Christmas 2016, Canyon Lake, TX

For Christmas this year, Suzanne and I drove down to Canyon Lake in Central Texas and spent the holiday with Karl's family.  Their girls came from San Louis Obispo as they had last year, only this year we got to see them.  Suzanne has been preparing Christmas dinner every year since we were married, so this was the first time for her to have a relatively leisurely Christmas.  She contributed her southern-style bean casserole and we picked up a tray of traditional tamales at a nearby Mexican restaurant before we left Denton.

Karl prepared a prime rib roast for Christmas Eve at his and Connie’s house.  After dinner we opened presents, then headed back to our travel trailer early.

Christmas morning Karl went over to a neighbor’s house at 8 AM and spent the day cooking a turkey for about twenty guests for Christmas dinner that afternoon.  Everyone brought side dishes.  We joined the festivities in the afternoon and had dinner with Karl, Connie, Summer and Sugar.  The reason that Karl cooked a big dinner at someone else's house was that the couple has traditionally hosted a large Christmas dinner for a number of friends, but the husband died last January.  Karl offered to cook in his stead so that the tradition could continue.  I did not bring my camera along, since I felt that photography would be inappropriate.  But it was fun to meet many of the people Connie & Karl have made friends with during their nearly one year living in the trailer at the military trailer park and resort on Canyon Lake.