Christmas in Portland 2015

Christmas Eve

We had a lovely Christmas in town this year, with time to relax and hang out with friends.  We spent Christmas Eve with Joe, Angie and Olivia Rock at their home.  Maddy and Olivia worked on a Gingerbread house with some help from Steve and Joe.  After that, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner with prime rib, potatoes, salad and a cake for dessert.  The girls snuggled together and watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, while the adults played a dice game- farkle.  Before we headed home, we exchanged Christmas gifts.  It was a nice, relaxing evening with friends!

It was pretty late when we got home, but Maddy managed to stay awake long enough to get milk and cookies ready for Santa and an apple for his reindeer.

The next morning we had my family's traditional Christmas morning breakfast - Breakfast Souffle.  Steve and I had mimosas, Maddy had sparkling grape juice - quite the festive breakfast!  Then we settled in for a morning of opening gifts, enjoying a fire in the fireplace and spending time with each other.  We missed our extended families during the holiday season of course, but it was also nice to enjoy the holiday together quietly, peacefully, as a family.  

Christmas Eve with the Rocks

Maddy and Olivia's Gingerbread House

Olivia and Maddy snuggle and watch the Grinch

Gifts from Joe, Angie and Olivia

Sharing gifts with our friends

Milk and Cookies for Santa, apple for the reindeer

 

Treats for Bear, too (dog sitting!)

Breakfast Souffle and Mimosas - Mmmm

Super excited about Penny the Piggy Bank!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo! Yay!

Happy Girl!

Special gift: Fish for Maddy!

 

The Polar Express

Maddy's Golden Ticket

This Christmas our family took a trip to Hood River to ride the Polar Express train to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.  The excursion mirrored the movie, which we watched together a few days before we headed to Hood River to board the train.  The conductor made his way through our car and punched Maddy's Golden Ticket with an "M" for Maddy.  We had a wonderful time enjoying hot chocolate and cookies served by waiters in white uniforms, music, the Polar Express story (read by the waitstaff) and watching the scenery go by as we made our way to the North Pole.  Our train ride was during the day, so we could see our surroundings, if not the holiday lights.  At the North Pole we saw Santa, and he boarded our train with his elves!  He spent time with each child and asked what he/she wanted for Christmas.  Maddy's answer to his question: "a piggy bank."  It was a great way to have some one-on-one time with Santa and enjoy the festivities of the holiday season.

All Aboard the Polar Express!

The Conductor Punches Maddy's Golden Ticket

Meeting Santa

Maddy's Bell - her Gift from Santa Claus

Preparing for Christmas and Cookie Party

Maddy Trimming the Tree

Our family spends Christmas in Minnesota with our extended family every other year.  This year we stayed in Portland which also meant we had a full fledged Christmas Tree to enjoy (the years we travel we refrain from getting a tree).  We had fun decorating together, and Maddy loved seeing the different decorations we've amassed over the years.  I think her favorite was a baby angel ornament that was Steve's. 

When the holiday decorations go up, it signals the arrival of our elfin holiday-time visitor, Simi Newmi (lovingly named by Maddy last year).  Maddy thoroughly enjoyed looking for Simi Newmi every morning when she woke up, and sure enough, he was always discovered in a different part of the house (after visiting Santa overnight to give a report on our family's behavior of course), sometimes getting into a bit of mischief.  Some of his escapades included: wrapping himself up in toilet paper, snatching our nutmeg (he was craving eggnog) and drawing stick figures on bananas with a sharpie.

We continued our tradition of hosting a Cookie Party, where I make cookies, eggnog with rum/brandy and hot buttered rum.  This year I didn't make quite as many cookies since the two weekends leading up to the cookie party we were out of town, but I don't think many people noticed.  We enjoyed the treats, kids used oodles of sprinkles to decorate Christmas cut-out cookies and we all had a good time catching up and discussing Christmas plans. 

I love the holiday season and the magic it brings for young and old, the lights, decorations and camaraderie.  Having a little one to share this with brings me so much joy!

Cookie Party 2016

Ladies at the Cookie Party

Kiddos downstairs playing/enjoying a movie

Wyatt and Wilson

Jon and Brett

Carolers at U.S. Bank Tower

Mike and Kate's Wedding Weekend

Mike Hyland and Kate Maher tied the knot in Las Angeles, CA on Saturday, December 4, 2015.  Lots of friends and family gathered together to wish them well and celebrate their love.  The wedding was stunning - Mike and Kate worked hard to create a space of love, light and beauty at 440 Seaton in LA.  We had an excellent time hanging out with friends new and old, enjoying a beautiful hotel (the Millenium) and even a lunch date with my sister Mila and her boyfriend Mark.

While Steve and I enjoyed LA, Maddy spent the weekend at the Sweany's house, having fun with Christy, Andy and Luella!  They even made it to the ChildRoots winter event: WinterFare!

Marnie at the Millennium Hotel

Marnie, Emily and Devon

Eric, Steve and Matty

 

Steve, Marnie, Mila and Mark

 

Butchy, Joe and Mike

Maddy and Lu = Diaper Heads!

Corinne Face Painting at ChildRoots WinterFare

Lu and Maddy all painted up!

Hot Chocolate Date with Christy

More Diaper Head Silliness!

Thanksgiving 2016

Family Awesome Night Turkey Family

We headed into the holiday season by holding a "Family Awesome Night" (Maddy's name for family craft nights) where we made ourselves a turkey family which we then hung in Maddy's room.  It was a fun way to prepare for Thanksgiving!  Soon after that Steve and I made Lefse to contribute to Thanksgiving Dinner at Chris DeCock's home just outside Seattle, WA.  Steve and I were lucky this year to have Wednesday through Friday off work, so Wednesday morning we headed to Chris's home where we met up with Chris, his parents Jane and Dave, sister Kim and nephew Riley (oh, and his large and lovable boxer, Koda).  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday with the traditional deep fried turkey, potatoes, salad, lefse and roasted vegetables.  Everything was delicious and it was nice to spend time with the DeCock family once again.  Maddy got in lots of reading and games (Scrabble and the Fairy Tale Game) and loved hanging around Koda.  This year she was almost big enough to stand her ground...almost. : )

Friday we went to the Seattle Market and walked through, looking at all the beautiful seafood, fruit, flowers, hats, scarves and artwork for sale.  We then went to Elliot's Restaurant down on the water for our traditional oyster and seafood appetizers (one of my favorite stops!)  It was lots of fun, as usual!

Saturday we headed out, but before heading back to Portland we took a trip to Lisa (Steve's cousin) and Nicole Lantau's to meet their little boy Miles!  It was great to see Lisa and Nicole, meet Miles and give him a little dinosaur hat we picked up at the market.  Maddy had a blast because she loves hanging out with kiddos younger than her AND Lisa and Nicole have 5 little doggies = heaven for Miss Maddy.

A fun trip all around!

Making Lefse to bring to the DeCock Thanksgiving Celebration

Jane and Maddy reading

Dave and Maddy = buddies

Maddy, Chris, Riley and Dave playing Scrabble

Riley and Koda relaxing

Maddy reading with Chris

Maddy and Kim with Koda

Maddy meets Miles

Lisa and little Miles

Fun with little doggies!