Thanksgiving, LA, and Hanukkah 2006

We have had a fun-filled month of visiting family and friends. So much fun that I'm going to take three separate blogs to share all the pictures. First we'll start with the end of November and first half of December. Jonah started to smile all the time - especially when Ariella is around. We went to Mill Valley to spend Thanksgiving with our friends the Austins. Then the next weekend we drove to Los Angeles for a friend's daughter's bat mitzvah, and enjoyed seeing friends while in town. Back in Palo Alto, we celebrated the first night of Hanukkah before packing until 3:30 in the morning prior to departing on an 11-day journey to visit family, staying in 3 different locations!

In Mill Valley, Jonah and Abby in the sitting room, trying to figure out how to break the ice on their date :-)


Jonah: "This meeting will come to order"
Ariella: "What are you doing? I'm the boss!"


The kids in the Austins' mini-chairs


Isabel holding Jonah


In LA, we saw many friends, and were grateful to stay with Arlene while the rest of her family was in NY. Arlene took this picture after breakfast at Figtree's Cafe in Venice Beach


Afterwards, we played on the beach in 80 degree weather in December. Did we mention that there are some things we miss about LA?


Ariella examining a ladybug on the beach. You'll notice here that Ariella is wearing her new glasses, which she got at the end of November. They're purple, of course.


Before driving back to Palo Alto, I actually remembered to take a picture. Here's Andi, her friend Joana, and their second children Talia and Jonah.


Back in Palo Alto, Ariella's preschool had a Hanukkah celebration. The kids dressed up as candles and did a dance.


Ariella, the dancing candle.


Finally, on the first night of Hanukkah, which was also Shabbat, we celebrated Shabbat at our synagogue, celebrated Hanukkah at home late, and then STARTED packing for an 11-day trip at 10:00 at night! We were wiped out, and I'm wiped out now - so I'll post the Michigan and Atlanta trip pictures another day.