Our "go to" place

Over the years our "go to" place has shifted from Vancouver or San Francisco to Portland. We love the fact we can be down there in a couple hours, enjoy a tax free experience and some of the best food we have ever eaten. We can consistently find good deals on hotels and Portland is a very walkable city. We headed down to Portland after Christmas once we decided not to venture up to Vancouver or down to Salt Lake City. Random I know.

Christmas day

Christmas day was simultaneously tough and wonderful. It was great to spend time with my family, but my heart could not help but ache for how I thought this Christmas was going to be. My parents spent countless hours decorating their home, making delicious food and creating a Christmas scene like something straight out of a movie. Santa brought us endless games and we tried our hand at almost all of them.

Christmas ships

Very few activities have we done every single year since we have been married, but Christmas ships are one of those tradition we have. Typically, we can count on cold weather, great views of Christmas lights, loads of holiday tunes, hot cocoa and a fun evening of singing and dancing aboard a ship. This year we planned on a very pregnant me, so although this year is turning out much different than we planned for we held each other a little tighter and did our best to keep our sorrow at bay.

Christmas in Seattle

There are so many great reasons to venture downtown this time of year. If you time it right you will not have to brave the crowds or fight for a parking spot. Here are some of my favorite Christmas traditions:

1. Pike Place Market Christmas Lights- wander around the market with hot chocolate in hand as you check out the Christmas lights which include a pig drawn sleigh and various fruits and vegetables. Particularly after a good rain the streets are glossy and the produce some brilliant reflection for photographs.

O Christmas Tree

The adorable little Christmas tree gracing our front porch has been with us for a couple years now. We have moved with it, and kept it both outside and inside at various points in time. This little tree has endured rain, sleet, snow, wind, drought and near death. At one point it started to loose a lot of it needles and I almost wanted to cry. I love this little tree and it has been exciting to see its continual growth over the past couple of years. I have realized when you work hard to keep something alive it makes it all the more special. I like to think it is happy and standing proud adorned with its red Christmas balls this holiday season.

December 2010

October 2011

January 2012

Seasons of life

Normally, it is with sheer delight I embark into the holiday season. I typically have my Christmas shopping near completion, my Christmas cards in the works and all my gifts shipped by mid December. This year is decidedly different. I am pairing down my to do list, trying to focus more on the real meaning of Christmas and making a conscious effort to spend my time doing more meaningful things. Although, we have a handful of events to attend, a couple excuses to get all decked out and long list of Christmas movies to watch I will do my best to not get wrapped up in the frenzy of the season.

Christmas in Arizona

We hiked up to see a Christmas tree and enjoyed the one in Cameron's parent's home.

 We enjoyed the company of each other.

 The mood was festive, the decorations galore.

 We enjoyed the lights at the Mesa Temple

 and the random ornaments on the trees.

 The sunsets were divine.

 The decorations were unique.

And the biggest decisions of the day was dine in or take out.

Merry Christmas to you and yours

Take time to enjoy the little things and the important people in your life.

Merry Newsinator

In lieu of the traditional Christmas card, it is always fun to create one via Merry Newsinator. You cannot take yourself too seriously and it is always humorous to see what it comes up with.

And you think you electricity bill is high?

We hopped in the car and ventured down to the Menashe Family home to see the display of Christmas lights. Boy, oh boy, it does not disappoint. There was religious, non religious and just enough tacky to please even the toughest critic. One of the best parts was Santa taking off in a hot air balloon on the side of the house.

We also enjoyed several tamer displays, but equally interesting to the eye.

Holiday Tradition: Strolling Around Pike Place Market at Night

Pike Place Market is more than just a great place to find produce. Around Thanksgiving it turns into a fanciful display of lights and Christmas magic. I love strolling the cobblestone streets as all the vendors close up for the evening. My favorite decorations are the fruit and vegetables in front of the Public Market sign.

These strings of lights and little banners remind me of being in Little Italy in NYC.

The market would not be complete without Rudolf the red nose pig leading the way.