Christmas at 1704!

Getting ready for Christmas Eve Dinner

Andrew chugs down the road from Chico for Christmas Eve - Jeff is happy to see him (we all are!)

Jeff and Jackie taking a break to say "cheese" between dinner and "the cousin gift exchange"

The kids' table for dinner has always been where it's at! [Even once the kids are no longer small]

Much laughter and general hilarity on Christmas Day playing a new card game while Grandma sleeps on the coach

Smile big for Kenny and Rachel and Zak!

Remember how Tinkerbell appears in Disneyland? Well Jordan will be photo-shopped in from Nicaragua same magical way! Just believe

ALL of the Staking clan is smiling at the same time - woo hoo!

Boy cousins make nice for the cousin gift exchange - handsome crew!

You know who - goofing off for the camera!!

Christmas Day: Brandon is chilling with his new Ipod and Grandpa is watching football (or is it basketball?) 

Family Portrait: Ali, Grant, and Petrie

Matt and Grant out back "running the dogs"

Decorating for Christmas!

On Sunday the 5th of December, the clan in town gathered to set up Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas decorations - and to celebrate "Aunt Kimmie's" birthday. Everyone found a way to help, but Aunt Kimmie forgot to take pictures of some of the excitement. Not pictured helper elves: Brandon who helped Grandpa put up the Christmas lights, Randy and Jerry who wrestled the tree into the house and got it set up on the stand, Grant and Ali who did the tree lights, and Sasha and Karri who set up most of the Christmas Nativities on the shelves that Grandpa had painstakingly emptied of their usual treasures. Pictured below: Allie and Jenna and Ali decorating the tree, Jocelyn and Aiden providing charm and the Christmas spirit of child-like glee (while concentrating on the tasks at hand), with help from Mama Terra and Grandpa/Grandma J. Also pictured below, all of us having our usual fun hanging out, eating, and singing happy birthday. Sorely missed this week but having fun in Texas, Aunt Colleen. Thanks to Brandon, Allie, and Grandpa for the photos! Joyous and happy Holidays, everyone!

Thanksgiving Tree Cutting

Hi family here there and everywhere! 

While we were having our customary good time together cutting trees this past Thanksgiving weekend (and musing about if Rachel and Zak would have a tree, where in Arizona Lauren would find a place to cut her own tree - but not doubting her for a moment - and wondering if Courtney would be "traditional" in the Van Vliet way and cut a tree herself or start a different Cooke family tradition - see, we DO talk about you all the time!), we decided to start our OWN Bay Area family blog and let you know, mostly by pictures, what is going on here. That is to say, we hope to make you so jealous of all the fun you are missing that you will get yourselves in gear, hop in the car and come over to see us more often. We miss and love you all! The Bay Area Family