Mike, Lauri and I opened our gifts to each other this morning. They got me this archeological atlas that I've been drooling over. And a promise of a coffee pot since mine quit working months ago and I haven't gotten another. They seemed to like what I got them, also, so we were all happy.

We then drove up to Catalina to spend the day with my father and my brother and his family. It was good to see them all. The kids are so big. Beth is in college and Matthew is hoping to be at the Air Force Academy in a couple years and Michael is so excited about life. I even talked with Crystal who is at school in England. We exchanged gifts with them and I was relieved that what I bought them worked. It's hard when you aren't around someone very much to know what they want and/or need.

My sister-in-law had sliced the tip of her thumb off not long before we got there and was not feeling too good. My niece, who is studying to be a veterinary technician, bandaged her up with her handy dandy first aid kit, including a plastic protector. Oh, that must have hurt!

We had a nice meal together. We all ate too much, and then we talked and enjoyed being together. On a quick run to the convenience store to get a couple things that we needed for lunch, my niece picked up a hair lightening kit and after lunch Lauri helped her streak her hair. Diane also helped and I looked in a few times, but was rather superfluous. They did a nice job.

My father seemed quieter than usual. He usually keeps up with the rest of us in the talking department, but today he didn't say that much. It worried me as he has always been such a gregarious and outgoing person.

This evening we went to see Galaxy Quest. It was very funny. We laughed all the way through it. It satirized Star Trek and Trekkies but could fit many fans and stars. I don't always like Tim Allen's humor as it gets too stupid much of the time, but he did very well in this film and hit the right balance.

It's been a long day but a good one. I'm not big on having family around all the time, but this was a good day, if a little strange since it's been years, fifteen or twenty, since I've spent Christmas with any of my brothers. I hadn't realized that it's been that long, but it has to be at least before we moved to Arizona in 1985. It was always enough of an effort to just have enough money to buy my children some presents and traveling to visit was more than I even contemplated. In the last few years I've had both my father to spend time with and Mike and Lauri.