Another Christmas at the Lodge. This year most of the west coast Jacobs girl families were able to attend. I went up about a week before everyone else, to get the lodge opened up and cleaned for the throng. Mary Beth, Katie, John and Jim came in early followed by Jeremy, Jodie, Brandon and Brooke. Then Pattie, Mom, Noah and Rylie came in with Melanie, Jenny, Ryan, Alayna following. Mary and Lynn came up followed by Zac, Julia, Brayden, and Hanna for Christmas Day. Angela drove up from Elk Grove and Alayna's boyfriend came up as well. After Christmas, Jessica flew into Sacramento and joined us with her little boy Jackson (unfortunately her hubby had to work at his new store in San Diego area and could not make it).
Though there was not a lot of snow, there was enough to let the little guys sled and we added snow by the truckload as we dug it up from the drifts around the culdesac. The sled hill this year was long, not too bumpy and fast! The kids also got to play some basketball at the school and Rylie got to practice using her new bow and arrows in the back yard.
Uncle Jim took an entourage down the hill to cut down the Christmas Tree, while I lead a group of 2 year olds to adults in making our annual Christmas Craft ornaments. We watched Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation (for John), the Christmas Story (for Ryan - you'll shoot your eye out kid) and sang Carol's and then uncle Jim read night before Christmas before the little guys went off to bed on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day was a crazy scene of kids opening gifts, running around with their new treasured toys, food prep and the opening of our new lodge logo T shirts and Sweat Shirts and Coffee Cups (art courtesy of our resident artist Mat). Jim had shirts and sweats printed for everyone. Then we had the T- shirt shop from the samples Jim brought up. Jim also got us some branding irons so that we can burn wood with our names, etc. The irons can be heated in the lopi or over an open fire (if we ever get to burn outside again).
Christmas dinner was prime rib (yum!). Later that week, a splinter group went up to the summit and went kid skiing and tubing. Another trip was made to Northstar for ice skating and smores over the firepits. Those of us with colds opted out. People began to leave over the weekend, followed by the arrival of our next set of guests.
Karen and Larry came in for New Years. It was a sharp contrast from the noise of the family to having a New Years celebration with friends. We rung in the new year by going to Boomtown for Dinner then doing a bit of gambling at the slots. Karen, Larry and I are no gamblers, but Jim managed to win a bit at the blackjack tables before we headed back to the lodge for the actual midnight call. For New Years Day, we went down to old town Auburn and walked around the shops. For dinner, Karen made black-eyed peas and mustard greens for good luck (YUM!). Larry BBQd some tri-tip using Texas Mesquite. We used the new branding irons to burn a board with the Dillman name before they left the lodge. It was so great seeing both Karen and Larry, we are hoping next time they come up we have a bit more snow. But even without it we managed to have a pretty nice time.
Karen and Larry left to be followed by nephew and niece Adam and Leah and little Carter. Though Jim and I were still down a bit with colds, we still had a great time visiting! We were so very happy that they took time out of their schedule to bring Carter up for his first skiing experience on the Summit. He went snow tubing, on the tube carousel and got to try out downhill skiing at Soda Springs. Am I seeing an Olympic Downhill racer in the future? Maybe. I think he may have enjoyed sliding down the snow hill more than skiing. But again, he is only 2 1/2.
While Adam and Leah were visiting, we met some fellow historians that have been visiting the summit for over 60 years. They shared some information with us and we promised to share blogs, emails etc to match up what we know of Emigrant Gap history and hiking trails! Very exciting.
I also received a request from the Donner Summit HIstorical Society to write up what I know about the gap. I am pondering that request. And finally, I had a nice conversation with Eleanor for the new year.
ALL IN ALL a great way to close off 2013 and ring in 2014.
