My husband and I are back from our road trip to Seattle to celebrate Christmas with our son and his family. Suitcases are unpacked, the pantry is restocked, the laundry is washed and folded, Christmas wrapping paper and gifts are put away. A few thank you notes still need to be written, and the Snow Village needs to be boxed up for storage. But it's a great time to review our trip photos and videos, and savor the memories of our time together.
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| Mount Shasta in winter light |
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| Sandwiches and authentic cream soda at Tolly's in Oakland, Oregon |
Christmas preparations were a fun mix of shopping in favorite Seattle districts, tracking deliveries from online purveyors, and last-minute wrapping. We braved Costco, Fred Meyers, and Uwajimaya for holiday ingredients (with quick stops at coffee shops and the nail salon to renew our strength), and then started cooking.
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| Shopping near Pioneer Square |
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| Warming up between shops |
We kicked off Christmas morning with a breakfast buffet of blueberry scones and biscotti baked by our daughter-in-law, and bagels with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumbers.
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| Gifts under the Christmas tree |
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| Feast by the fire |
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| Nothing phases Mako |
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| Selfie-stick fun |
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| Family portrait |
One of the highlights was introducing our daughter-in-law's mom to a western style Christmas. Mei caught on pretty quickly and enjoyed the silly stocking stuffers and beautiful gifts along with everyone else. Our son played Santa (he's worked out a great system over the years)!
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| First Christmas stocking |
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| Enjoying the fire |
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| Mother and daughter |
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| Santa Clause preparing the gifts |
This year our son took the helm to cook Christmas dinner (a delicious tritip Wellington and all the fixings), and our daughter-in-law and I made the cherry pie. Friends came over for dinner to add to the festivities.
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| Making cherry pie |
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| Assembling the Wellington |
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| Cute couples |
A drenching rain storm passed over the Puget Sound during our visit, so we hunkered down to work on puzzles, read, catch up on each other's lives, and watch the 1964 animation,
The Journey West (a classic Chinese tale about the Monkey King). When the weather let up we enjoyed long walks with the dogs, and an outing to the Seattle Chinese Garden and nearby Arboretum. We also enjoyed meals at
Loretta's Northwesterner for tavern burgers, a Korean noodle shop for hot soup,
Pomodoro's for a delicious New Year's Eve dinner, and The Hangar Cafe for New Year's Day crepes. Yum!
We first met Mei several years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area, so it was a treat to see her again and learn more about her life and family in Shanghai. Between Mei's growing English skills, our daughter-in-law's translation abilities, the Microsoft Translator app, and a good sense of humor, we were able to carry on some great conversations! Mei brought some family pictures from Shanghai, so we had fun seeing Mei and our daughter-in-law in their youths. Over the course of our visit, everyone pitched in to cook or clean up. Mei made several dishes, including a delicious oxtail soup that is a real delicacy!
My Example
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| Chips and pictures |
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| Mei as a baby |
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| Mei as a child |
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| Mei as a teen |
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Another treat was meeting our second granddog, Dakota. He is younger than Mako, but the two are forging a good relationship. They enjoy long walks in the neighborhood, and I was pleased to see Dakota sniffing plants along the way, seemingly for their botanical fragrances (and not just to check for P-mail)! The birth story is that he lived in Qatar for his early life and was then abandoned to the streets, so the many plants in the Pacific Northwest may be very interesting!
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| Mako and Dakota wait for their walk |
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| Draw bridge over the Duwamish River |
It was difficult to leave our family, but we had to get back (and they probably wanted their living space back)! My husband and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful winter scenery along Interstate 5, from inside our warm car, while listening to the Matthew Scudder audio book,
A Long Line of Dead Men. We were grateful for no snow, and the chance to reflect on the many blessings in our lives, especially the family and friends who travel with us on the bumpy journey of life!
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| Porter's Restaurant is a favorite stop in Medford, Oregon |
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