We started out the morning at the relatively calm and pristine home of Hoa and Thuy. Lyan, Vivian, Dillon and Mia all waited patiently for Grandpa and Grandma to come to open presents. When we were finished, we got a piano recital! (Grandma by the way is the piano teacher for all the local grandkids, who are each learning how to play!)
First was Lyann who played several Christmas carols.
Next we heard from Vivian who is beginning to really become proficient. (Not to mention how studious she looks!)
Dillan then sat still long enough to prove that he has actually been practicing!
Of course Mia could not be left out. She watches her siblings carefully and is likely to be the best piano player of them all eventually! She had to make sure Grandpa was getting the picture!
After the gifts and the recital, we ate a really good breakfast of Pho (Vietnamese Soup), and then headed over to the crazy world of Nic and Hailey! Hailey by the way gets the prize for the most beautiful Christmas mantle in the family!
In stark contrast to the Pham's where no paper hits the ground for more than 1.3 seconds, the living room at the Vial's looked a bit more like a normal post present opening chaos location. Note the Beaver helmet on Nic, who doesn't seem to remember that his beloved alma mater lost the big one and isn't going to the Rose Bowl.
Here is another one a bit closer up of the very interesting crew!
While there, Nate took a quick run around the block on Nic's Banshee. (Which by the way sounds exactly like it sounds!) Gives you a good idea of what the roads were like and why so few people were traveling.
While most everyone got what the were hoping for, this note left on the piano at Nic and Hailey's certainly made clear Santa's feeling!
There may have been one or two disapointments, but CC definitely was proud of the new outfit that her Aunt Alicia had brought her.
Next stop was the Cuong, Chuong, Chi, and Hui gang with Grandma Su Lu presiding. We met and Cuong and Linh's house and again the children had waited for us to open presents! Grandpa got to be Santa, and had some great help from Kayla.
With so many people in the room, my package delivery system eventually took to the air!
Who would have thought that a girl from northern China would ever have the chance to have three kids. Liyan is really happy with baby Felix, and Victor and Eva are good older siblings!
Everyone was really happy to be together. Chuong and Grandma are having fun!
And Victor looks typically pleased with his haul!
Both Grandma's Paula and Su Lu are mighty proud of the little ones!
Oh and lunch was also Pho. Which by the way is a great Christmas Dinner!
Our last stop of the day was downtown Portland at the Watertower Condo home of Hai, Kyle, Cassandra and Jacob.
Hai is definitely liking this mother job a lot! And Jacob loved the Thomas the Train book which Grandma brought.
Honestly a very fun and memorable Christmas. We love the chance to see the family and being in their homes was especially nice. We hope to see the others soon as well, as we will be back in Virginia and Vermont in January, and down in California for Tyler Do's baptism in late February or early March.
Love to all, Rich
4 comments:
What a fun day. It sounds like you and Paula had a great time.
Beautiful picture and great post. Miss you all.
Great pix, does my "Best Mantle Award" come with a framed certificate?
That can be arranged. I will work on that one. Hope you are all having fun. PMV
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