Another Christmas has come and gone full of memories, surprises, and of course feasts! Here's our attempt to recreate a little of our holiday magic for you! Enjoy, we sure did!
Spending Christmas in a new house is always exciting, and it was for us all. After enjoying our second annual tree cutting ceremony and moving some furniture around, we fit our tree nicely in front of our big view window which set the perfect holiday mood. We got tons of cards and pictures from friends and family (thank you for all the love and support) that lined our half circular fireplace perfectly, reminding us of all our family in Michigan and abroad. The boys lined our circular stairs and the outside patio with lights which lit the whole house up wonderfully! We pulled out the John Denver and Kenny G Christmas cd's and set out the cookies and eggnog to prepare for the "official" festivities. With so much scurrying and adjusting these past few months, we were all very ready for a few days of relaxation, enjoyment, and holiday cheer!!
Christmas eve started early for us Westcoasters! Eric led the troops in a winter wonderland adventure up to Alpental in Snoqualmie. We set off early with Katie, Emma, and of course little man Jake for their first snowy hike. We were all amazed by the amounts of snow the mountains had. The road plows were easily 8-10 feet along the base. The trees were weighed down by the tons of snow that the branches barely could sustain themselves. Jake was the most amazed and expressed it in tons of pointing and "WHOA's", "COOL's" and gasps!! He was so excited in the car ride and was so anxious to get out and play. Even though these mountains are only an hour or so away, the snow is good indication of the cold. We all were way under prepared for it, but we tried our best. Once we got as warm as we could, and strapped Jake to Eric's back we headed up to the hills for a little frolic. Luckily the snowshoers groomed a nice trail for us otherwise we would all be hiking in snow up to our knees! We saw some beautiful views, fell in the snow a few times, and cleaned our minds, spirits, and lungs with some amazingly crisp, clean, mountain air! It is an experience that will bring peace to any level of discontent. Jake enjoyed tromping through the snow until he kept getting stuck hip deep and face planting. Being a native Seattlelite, little guy wasn't so keen on the intensity of the snowburn. But, overall he loved his first snowy mountain hike and we know he will be itchin' to get back out with his Daddy soon!! Thank you Gigi for the camo snow boots and gloves to make Jake's first trip a success!
After our trip back we were pleasantly greeted by Gigi's table full of treats and appetizers and of course festive napkins, tablecloths, candles, and music. She really is awesome at setting a mood with her decor and table settings! We all freshened up, got some eggnog, and started chatting about the evening, when Kenrick called to check in and tell my mom to check outside for a package. All of a sudden there was screaming from Emma, hysterical crying from my mom and Maggie when instead of a UPS box, Kenrick himself came walking in! My dad had surprised my mom with a ticket for my bro to come in for the holiday, just in the nick of time!!! I even saw my dad shed a tear in delight as we all jumped in for a FULL family hug! After the dust cleared and everyone caught their breath, we noticed a little something out back. OMG a lost little white and black spotted dog with a sign in his mouth "To Seattle" was waiting to be found! Zephar had hitched a ride with Kenrick and made anyone who wasn't teary the first round crack up with joy and amazement! OF course Emma REALLY lost it!! She had no clue! It truly was a great start to the holiday! We enjoyed the evening with some great entertainment from Jake who had his dancing shoes ON and loved showing them off to all his fans! We truly are blessed! Good job Poppi! After opening up his gifts from his aunties and uncle and putting on his "Christmas Jammie's" Jake settled into a long winters night sleep. Once Jake was sound asleep, we all feasted on our one splurge a full on surf-n-turf Christmas eve feast Westcoast style with Alaskan King Crab instead of East Coast lobster. We evened opened a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle's Col Solare 1998 (one of Eric's favs). After eating a stick of butter each to wash down the crab we all nestled around the fire to enjoy each other. Those are the moments that make it all worthwhile! Santa and his elves displayed some serious magic this holiday bringing unexpected delights. We were all pleasantly surprised and satisfied!
Christmas morning was just as anticipated, Early! Jake had some internal instinct that this day was special! He woke up and wanted to go downstairs and have a fire the moment he got up. We rallied the troops, set up the video, got the fire AND COFFEE going, and headed down stairs to see what Santa "hohoho" left under the tree. Jake was besides himself and didn't quite know what to do. He immediately went for his huge dump truck and started playing with the blocks. He opened one gift and needed to take a break for some blueberries and breakfast! Our son choosing food over presents, just like his parents! He finally got into a few more gifts but couldn't finish as he was too overwhelmed and wanted to focus on a few favs like: his portable stove, pots and pans from Gigi and Poppi, his alphabet/phonics game with light up buttons, his baby sized broom, and the winner his shopping cart which at first he just wanted to get into until he realized he could push it around and ram people in the ankles!!! Success Santa! He also looked very HANDSOME indeed in his new half zip sweater, jeans, and sneaks from Grams and Gramps Beller! He is more stylish than ever! He likes feeling handsome and makes a cute shy smirk when he feels it. We will try to get you a pic of it soon!
After opening gifts and simmering over surprises, we feasted on our tradition holiday morning fare: strata with mushroom sauce (Eric said was my best ever, always a relief), sausage, fresh warm peaches, and mom's famous bundt cake! YUMMY! Jake plowed through the strata and allowed us to enjoy a breakfast in peace as he played with his toys. Ahhh, Christmas! We followed up the day with lots of relaxation, card playing, an appetizer cook-off, some goal setting, and a movie. It really was a great Christmas! And we plan to extend the enjoyment a few more days with Kenrick, Zepher, Maggie, and Ryder before they head back to Michigan on Saturday.
We want to thank everyone who sent us holiday spirit in the mail, over phone, and in person. WE are blessed more by all of your love and support and hope you feel our love in return! Please enjoy these pictures and videos from our Christmas! Know that you were all with us during these moments! We love you, miss you, and appreciate you! Merry Christmas and may you ALL have a wonderful start to the New Year!
Warmest Wishes,
Eric, Maria, Jake and Kai (Jake's little brother arriving March 2008)
***Sorry pics are so out of order and videos are coming soon! Thanks for your patience!
