Tucson Holiday

Happy Holidays everyone! Chris and I are enjoying our Christmas trip to Tucson, AZ to visit my Mom and her hubby Bob this Christmas. We are here for a week and thus far have been really enjoying hanging out, hiking, and being in completely different surroundings.

Moon rise over saguaro cactus at Kings Canyon, Saguaro National Park

Christmas morning found us drinking coffee and opening stockings near the fire. Stockings are a tradition with my family and even though we promised no presents this year, due to pricey airline tickets, Mom surprised us with stockings anyway. My stocking contained a nice mix of old and new, some ornaments from my childhood, a locket belonging to our family being passed on, and some new decorations for our tree. A very thoughtful and reminiscent way to celebrate the holiday. Then we moved on to a yummy breakfast, then a long hike at Kings Canyon at Saguaro National Park.

Petroglyphs at Kings Canyon, Saguaro National Park

We walked up the wash, looking at cactus, ferns from the recent rain that had greened up, rocks, and even Petroglyphs. It was such a neat way to spend time with one another, pointing things out, talking, joking, and marveling at our surroundings.

Mom and I hiking the wash at Kings Canyon, Saguaro National Park

We Scrambled up rocks, took in the sweeping views, spotted birds, and checked out the old mine along the trail. Then we headed home and, orchestrated by mom, cooked up a wonderful evening meal (it was mostly mom though).

Yummy Christmas Dinner, Tucson, AZ

Grilled pork tenderloin, roasted butternut squash, acorn squash, and sweet potato, stuffing, grilled green beans, and yummy sauteed red cabbage. The table setting included, Christmas Crackers, a throwback to when I was growing up in the British Virgin Islands. Chris had never seen these before, so it was really neat to cross hands and 'pop' the Christmas Crackers open with him, discovering paper crowns, jokes, and prizes. We had a wonderful Christmas day, and are looking forward to more visiting, talking, and laughing in the days to come. Merry Christmas everyone!