Holy Moly. I can't believe Thanksgiving has already come and gone. There is always a little sadness with the passing of time, but it is completely overshadowed by my Christmas Cheer!
My rule of thumb is to wait until Thanksgiving to explode with holiday joy (partially a personal preference, partially insisted upon by my roommates), and this year I almost made it. When I got into town late Wednesday night, my mom immediately greeted me with a glass of wine and a Hallmark Christmas movie. I mean, how could I say no? Besides, we finished the movie after midnight so technically I waited, right?
Thanksgiving came quicker than expected, and we spent most of the day prepping and snacking. I am going to say it, Thanksgiving dinner is kind of the worst, but the appetizers are always top notch! I made Cranberry Brie Bites (literally just refrigerated croissant dough, brie, and canned whole cranberry sauce) that were a HUGE hit. We all filled up but still managed to throw down at dinner. I scarfed my dinner like a rabid animal because just as I sat down to eat my cousin showed up with sweet baby Eila. No time to waste!
The day was perfectly spent with the family; laughing, cooking, and eating non-stop. Holidays at my Gram's are super informal, so spending time with one another is the true centerpiece. It is always hard to say goodbye, especially with a sleeping baby in my arms, but my sister and I managed to sneak out for a few drinks with old friends before calling it a night.
Although we side-stepped Black Friday (aside from a quick trip to Target because Target is life), we were still up bright and early Friday morning to watch the Blazers beat the Nets. After the game, we threw on our comfiest athleisure wear (yeah, it's a thing) and headed to my dad's for a trip down memory lane. We had a blast reminiscing over some of our childhood possessions and threw down some smoked turkey legs before heading to Portland for the Tree Lighting with two of our friends. You guys... I think we have a new tradition! We started the evening with Happy Hour at The Hilton which was perfectly festive and affordable. Then we popped down to the tree lighting where we sang along with the choir and admired the beautiful tree as it lit up the entire street. Finally, we headed to the waterfront where we shared the most incredible meal at LeChon. It was the cutest, trendiest, most delicious little restaurant. Even the cocktails were superb... Old Fashioned Bar? Sign me up! And the dessert. Don't even get me STARTED. It was all so magical, and we couldn't stop raving about the experience. When I got home and into bed, I received the sweetest text from Casey that had us both in tears. I truly can't believe what a special evening it was.
Saturday morning it was back to Seattle just in time for the Civil War and Apple Cup. Chris and I went over to a friends place where we had a plethora of delicious appetizers (including the Cranberry Brie Bites I remade because YUM), a few tasty Hot Toddy's, and gourmet burgers! The spread was beautiful as was the Duck's Victory, but sadly the Cougs couldn't pull threw. Our friend from WSU was less than impressed so we played a drinking game to Christmas Vacation instead. The perfect end to the evening, even if we were smashed by 10 and sleeping on the couch by midnight.
Then there was Sunday, the day I look forward to all year... Christmas Tree & Decorating Day. We waited too late in the day, so we ended up at a lot rather than a tree farm, but it was still pretty magical. Chris and I picked the tree out ourselves, but since he used to work at a Tree Lot, he was the perfect companion. He was so knowledgeable and meticulous through the whole process, so I just got to sit back and take it all in.
We got the tree into the living room seamlessly, and Jen met up with us to transform the house into winter wonderland. Of course, no decorating ceremony is complete without take out and a Christmas movie... So The Grinch and Chinese were enjoyed as we put the finishing touches on the apartment. I loved their help and creativity.
It's official, folks. Tis the Season.
Cheers to the most wonderful time of the year!
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