Merry Christmas to all

Before we head down to warmer waters for Christmas, thought I'd share some pictures from our past week. Thanks to Lyssa Cole for lending me her camera until Santa brings mine! Hope everyone has a safe and blessed holiday.

Stockings hung with care


Getting so big!


My little reader


Annual shopping trip downtown with girlfriends



Ivar's Clam Lights




Gingerbread house making




The Winner

Christmas came early!

Will got to open his first Christmas present last night when Lyssa came over to hang out. It was a nice big Tonka truck which Will loves.
It was great spending time with Lyssa as always and Will sure put on a show for her. I think he's learned to show off already! Here's a video and some pictures I stole from Lyssa as well as a picture from the Cicero's Christmas party this past weekend:

Tis the Season

Let the Christmas festivities begin! This past week we had John's company Christmas party at Maggiano's and then another friend's get-together on Saturday. Another highlight from the weekend was a visit from Ben "Bill" Wilmarth, who is a childhood (and present) friend of Johnny's. Bill is moving to Idaho to pursue his career in golf course turf management, so we were glad to catch up and reminisce before he leaves.
One thing I love about Christmas is Christmas carols. Some of them are so beautiful and touching even though I've heard them a thousand times. A couple favorites in case you care to know are the "Little Drummer Boy" and "O Holy Night."
Let's see, what else...We got most of our decorations up, minus the tree which we decided to pass on since we'll be out of town over Christmas. Will loves looking at the lights and decorations at everyone's houses. We haven't taken him to see Santa yet. I can't wait to see his reaction. New developments for the little man in the past few weeks include waving at everyone and pulling himself up on furniture and cruising around. He's also chatting up a storm--can't be long before words start to form!
Hope everyone is having a good December!

So Cal Weekend

We just returned from a fun-filled weekend in Southern California. Too bad we missed the snow here in Seattle, but at least we got a little warm weather instead (that is, after the torrential rain on Friday). We spent Friday night at the beautiful home of Josh, Tiff, Cadence & Brielle Axene in Temecula, CA. The girls are seven months old and so sweet. Will had a great time with his cousins.
On Saturday, we drove to San Diego where the guys got to play golf at Torrey Pines and Tiff and I spent some time in the spa while Auntie Dawn and Mary watched the babies. It was wonderful! Saturday night, John and I got to tag along for the Axene Health Partners' "Annual Meeting" which consisted of lots of good food and fun times talking with the rest of the family. We spent the night at the beautiful lodge at Torrey Pines and then spent Sunday morning watching the Seahawks beat the Eagles. Wasn't a pretty game, but we'll take it.
Thanks for all your generosity, Axenes! We love you!
Unfortunately, our camera is out of commission so I'm hoping some pictures from the weekend will be sent our way.

Holiday Weekend

We had a great, family filled holiday weekend. Here are some pictures:

Grandparents with their grands
At Pike Place Market

Family game of Sequence

I Love Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is great. At our home it means low-key family time, food, naps, football watching, maybe some sort of physical activity and time reflecting on the blessings in our life. Not much fluff or over-preparation which means I'm never disappointed. I also find it special that Thanksgiving is a holiday unique to our country (well, maybe Canada celebrates it too, but on a different day). Oh, and I can't forget to mention that I LOVE all Thanksgiving foods! Mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes, especially when they're all mixed together.

We're celebrating at my parent's house in Issaquah this year. Mom's oven just broke, so we're all pitching in to complete the meal. I've got my 20 lb bag of russet potatoes ready to go for the mashed potatoes and the Remlinger Farms pies are in the freezer.

Will helped me out at the grocery store today while I picked up a few items. Crowded grocery stores are the only thing I don't like about Thanksgiving, so I was glad to have my sidekick with me for support.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

Leaves keep falling on my head...

While our yard is pretty low maintenance, we spend a lot of time outside raking this time of year. Here is Will enjoying a pile of leaves:

p.s. Congrats to Todd & Laurel, we can't wait to have another niece!!