First up was church services on this early Christmas morning as the Burns are Catholic and still practice on occasion. Not only did Uncle Woody wear Christmas colors for the day, but Sophie went to church with us, kind of. She waited for us in the car.

Nope, we’re not at Jack-in-the-Box or at Cajun Kitchen; we’ve driven over to Santa Barbara proper, and if we are over the water, we’re not eating at the last remaining Sambo’s Restaurant either.

The pelican seems to mean business by glaring at us as if we could just pull a fish out of our pocket or something.

Breakfast was a special affair as we’d never eaten out here. We’re at Moby Dick Restaurant on Stearns Wharf. Not sure how many photos I have of Tata and me as she’s so reluctant to have her picture taken. I’d wager this is the one and only photo of her and me on Christmas day ever.

This giant fig tree in Santa Barbara has been here forever, or at least as long as I can remember, and in my memories as a child, it’s always been just this big. See human for scale.

Sophie, the German Shepherd; Caroline, the German Wife; and Uncle Woody – the invader of Germany on the beach in Santa Barbara.

A beautiful and memorable Christmas day in sunny California, in love and with family.