HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - Christmas 2003....
Christmas Eve at our house and Christmas Day at Mom & Dad's house in Cape and at the Farm. 
Click photo for a larger view.

Alan opening presents from Cindy Claus at our house

Santa Baby brought Cindy a new Sony Cybershot Digital Camera -so lots of web photos this year!

More shots of our house decorated for the holidays.

More Christmas Eve practice shots!

The next few photos are at Mom & Dad's.

This is as much of a smile as I could get 
from Adam ;-)

Andy says "When can we open presents?"
(I think he gets that from his mom!)


I have to set these next few photos up with a story. Years ago, when we were kids, we had the Allan Sherman's Camp Granada board game (remember the song, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, Here I am at Camp Granada"?). Anyway, as we got older and didn't play it as much, Mom gave it away to a toy drive for needy kids. Needless to say my sister, Candy, had never forgot the game and used to mention it over the years - how she wished she could still have the game.

Anyway, last year I was on eBay bidding on some items and decided to look for Camp Granada. Found out it's a very popular item and it took awhile before I finally won an auction. This was last July. So I mentioned to Candy that I got a present for her on eBay. I gave her lots of vague hints and she even questioned whether it could be Camp Granada, but I disguised the package so she didn't know.

I bought a mixing bowl for her, too and told her the two packages went together - so even as she opened the first package, she had no idea that the big present was the Camp Granada game.


Hmm, a mixing bowl...what could present #2 be?


Oh yes, Camp Granada!


Candy and Alexis playing the game, at last!


Candy's childhood friend, Liz came by for a surprise visit. Liz's parent's used to live behind Al's parents when the kids were growing up, so it was fun for all to visit.

Santa Liz asks Candy what she wants for Christmas. Unfortunately, Candy has been naughty and won't be getting a thing (haha).


Cindy's friend, Mary Linda
who lives in San Jose, was in
town for the holidays.

Al and Cindy drove over to the farm in Illinois to look over the pecan grove that Alan's dad planted over many years.  Below, Al walks in the center part of the grove. 


Looking down a row of trees to the west.
The old windmill from the farm is still standing, although tattered by the winds.


Al walking through the grove.

Al stopping for a photo 
op from Paparazzi Cindy.


A view of the farm field to the south.


Looking southeast by the grain silo.


Al walking toward the shed.

This was our first trip over the new Missouri-Illinois bridge at Cape, so on our way back to Missouri, we took some photos.


The new and the old bridge standing side-by-side, for now.

The old bridge, looking rusted and worn, built in 1927, it's seen better days.

A view from the center of the new bridge.

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©2003 Cindy Rawlins. All rights reserved.