To California for Christmas

Jeff and family made plans to travel to California for Christmas 2024 to visit with Ashleigh and with Luke's family. Part of the motivation was the fact that Jeff and Darla have celebrated the Christmas story on Christmas morning with the girls all their lives, and this would continue that blessed tradition including Ashleigh in her location in Oceanside, California.

Jeff, Darla, and Elyse made the flight to San Diego on December 22 and rented a vehicle to travel to Ashleigh's house in Oceanside. Elyse had just had her tonsils removed on the previous Monday, December 16, so we were relieved to find that her youthful stamina and healing served her well to make the trip. Jordan and Luke made their flight to reach Long Beach and Luke's parents' home on December 23.

Jeff and Darla returned to Pearl River on Dec 27 and Elyse returned on Dec 30. Jordan and Luke due to return on

December 23, 2024

They arrived late last night and Ashleigh had to work today, but Jeff and Darla were out early to walk to the Pacific Ocean, about 15 minutes to the west of Ashleigh's house.

Jeff had been to the Pacific here when he came out with Ashleigh in late May, but this was Darla's first visit here.

December 24, 2024

On Christmas Eve, Jeff and Darla drove up to Crystal Cove State Park and met the Zell family there for a hike around the park. This included the tidal pools, which have remarkable marine life.

The distance from Oceanside to Long Beach is about 80 miles, so Jeff and Darla's drive was a bit more than halfway to get to Crystal Cove. This exploration was a celebration for the whole family there. From Long Beach came Luke and Jordan with Luke's parents, Brad and Jenni, and his younger sister Ava. From Oceanside Ashleigh came with Jeff and Darla and Elyse.
There were well-traveled trails along the bluff bank, and walking trails closer to the water.

The footing was certainly trickier down among the tidal pools, but the reward was seeing remarkable marine life there.

There were many anemones in the clear pools and you could reach down and touch them.
Jeff pointed out that you could touch an anemone in the center with your finger and it would wrap around it and hold tight. There was also an abundance of hermit crabs and colorful fish.

December 25, 2024

Jeff, Darla, Elyse and Ashleigh got to do their traditional Christmas Story on Christmas morning with Jordan joining by FaceTime from Long Beach up the California coast at the Zell home.
Later on Christmas morning Ashleigh, Darla and Elyse get to visit and we get to see some of the decorations of Ashleigh's house in Oceanside. The stockings on the wall were knitted by Jordan. We had only seen the outside at the time of Jeff and Ashleigh's arrival in late May.

About midday they got Ashleigh to open one of her Christmas gifts. She had told us about the Christmas tree she had bought and decorated. This gave us a view of more of the house Ashleigh has settled into and decorated for the time she is in California.

The gift was a digital stethoscope, the like of which we had never seen. We though it might be a good tool for her medical practice.

Darla and Ashleigh examine the digital stethoscope. Some similarities to the old standard instrument, but it read out heart rate and could display and ECG.
And we got to see a bit more of Ashleigh's decoration of her home.

Ashleigh continues to check out the neat digital stethoscope, which has an app for her phone and a data display on the patient portal.
This also shows more of Ashleigh's decoration as she has made herself at home in Oceanside.

Mom's heart got thoroughly tested as Ashleigh explored the features of her new tool.
At the same time we all got a good tour of Ashleigh's nicely decorated house.

In the afternoon, they headed for Long Beach to visit with Jordan, Luke and family.
Jordan is enjoying a set of wireless headphones. The technology for active phones and headphones that talk to each other continues to advance!