Post-Christmas Fun

Our post-Christmas family time afforded us the heartwarming yet bittersweet opportunity to celebrate Marvin and Susan’s 25^th wedding anniversary, which Susan missed by just one week. The blended (salad bowl theory, not melting pot theory) Rytting-Monson clan assembled at a luxurious vacation resort in Newport Cove, both to commemorate the silver anniversary and to recommit to family unity.

Among tidal pools and seagulls, we enjoyed a gorgeous first morning at the beach. The golden sunlight and vibrant waves lit up the backdrop of many choice family pictures, but still technology could not quite capture the calm and bliss that illuminated these December beach-goers. The atmosphere truly seemed to represent Susan’s lifelong Mother’s Day wish for peace. What a fitting way to honor both an inspirational marriage and an inspirational person!

Here are some other clues to our activities during this fun-filled family anniversary.

- Have you ever posed in front of a Christmas tree with your feet in the sand? And have you ever actually seen Santa’s sleigh, much less his skiff?

- How many muscles did Nick and company crush? How many muscles did Lauren feed to seagulls?

- What was the best part of lunch at the Shake Shack—the fabulous shakes or the darling bouquets that Trevyn brought his mommy?

- How many kids thought that they should have rights to—or possession of—Jonathan’s new collection of cars?

- Who did Papa spoil with a Wii gaming console and several new games (and does Papa Claus have a skiff)?

- Which person found his height advantageous when playing tetherball against the rising generation? (And which toddler nearly received a head wound during the game?)

- The two adult sports fans challenged each other to a game with sticks and balls, but it wasn’t baseball. What was it?

- Which child did not buy a book but still spent his/her Borders allowance?

- How many people finished their entrées at the Cheesecake Factory, and how many people ordered dessert?

- How many charms are on Kristina’s aunt bracelet? How many birthstones?

- Some of the family prolonged the vacation in favor of celebrating New Year’s Eve at Disneyland. Which child stayed in the actual park past midnight?

- What rides at Disneyland and California Adventure Land will Arianna ride, but her older cousins will not?

- Which character did Carlos kiss, and which did he diss?

- How many times did Keyne go on Soarin’?