The holiday roundup! It’s been a merry few weeks and I’m fighting a pretty fierce case of the post-Christmas blues, but I’m also feeling immensely thankful for home and family and health and for the spirit of wonder that lives in both Isaac and Juliette. I don’t take for granted this cozy cocoon we’ve woven.
The gratitude meter officially kicked into overdrive on Thanksgiving Day – we spent a lazy morning on the couch, watching the The Grinch and eating the pumpkin bread that Juliette and I baked the night before.
And then we got on with the business of meal prep – Juliette took her usual post as cranberry sauce maker and pie glazer while I chopped veggies and peeled potatoes.
Desserts complete, we took an outside break to enjoy the sunshine and kick the soccer ball around.
And then a nap break, because we believe in giving ourselves in the gift of rest on holidays.
Shane kept the kids out of the kitchen after naptime so that I could finish up the potatoes, Brussels, and salad. It’s amazing what I can pump out when I don’t have a toddler underfoot!
A quick pre-dinner cocktail break…
And LET’S EAT. We’ve made a tradition of picking up BBQ from Peco’s the day before Thanksgiving and warming it up as our meat main. Easy-peasy and a bigger crowd-pleaser than turkey.
Turns out Isaac was more thankful for yogurt and applesauce than anything else this year. More ribs and mashed potatoes for me!
I’m mostly thankful for his multitude of facial expressions. We laughed extra-much that evening.
A post-dinner stroll, to let the food settle and to visit the neighborhood bear.
Dessert hour…
And more snuggles while the kids finished The Grinch.
Shane, Juliette and I watched Little Women after Isaac went to bed, as we do every year, and Juliette and I cried our eyes out when Beth died, as we do every year, and I felt like holiday season couldn’t have possibly gotten off to a sweeter start. What a perfect day with my favorite people.
I’m a stickler for tradition, but sometimes I can be flexible, so when Shane asked if I’d be interested in trading our annual pilgrimage to Mountain Creek Tree Farm for a fuss-free artificial tree, I said I’d think about it. We found a lovely prelit fake fir at Costco and Shane promised a mountain hike in lieu of the tree farm, and so it was a done deal. We bundled up and drove out to Gold Creek Pond the day after Thanksgiving for our consolation mountain time.
No regrets. It was frosty, but so beautiful.
Once we hit the sunny side of the lake, we stopped shivering and were able to kick back a bit to throw rocks and explore.
Not too bad, huh?
We grabbed a brewpub lunch on the way home and Shane raised a glass to the fact that he didn’t have to stress about securing a tree to the top of our car.
That afternoon we unboxed our tree and pulled out our Christmas bins. I love watching Juliette discover our treasure trove of decorations year after year.
Isaac learned the word “snowman” and has been toting around this mask on the regular.
Eggnog toast while we tree-trim and listen to Charlie Brown Christmas! Some traditions live on.
I’m a fan of simple white lights, but this tree comes with a color option and an option to flash from white to color every few seconds, which Isaac loved. He stood there for several minutes yelling GO! over and over, convinced he was changing the lights on command.
Shane got to work on the rooftop while Isaac shouted “Daddy! Get down!”.
And then Juliette and I slept by the light of our tree. Let the Christmas vibes roll.
Morning brought reading time in our living room blanket nest…
More shouting at the tree (the remote has since been hidden)…
And Isaac’s first viewing of The Polar Express.
Evening walks are so much fun at the holidays, complete with snowman hugs and Santa high-fives.
My mom spent the first week of December with us and Isaac really loved the evening Facetime calls with Grandpa.
And the Menashee House! Such a wonder. Isaac could have spent a couple of hours here, counting the Santas and watching the toy train run its tracks.
What a gift this family gives to West Seattle each year. Talk about sparking joy!
That first weekend in December brought craft time with Grandma (homemade gift tags for the win!)…
More loving gazes at the Christmas tree (I love it too, Buddy!)…
And a living room piano recital, in preparation for Juliette’s first real recital later that month. Juliette learned a whole smattering of Christmas tunes and it made me so happy to hear the tinkle of O Christmas Tree and Deck the Halls and We Wish You A Merry Christmas during her evening practice. Sweetest-ever soundtrack as I folded laundry or read Isaac his bedtime stories.
(What Isaac lacks in technique, he makes up for with style.)
More evening light walks…
And a few final snaps with Grandma before she headed back to Idaho.
I spent the second weekend of December with Nance and La Verne on our annual Ladies Getaway. This year we opted to venture a little further than our usual digs at Cedarbrook in SeaTac and booked a room at Suncadia Lodge. We almost bailed on our plans when we saw the dumping of snow in the forecast at The Pass, but we pressed on and I’m so glad we did. Cue the Cozy!
We lunched at Basecamp Cafe in Roslyn and spent a couple of hours chatting over our soups and sandwiches while fluffy flakes fell outside.
Quick market stop for chips, canned wine, and chocolate…
And then we got settled in our room, where we lounged and laughed. We took a short walk to see the grounds and then ate dinner at the Lodge, but my favorite memories of that weekend are the time we spent sprawled on our beds, telling stories and eating chips.
These friends…I hope this tradition lives on forever, no matter where we live or how old we are. I believe it will.
Whew! Made it to mid-December! And plenty more joy (and so many photos) still to come.