well as some LDS choirs.

We met Melanie and Miguel Miller and their family there and enjoyed the multi-cultural choir.  There was a lot of hand-clapping and Bible singing with this choir.  It was really fun.

Here the multi-cultural choir performs.

One of the Branch Family Home Evenings was a gift exchange of white elephant gifts.  It was a really fun evening.

Some of the kids even dressed up Christmas style.  Anita Ricks opens a present.

Back to the mission office to do more mail.  This took about two hours to sort and record.

A couple of the young missionaries fixed lunch for the office couples and they included us.  It was a great meal of pasta and salad.

The older elders watch BYU's football game.

The whole mission had a Christmas devotional.  The older couples helped decorate with the help from some sisters from one of the stakes who put together the decorations.  We had a wonderful breakfast and then a devotional in the chapel.

The missionaries sang for the sisters from the stake who helped prepare breakfast casseroles, muffins, and fruit for the occasion.

Elder Agustine was one of the first elders we met when we came into the mission.  He and his companion would often come to the institute and help at the Grossmont College at the missionary booth there.

The next Branch Family Home Evening was spent at Brother DeLoura's home singing Christmas carols to people who passed  by on the street.  In Brother DeLoura's subdivision, most of the houses decorate elaborately, and people will come for miles around to look at the lights.  Our branch provided music for passers-by as well as giving out "He is the Gift" cards, which we all were encouraged to give to as many people as possible.

That was a fun activity and we all really had a wonderful time.