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Traveling at Christmas- Encore #2

So here is Encore Christmas Post # 2 (again originally posted in July 2009)...  I'm slowly but surely getting it together, so maybe I can start posting original things again.  I did manage to get all the dang trees decorated around here (lovely Christmas spirit, right?). 

I had a minor set back to my schedule last week when my Grandmother went to the doctor, found out she had had a heart attack, but then failed to disclose that portion of the doctor's report on the re-telling to the family.  Then we asked enough questions, discovered the truth, and made her go to the hospital on Friday where she had two stints put in her heart because it was over 90% blocked on one side and according to the doctor "she was on borrowed time"! 

I went home to take my grandpa to see the neurologist today for his Thanksgiving stroke.  He got a good report and seems to have improved a lot.  My grandmother is doing great too.  I told them we've had enough of this falling apart at the seams and it's time for them to keep it together! 
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Many of my fondest Christmas Memories don't involve being at home. We began traveling to Taos, New Mexico when I was pretty small. We went for a week (Friday to Friday) and were always there over Christmas. Each year, we stayed at a wonderful place called the St. Bernard. Santa would visit me in Taos. He would fill my stocking and would bring one or two gifts, but he left most the loot back home and I had to wait to get it. I LOVED to ski, so that was okay by me.


If you look just below the ginormous goggles and just above the neck warmer, you can see I have a huge smile on my face!

Here I am, a little snow bunny.



We broke off the ski tradition at some point, and then when I was in junior high, we picked back up and went skiing with two other families. We usually left late on Christmas night or early, early on the 26th to head for Taos.

Once in Junior High, we went to the Bahamas for Christmas (but I couldn't find photographic proof!)

The next photos are from a trip to NYC in 1995...

Please disregard my horrible hair. I was in college, rebelling against my curls, and though I'm right handed, I did not have the use of my right hand on this trip (please note purple cast peeking out from the sleeve of my coat). Thank you.
It is hard to find ANYTHING better than NYC at Christmas
The Rocketts at Radio City, the Tree, Little Italy, the window displays...
It is a magical time to be in the city.
My paternal grandparents got married on Christmas Day, so to celebrate their 50th in 1997, 20 or so of us went to Cozumel.
On Christmas Day, my Mom and I flew in an itty bitty scary plane over to the mainland to visit Chichin Itza Mayan Ruins.

This is some of what we saw...

and climbed (none of those butts are mine by the way)...





and had to climb down (my Mom said she wasn't going to climb down and I remember telling her I didn't think they would let her "move in" up there in the temple)




Traveling has been such a part of so many Christmases, that it almost feels strange to stay at home and celebrate.

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