Photos - Christmas Trip to California
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Christmas Trip to California

David playing around on his first airplane ride. Kiersten and David pose in front of the MD-80 that brought us to San Jose. We travelled into the San Francisco to visit Amanda, college friend of Kiersten's. Near Amanda's parent's house was a park with extra large swings.
David certainly likes swings! This was at Jollyman park down the street from Kiersten's childhood home. The girls from Kiersten's high-school came over for lunch one Sunday. Pictured from left to right, Jess, the Dube's, Usma, Shama, Walter, and Greg. Everyone busy making Lefse, a Norwegian potato tortilla. It is usually buttered, spiced with sugar and cinnamon, and rolled. In this picture, Anita is busy balling the potato mash, Jess rolling the balls flat, and Kiersten QC'ing them as they come off the skillet. Later in the evening, Shawn takes over rolling while Kiersten continues frying the lefse.
After several hours, a finished pile of Lefse! Kiersten, Shawn, David, and Julie went hiking through a preserve belonging to Stanford. Along the way were these hay/metal sculptures that were, appropriately, bailing hay. Along the hike is a large radio-telescope of Stanford's, known as A close-up of the Dish.
Julie and Kiersten (and David) pose with Stanford's Hoover Tower in the background. As the hike was very long, David took many turns being held. We went over to Jess's parent's house. From the left after the Dube's, Greg, Jess, Al and Patti Liu. And those are Jess's adorable and friendly guinea pigs. Christmas Eve, and little Davy is dressed up to go the church.
Christmas Eve Christmas Morning, and David knows something's up. The stockings around the fireplace. Three new ones this year: David's, Tia's, and Charlie's. Julie dresses Tia and Charlie with capes. They were cute but they didn't last very long.
David excited about a new shirt from Aunt Julie. David even more excited about his cowboy boots from Aunt Julie. Earlier in the year, Anita spent much of a 3 week stay in Austin cracking pecans from the trees in the yard using an old style, difficult nut cracker. How appropriate then for Anita to give Kiersten a modern nut cracker to finish the many bags of uncracked pecans that remain.
Never too young to start playing ball. Later Christmas day, David dresses up in his Christmas outfit. The troop went hiking through the preserve (Fremont Older) down the road from Anita's house. Again it was cold and David was well bundled. Julie had plenty of help going up the hills as Tia and Charlie were ever eager to find new smells along the trail.
Silicon Valley in the background
Silicon Valley in the background Kiersten and Shawn visited the Stanford campus. This is in the main quad. The center piece of the main quad is the ornate Memorial Church. Shawn poses in front of the Golden Spike and the Silver Spike. These two spikes were of four ceremonial spikes used to complete the first transcontinental railroad, tieing together the Union Pacific and Central Pacific. Leland Stanford was cofounder and president of Central Pacific and a principal in initiating and executing the transcontinental railroad.
Anita, Kiersten, Shawn, and David travelled up to Sacramento to visit Shama, Kiersten's high school friend, and to see the capitol. Shama works for a judge on the appellate court. This picture is in Shama's office. Shama does a great job keeping David entertained while discussing law with her other visitors. Shama took the crew to the courtroom in Sacrament used by the Supreme and Appealate Court. Would you want this group of judges handling your appeal? Now presiding, the honorable Chief Justice Chunky-D.
Anita and Kiersten outside the capitol building. Kiersten, Shawn, and David outside the capitol building. The Senate Chamber.
The House Chamber David approves of the rotunda! All ex-governors of California have a portrait hanging within the capitol. Compare and contrast the style of portraits for Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown. One must admire Brown's decision for an abstract (cubist or post-cubist?) style. Outside the Governator's office inside the capitol.
The of the trip to Sacramento, David has the arrival of two teeth! Julie, Ben, Kiersten, Shawn, and David went to Point Lobos, on the coast south of Carmel and Monterey. It was cold and very windy. David was bundled with many layers, but that didn't prevent him from getting happy when the camera came out! Kiersten at Point Lobos Ben and Julie at Point Lobos
Kiersten, Shawn, and David at Point Lobos Point Lobos Point Lobos Point Lobos
Point Lobos Point Lobos Point Lobos Point Lobos
Point Lobos At a small beach at Point Lobos, seaweed was washed up on the shore. It was very bizarre to handle, the larger trunks passing as tentacles of a sea monster. Here's a picture with Ben, to give perspective. Ben was getting hungry for a seaweed salad.
This is Jenn Ramage, friend of Kiersten's from her time studying in Chile. David finally made it into downtown San Francisco. This is at the Ferry Building, still used as the port for ferries bringing commuters into San Francisco from other parts of the bay. From the Ferry Building looking out at the Bay Bridge.
David is impressed with San Francisco's tallest building, the Transamerica Pyramid. Kiersten and Shawn went to the top of Coit Tower, a monument built on top of a large hill. The view from the top was quite good. From atop the Coit Tower. The Golden Gate Bridge is in the distance with a container ship about to pass underneath. If you click the picture and zoom in, you can barely make out the windy portion of Lombard street. It's the 2nd major street from the left, the windy portion at the appex of the hill. From atop the Coit Tower: Alcatraz
Kiersten, Shawn, and David journeyed to Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco to see Kiersten's friend, Wendy Ramage. This is David's first trip across the Golden Gate Bridge, but as often the case, he was asleep. All had a great time with the Dube family visiting the Ramage family. Left to right, Wendy, Wanda, and Dan. Wendy and David had a special bonding.