Skip to main content

Christmas Eve; Swiss Colony Gift Pack at Sabino Canyon

Back in the day, when a body could drive a car up Sabino Canyon, my family had a Christmas tradition. Grandma would send us a Swiss Colony gift pack and we'd haul it up the frigid tram road, select a chilly picnic spot, and feast on processed cheeses, summer sausages, and petit fours. My sister and I would look for sand rubies while Mom and Dad cleared the wrappings. Then we'd all go home and have a real meal.


This year we revived the tradition. Mom ordered the Swiss Colony (I keep typing Swill Colony...) Mega Pack, named Something for Everyone. Here it is. ((Cue trumpet fanfare.)) Mandy and Evan give it the Thumbs Up a la Jack.


Out of the box


Tuesday had been all day wet and dreary, Thursday was crummy too. Friday was even worse. But bracketed between those cold and rainy days we had a day of perfect blue skies and mild temperatures, like a gift from God.


More, more!


The boys take the high road.


The picnic table we wanted was already taken, so we settled for a picnic on the rocks. Our desired picnic table was taken by what Evan called the Naked Family. See 'em there, in the background, in their underpants? Remember that.


Such a gorgeous day


the boys enjoyed their gift pack barefoot


Bin enjoyed with Brazey


Then, somehow... we became the Naked Family.


But it's fun to wade the running wash in your underpants on Christmas Eve.


You would, too, if you could.

Comments

Zafran ali said…
So pretty pics........

gift pakistan

Popular posts from this blog

wedding gift

On Saturday Dave's cousin Traci is getting married. At the last minute we decided to fly to Ames for the wedding and to see everyone who will be in attendance there. At the last minute, I decided to crochet a throw as a wedding gift. I just finished. The colors in this first picture are true; the other two pictures were taken with flash so the colors look brighter than they really are. I started last Monday night with 7 skeins of Lion Brand Chenille Thick and Quick in Periwinkle. It's 72 single crochet in the back loop only for as many rows as you want. Then single crochet around in a contrasting color. I chose Wine. I bought the yarn at Big Lots for half the retail price. It's long and skinny but very texturally appealing. Though all skeins were of the same dye lot, you can see that the top and bottom skein are definitely different, not so much in color as in texture. It's pure dumb luck that they ended up at the top and bottom. It's not perfect, but neither is mar...

in which I get knocked down

Sickness saps my energy, both physical and mental. It's surprising, really, how seldom I get sick, since I work in a petri dish. When I do get sick it lays me low and happenings that I might normally take in stride just completely knock me down. Last week I was diagnosed with an embarrassing viral infection, the symptoms of which on their own couldn't possibly have dragged me this deep down: sores in my mouth and throat that blistered and peeled and made every mouthful feel and taste like shredded pennies; an itchy rash around my mouth and nose and on my chest. Compounding that: knees that felt packed in hot wax, the backs of my eyeballs aflame. No fever, so no H1N1. Negative strep. Malaise. But I soldiered (martyred?) through most of the week at work, because I could, and some of the other teachers had to stay at home with their diverticulitis and kidney stones. On Thursday night my laptop died. On Friday night I felt I could deal with my weekend obligations. DH went out of t...

memory