THE HOPKINS CLAN

The Hopkins clan and their families are all represented in the above slideshow. My brother and his family flew out from Wisconsin and enjoyed being here for over a week. My sister and her family drove up from California the Sunday before Christmas. Our family drove down from Moses Lake, Washington the Saturday before Christmas, giving Dale a day or so to visit with everyone before returning to work due to schedule conflicts at work. Sixteen of us enjoyed close quarters for a week, visiting, playing, laughing, eating, and creating memories. Thanks to mom and dad who literally planned and saved their pennies to help make this all happen. It will be a memory to cherish for the rest of our lives.

FAMIY GATHERING

December 23rd brought together four generations of family for fun, dinner, games, singing, photos, and lots of visiting. My grandmother who is 94, was unable to eat that evening and sat in awe of all 42 members of her family represented in one room during these few short hours. Several members were missing, including my husband. Had they all been present, the number would have grown to 50. In another year there could possibly be three more added to our clan. I sat amazed at the amount of family I have and how close we really all are even though much time lapses between our visits. Had my grandfather been present, it would have been his and grandmother's 72nd anniversary. As my mom reminded everyone, grandpa would have sat there and said, "Martha, look at what we started." In our day and age when so many families do not get along or they are scattered many directions, we all felt blessed to know the ties that exist still continue to be tied tight.

MT. HOOD SNOW DAY

December twenty-second found the whole Hopkins clan, my uncle, and my cousin's family at Mt. Hood enjoying a day playing in the snow. The mountain was beautiful for a few minutes, showing off its white dress against a deep blue sky. The fog did not stay away long, but the glimpse the mountain allowed us to take in of its magnificence seemed to be a moment of awe to four of my nieces and nephews from Wisconsin who had never seen a mountain so tremendous in size. After eating lunch at Timberline we quickly set off for Snowbunny to sled. I think our whole group took up at least half of the hillside. Ten cousins, 14 and under, squealed and laughed as they went flying over the snow. At one point, some of the younger children took a trek through the woods with snow sometimes up to their calves. Nine adults lined the top of the hill overseeing and enjoying the show, intermittently taking a child for a ride on their lap or their back. It does not get much better than this.

MT. HOOD LODGE

The day on Mt. Hood came to a completion at a lodge made available by my uncle and aunt who own a condo in a small town called Government Camp at the base of the mountain. The lodge provided a warm pool, hot tubs, big fireplace, and cozy furniture to curl up in for a good visit. Pizza, cold beverages, and hot cocoa filled the tummies of some very hungry snow bunnies. Another cousin and his family joined us, giving us time to catch up with them and see their youngest one. The noise made by the kids in the pool could be heard all throughout the condo village, while some of the adults took to relaxing in the hot tub. The generosity of my uncle and aunt cannot be described and they lavishly contributed to the making of many memories that cannot ever be replaced with anything but fondness.

CHRISTMAS 2009 FUN PICTURES

Some good ole' fashion fun took place during our Christmas season, celebrated in Oregon with my brother's family, my sister's family, our family, and my parents. Lots of goodies prepared certainly added to the holiday spirit. Cousins settled on the floor playing with legos, dolls, or games reminded us that home is where the heart is. My brother taught Spencer some orienteering skills for Boy Scout advancement, which ended up in a hike at Tryon Creek State Park. While the boys bushwacked their way through the woods attempting to find their route by compass and map, the rest of us stayed on the path. My niece drew me into the fantasy world of Narnia as we hiked through trees covered with green moss that hung like hair on the branches. The evidence of lightning left trees hollow, which we quickly declared to be the accomplices of the White Witch. A lamp post shown through the woods, roused the anticipation of a seven year old causing us to run quickly to its location. At home, my sister drew out an insane puzzle of a tiger, which many of us spent time attempting to sort out colors, shapes, and sizes. Hopefully she will complete it before she and her family leave so that we can actually see the finished piece via a photo. The hotel in which some of us stayed allowed for both adults and children to enjoy swimming and relaxing in the hot tub and sauna. The slideshow above depicts only a brief overview of some of the fun times we shared together this Christmas season.

CHRISTMAS EVE 2009

Our family celebrated Christmas this year in Oregon at my parent's home with my brother and his family visiting from Wisconsin and my sister with her family visiting from California. The memories made this season cannot be adequately described. A feast of turkey and ham accompanied by traditional sidedishes and family recipies began the celebrations on the afternoon of December 24th. My grandmother, now 94 years in age, joined us for the celebrations, completing four generations of family members. The joyous sounds that came from eight children, all cousins around the table, cannot equal the sounds of the most famous symphony in the world. Grandmother still enjoys giving to her family, so after dinner, we sat around the Christmas tree, sharing in her awe that God gave her one more Christmas to experience four generations of her family. We may not have her much longer and we cherish each and every moment given to us. Following gift giving by grandmother, the family took in a Christmas Eve service at Evergreen Presbyterian Church where my parents serve and we attended when we lived in the Portland area. Dale joined us for the service after returning home the previous weekend to work for the week. Celebrating together the gift of Christ through carols, readings, prayer, and meditation will be memories to cherish for years to come. The children could hardly contain themselves for they knew what awaited them when they returned to grandma and grandpa's house. But before anymore gifts would be passed out, my father, now the patriarch of our family took time to bestow blessings upon each family, giving a passage of Scripture for each one to take home with them. Following these blessings came a prayer for each family, which was presented by mom. The gift giving ended the day's festivities. Full of memories, this season will forever stay in our hearts and minds.