The best part of the morning is seeing Max’s big smile when he comes into our bedroom to see that we’re finished sleeping. The best part of breakfast is watching Max finish his fruit and cereal. He’s a hearty eater. He’s a very loveable little boy. He makes mornings more fun!

After breakfast Sue and I went for a long walk. I needed to get a photo of a Santa hat on a cactus to include in a reply to an email we got from some friends in Germany who sent us Christmas greetings including a photo of THEIR christmas tree. Got one. When we got back from our walk I had a shower and we all had an early lunch. And then Tim and I had to hurry across the road to the golf course to make our 12:30 tee time at Sidewinder.


Christmas Eve. What a good day to go golfing. No one ahead of us, no one behind us. Just the two of us — the golf course was ours. And the sun was shining–probably the nicest day we’ll have. And the game started off just as fine. In fact, I had a TWO on the par three hole #4 when my tee shot landed just inches from the hole. But the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. When our three hours were up Tim shot a 99 and I had a score of 103. Not great but not bad. And I was up a couple of balls on the day — and still playing with the ball I’d started with.

Max and the girls had gone to a nearby park when we got home but got home soon after. Then Tim and Alex took the van to pick up Chinese food for our supper while Max and I went on a short hike up the hill behind our place. I showed Max how not to touch the ‘pokey’ cactuses — and had quite the time getting those barbed needles out of my thumb.

By the time we were back from our walk the food was all set on the table. Yummy. Good eating for our Christmas Eve meal. And then we all got back into the van and went for at least an hourlong ride to look at Christmas lights. Max’s favourite: those lit up reindeer with their heads ‘tuwning awound’. I did my best to accommodate him until Max’s head was the one nodding up and down. When we got home he didn’t want his bath nor a night snack. Just straight to bed, all tuckered out. The end of a perfect day. Well no, we’re not quite done yet — first we’ll eat quite a few too many of those tasty chocolate-covered peanut butter balls Alex made while we were out golfing. And a bit of TV. AND THEN, around 10 o’clock, our Christmas Eve is complete. Let’s hang up the stockings, set out the milk and cookies, and go to bed.