I could hardly wait for the plane to land in Jacksonville, Florida.  We are off to the Paschal family reunion in Saint Augustine.

 

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  My family decided to have our reunions early in December so that each of us could have their own children and grandchildren for Christmas Day.

 

Don and Judi Paschal were the hosts this year.  They picked Saint Augustine as the perfect location for a Christmas meeting place.  A home located near the city center was rented for us to share.  Our itinerary included a trip to the Saint Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. 

The lighthouse was built about 150 years ago and still supports our military, our navigation systems, our fishing and  our boating.  Most of us wanted to climb the lighthouse.  My son, Kevin breathed a sigh of relief when his 81 year old mother decided to stay on the ground.

 

As we came across the harbor, crowds had gathered to watch the boat parade.  I don't think we would have seen many boats through the crowds.

 

Instead, we took a private tour of the city.  The driver was very knowledgeable about the history of the city.  The homes and shops were beautifully decorated.  It was hard to believe that some of them were built in the 1700s.

 

On the corner of St. George and Hypolita Streets in the heart of the city was the Columbia Restaurant. The cuisine was Spanish and Cuban. We were enjoying outstanding food in this dazzling location. 

 

The next evening was the Nights of Lights Festival. Can you imagine three million twinkling holiday lights?  We rode a shuttle through America's oldest city and threw fake reindeer antlers to the children lining the street.

 

The best part of the trip was getting to spend time with our relatives.  The memories of 60+ years brought much laughter and tears.  There were many stories about events I had forgotten.  We shared the traditions of our individual families. My son remembered putting up the Christmas trees.  We always had a few new ornaments that were specifically about their interests that year. Soldiers, airplanes, and cars decorated our trees.We always had cookies and hot chocolate while we reviewed the year and made New Years Resolutions.  When each boy married, I gave him the box of his ornaments for the start of his own family and Christmas tree.

 

Christmas is the time when people are kinder and the world seems more beautiful. We are so fortunate to belong to a loving family who have always cared for each other.  I can't wait until next year!

 

Merry Christmas!