CHRISTMAS DAY 2015

Debra and I celebrated Christmas in two phases this year.  Last weekend we went to Woodburn for an early celebration with the Weathersbys.  

Today we stayed home and hosted the Vallos.

I've been battling an ill-timed cold for over a week now, which has put a bit of a damper on the season.  But today with the help of some hefty gulps of Nyquil I've been able to breathe fairly easily and to stay relatively cough-free.  My head is in a fog, but I can live with that.

We did not have a white Christmas, but we did have a beautiful view of snow-covered mountains on the horizon.

Nine of us gathered today to celebrate Christmas.  In the front row are (from left to right) Makiah, Alexia, Rylie and Gordon.  Standing in the back row are Ashley, Debra, Baylee, Josie and me.

Gordon and Rylie attempted to solve a puzzle that Silas made and gave to me as a Christmas gift last weekend.

Ashley also makes an attempt.

Alexia and Makiah color some pictures while Gordon and Rylie keep working on that puzzle.

Food preparation and consumption.

Sharing gifts.

Placing a bow on a nose. Also, nobody was able to figure out that puzzle.  Well, except the owner of the puzzle.

BUILDING MEMORIES

Debra has mentored three young girls over the past few years and I have been mentoring an eleven-year-old boy since he was nine. 

Last night we took our kids to see a play at a local, non-professional community playhouse, The Randall Theatre, and we watched a very well executed performance of Scrooge, The Musical.  Ebenezer Scrooge could actually sing!

After the show we took the kids home and picked them up again this morning for a Christmas craft party at Rogue Valley Youth for Christ, the organization that sponsors the mentoring program.

Debra and I, with our mentees, take our seats at the Randall Theatre and wait for Scrooge, The Musical to begin.

My mentee makes a candle holder out of a glass goblet while Debra and her mentee watch.

Decorating gift boxes together.

From the craft party to Dairy Queen.

Everyone at the table thought it was quite funny how my fedora left a thin red crease on my scalp.

THREE BIRTHDAYS

Alexia was born on Halloween.  Ashley and Baylee share a birthday on November 9th.  Today we celebrated all three.

Alexia requests a photo of herself.

Alexia requests a photo of herself with Makiah.

Ruth and Tom watch Alexia while Alexia watches birthday balloons.

Alexia and me.

The birthday girls.

Opening gifts.

Birthday photographers.

LITTLE TRAINS

I meet with HATS Club two Tuesdays each month.  HATS is an acronym for Helping A Teen Succeed and the group begins mentoring children before they reach their teen years.

Eric is one of three people who cooks meals for the kids each time we meet. Eric also owns a business in the area, Micro-Train Lines Company, which employs about 55 employees and which ships scale model trains to collectors around the globe.

Today, Eric hosted a field trip to his place of business.

This is our group before loading up into cars and heading for Micro Trains. I was on the other side of the camera.

Six of us rode together in Eric's vehicle.

Micro Trains is located in Talent just behind the Talent Police Department.

Eric enters the building to begin the tour.

Our carload arrived first.

Eric gives miniature trains to everyone in our group.

Eric's wife, Vicki, demonstrates the trains.

Lunch was provided before the tour began.

Waiting for the tour to begin.

Vicki was our tour guide and showed us each aspect of creating a micro train.

Each U.S. President has his own railroad car.

Our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln.

The first President I can remember, Dwight Eisenhower.

Lyndon Johnson was President while I was in high school.

The only President to ever resign, Richard Nixon.

The tour ends and we return home.