Good things come...

...to those who wait =) Does that sound braggy? I don't mean to sound braggy.

Name that TV show=)...

Anyway, just wanted to give a big thank you for your patience while I filtered through, and edited the thousands (literally) of photos we took over the break. I wanted to find just the right selection of images that best document our trip.


A frosty morning at the McD's

Little did I know how "frosty" it would later become! The temptation of early morning light glistening on icy-edged foliage convinced me to wander around the McD's place as the sun rose our first morning at home.































To the Nines!

After such a wonderful girls weekend at Cannon Beach last summer, Mom, Ruthanne, and Robin and I decided to have another overnight trip during our winter vacation. Cautious of foul winter weather, we opted to stay downtown at The Nines, instead of driving to the coast. Good thing we planned ahead! Arctic Blast '08 dumped a ton of ice and snow on Oregon, but we didn't let it stop us! Between the max rail and taxis, we skidded our way to the hotel, situated atop the Macy's building in Pioneer Square. What a swanky place! Our elegant, turquoise damask room was on the club floor, and we enjoyed all sorts of fun perks. We had a fabulous time catching up, eating, shopping, eating, playing games, eating, enjoying complimentary drinks in the club lounge, eating... I think I gained the majority of my winter padding in just those 48 hours! It was such a fabulous experience that we've decided to make The Nines our annual winter getaway. I can hardly wait for next year!


I didn't bring my camera... pictures are all complimentary of Robin... Thanks chica!!!































More Winter Wanderings at the McD's

After my weekend at The Nines, the snow continued to pour, and Mom and I decided we might as well be snowed in at the McD's so we could get some more time with them=). One morning, after a fresh shower of glittering snowflakes, Lizzie and I decided to don our snow gear, and waddle out into the great expanse of white to take some photos. It was so peaceful outside, and we spent a couple of hours clicking away.




Scuffy and Biscuit opted to stay snuggled up inside, where it was warm=)






























Abby the Labby joined us on our walkabout














Lizzie and Abby decided to test out the sledding hill... it was slow-goings



















Julie telling us it was time to go inside...NOW!



Prawn and Champagne Night

Every year on December 23rd we get together with the McD's for prawns and champagne. With a fire crackling away, we gather around the coffee table to eat our dinner, and share about all the things we are thankful for in our lives. Then we cry. And hug. And usually cry a little more. Then we drink more champagne. And laugh. A lot. It's the best!
We started this tradition to honor my Grandma Lois, who passed away twenty-one years ago on the 23rd. We also celebrate sweet old Scuffy's birthday, which happens to fall on the same day. This year he turned a whopping 16 years old! He is confused and clumsy, and showing signs of incontinence- eww, but is just as loving and precious as always=).



Happy birthday Scuffy!




Mushy lovebirds =)














Clinky!



Christmas Eve

We love Christmas Eve! Well, we just plain love anything about Christmas, but Christmas Eve is special. It's magical! Every year we commence our evening's celebration with a cozy candlelight service. Then, we proceed to some sort of family gathering. This year we had a progressive dinner. It started with salads at the Goff's and then dinner, deserts, and presents at the Marshall family. It was so nice to see everybody, and Janell had quite an entertaining game picked out for us- am I right??? A little inside joke for everyone who was there=).



Alicia and baby Kora and I




Oooh, she is so cute! I just couldn't get enough of her!


Christmas Morning

This was probably the best- if not the most emotional- Christmas morning yet with the Marshall family! Lots of laughter, happy tears, and an overall feeling of contentment. Our morning started with a scrumptious breakfast, and then we opened our stockings. We also watched an old home video of the Marshall kids opening presents. It was priceless! The best moment was when Rachel opened her Aladdin movie. She was so overjoyed she kissed the box! We laughed so hard watching her, and I think just about everyone kissed one of their gifts that morning.
We love opening presents with the Marshall family on Christmas morning. Each person opens one gift and a time and everyone else watches. It takes a little longer this way, but it is so much fun to witness the joy on each person's face as they unwrap something special. We received so many thoughtful gifts from one another, and just rejoiced in the fact that we belonged to such a special family. It was a great morning =)



The girls in their new Christmas jammies




Rach kissing her new book =) hehe




The moment before the first round of happy tears









The cupcake lady!




Festive Toby




Isaac's BIG present... he knows 5 chords now=)




And of course my wonderful husband had to secretly show me up ;) (Just kidding sweetie!). He surprised me with my first professional lens- a cannon 400mm. It's going to be perfect for our African adventure this summer!

** I can't believe I forgot to mention this cute little bit... due to the inclement weather, the lens did not arrive on time. So, Isaac being the creative guy he is, printed photos of the top and side views of the lens and attached them to a long box. On the fourth side he wrote a cute 'Twas the night before Christmas poem about why the lens was late. Then he attached the box to his camera, and tucked it away in a shoe box. Too fun!


Leah made us all BEAUTIFUL paintings!


I didn't take any pictures with my family on Christmas=(. Bummer! Perhaps it was because we were a bit frazzled and frozen from our little delay? On the way to the McD's on Christmas day, our vehicle started overheating- A LOT! So, we pulled over, and after several attempts to cool it down, conceded that we were stuck. Uncle EI came out to "rescue" us, and while we waited, we played around with Isaac's guitar and sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs. It's so nice to have your best buddy with you in less-than-ideal situations=). We didn't open our presents that evening until 5:00! Still, we had such a nice time, and again, were showered with such lovely and thoughtful gifts. We are so blessed to have our families. We enjoyed a lovely and low-key dinner that night, as the rest of the extended family still couldn't make it through the snow. We had another BIG Christmas dinner several nights later. The atmosphere was so bright and festive. It was wonderful to chat the night away with loved ones!



A Fun Surprise...

On one of our last nights at home, Sandy picked up Isaac's guitar and told us she would sing us a song. Given that she loves to joke around, we figured she was just teasing. Then she starts strumming away and we realized she actually knew how to play! 28 years as her son, and Isaac never knew she could play the guitar. We were so shocked we started laughing, and before long Sandy was giggling right along with us. What a fun surprise!




If I had a hammer...