It's my Seattleversary!!

Just a quick post to celebrate my Seattleversary.  I can't believe it was one year ago today when I arrived here with my trusty old Sunfire, Roscoe and Sue.  It has been a wonderful year and I have learned so much.  A lot has changed, we have a cute little house, a new dog and Ryan and I are very happy together.  I don't think I could ask for more!

Snow Much Fun aka Snowpocolypse 2012

Winter has arrived in the Great Northwest and it arrived with furry!  Although it may not have been quite to the extent that was originally forecasted (at least for the Seattle city limits) - it was quite debilitating to the city and greater Seattle area.  It was a little crazy even before the snow arrived because we weren't sure when it would actually come and that all different parts of the Puget Sound area got snow on different days in different amounts.  For those of us in Seattle the big snow arrived very early Wednesday morning.  It lead to all the schools closing, Ryan closing the restaurant, tricky drives to and from work for me and A LOT of fun!!!!!

Our house with a little bit of the pretty white stuff

The view down our street

View from the top of our hill

Around noon we bundled up in our snow gear with our snow dogs and headed to the market for some lunch. (Walking everywhere was the only mode of transportation for about 2 days) On our walk we decided that we needed to get a sled, you see I have never been sledding before, and it seemed like the perfect day to start! After a lot of looking (we walked around the Greenwood neighborhood for a few hours) and some disappointment (ALL the sleds were completely sold out!) we came back on our street to find an orange sled beckoning us at the telephone pole.  We thought it might be too good to be true - so we walked the sled up the hill to our neighbors that were sledding down the street.  It turned out to be theirs, but they invited us to sled with them and enjoy the day!  And we did! And Hercules joined in the fun too!

Herc chasing Ryan on the sled

Ryan and Herc after a few runs, such a cute snow dog and snow boy!

Lastly, I have included a video of one of my first runs down 67th Street!  Enjoy, I know we did!!

A very Donaldson Christmas!

Christmas 2011 was my first with the Donaldsons.  I have never felt more included and part of a family!  The Donaldsons always make me feel so welcome and a part of things and this Christmas was no exception.  Last year I had to spend Christmas alone in Chicago because I had to work both days, but I remember hearing about all the festivities by Skyping with them and from all the memories Ryan has told me. The festivities started off as always by a few cocktails at Kell's downtown.  Then they take a family picture in the same spot and walk over to dinner at Wild Ginger!  It was a beautiful night (and week for that matter) so Ryan and I strolled over to Wild Ginger with a quick stop by the market to say Merry Christmas to our favorite fish mongers at Pike Place Fish Market.

Merry Christmas 2011

Dinner at Wild Ginger was very yummy and they were so nice to all of us, as there were 14 of us.  (Don't worry, we had a private room so we didn't bother the rest of the patrons) They even put chopsticks together with a cork and rubber band for the kiddos!  

Ryan and I at dinner at Wild Ginger

After dinner we arranged to have a limo pick us all up and drive us around to see some Christmas lights and then drop us off at Bob and Sue's house. We saw some AMAZING lights over in West Seattle and got an amazing view of the Seattle skyline.  We definitely made some wonderful Christmas memories to last a lifetime.

The whole crew plus our Wild Ginger waiter! 

Fun times in the limo!

Me with Dyllan in the limo, so fun 

Awww so sweet, Christmas love!

After we got home it was time for a massive wrapping and karaoke party.  You see, we all (Ryan and his siblings) majorly procrastinated on our present wrapping so we wrapped all our gifts on Christmas Eve.  While some of us began the wrapping the others set up the last tradition on Christmas Eve night, karaoke!  Now I am not sure if any of you know this about me, but I LOVE LOVE to sing karaoke so it was a sing and drink wine all night well after 3 am.  It was so much fun to sing with everyone all night.  Early the next morning was time for presents and breakfast.  It was so much fun to see what everyone got, the looks on the kids faces as they unwrapped surprises, and just to feel the joy and love in that living room.  It was followed by a traditional Donaldson family breakfast  of Swedish pancakes that Ryan's grandma used to make.  It was the first time I had tried them and I will say they were very yummy!  All in all it was an unforgettable Christmas filled with love, joy, and laughter, I couldn't have asked for anything more!

Caitlyn showing off her new coat from Uncle Ryan and Sarah and those adorable purple boots are from Grandma Sue! 

Okay one last picture from Christmas.  As I was going to get ready and take a shower I came upon this in the bathroom...

Okay maybe this was the last thing I needed on my Christmas...this picture warmed my heart!  Merry Christmas to all!!!

Cupcakes, Friends and Basketball

I truly believe that December is one of the best months of the year probably because I think small miracles happen everyday.  Seeing a friend you haven't seen in a while, celebrating with new friends, and then the extra special things like a 10 year old getting to play on his favorite team's basketball court during halftime.  Okay maybe that is a little specific, but it happened, it all happened to me this December!  I was so lucky to spend a little time with this little lady (and her awesome mom and dad of course!)  

Seriously, how can you resist that precious face!

This is of course the adorable Miss Colbie Sanders! The very same tiny little baby from my Rockin' New Year's Eve post from last year.  Her mama and I have no idea where that little baby went but I think this little toddler is about the cutest thing ever.  Colbie, and her mommy (my very good friend Hillary) and daddy came to visit family in the Seattle area for Christmas and I was lucky enough to spend a few hours with them too.  I am so grateful for my friendship with Hillary she is an amazing friend!  We also had a little bite to eat, Coblie's first sushi! It was pretty entertaining and Auntie Sarah ended up with sticky rice everywhere and loved every piece of it!

Hillary, me and Little Miss in the U Village sleigh, I love this picture!

Did I mention that Hillary and I are cupcake connoisseurs? Oh we ARE! So we of course needed to check out the Trophy cupcake holiday cupcakes.  This would be the delectable chocolate candy cane cupcake!

Another little December miracle was that Mason, Ryan's nephew and godson, got to play at halftime of the Washington Husky Basketball game!  What an amazing experience for a 10 year old to play of the court of his favorite team.  We all went to the game and were soooo proud of our big #50 Mason Hoffman!!!  I hope we all see him play on big stages like this in the future.   

Lastly on Christmas Eve eve (December 23rd) I attended a birthday celebration for my new friend Amy Goldsborough!  She is the neighbor of Ryan's sister Joni and has quickly become a good friend.  We have celebrated many a Husky tailgate together.  She is an incredible lady, mama and friend!  Here is to you Mrs. Goldy!!

A Christmas Classic... The Nutcracker!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is The Nutcracker.  This is probably because it is very near and dear to me as I have a little (read sarcasm here) experience with it... Oh say performing it probably over 100 times over 7 years...

That's me in the middle as Clara (I think I was probably 11 or 12) getting ready to perform with some of my Merlitone and Snowflake friends and of course Miss Allison giving me last minute advice.

As the Arabian dancer with professional dancer Allen Gartrell.  This was my favorite and most "famous" role from the Nutcracker.

After a performance with Amy Beyland as the Spanish dancer and Karen Hocwalt (the original Arabian dancer from Cincinnati Ballet)

Luckily for me, the Donaldsons also hold The Nutcracker as a most important Christmas tradition in their family.  I was so excited to attend the Pacific Northwest Ballet's performance of this Christmastime classic.  I had heard of the amazing costumes and set's designed by no other than Maurice Sendak (illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are).  Needless to say, the sets were absolutely unbelievable!  And costumes like none I have ever seen, it was definitely a spectacle and delight for all.  And the dancing...wow!  I of course, heard only a few notes of the Grand Pas de duex and began crying.  I'm not sure why this is, if it is just thinking of the hours and hours and years of practicing or the absolutely perfectly played notes by the orchestra, or the dancing, or the magic of the ballet and season, but every time I  hear it I cry.  It was a wonderful memory that I will cherish forever.  

Dyllan and Caitlyn in front of the mini sets they have set up in the lobby, too cute! 

Mason and Caitlyn ready for the show! They have been going since they were babies!

Me with Herr Drosselymeyer, just an example of the unbelievable sets!

The Linton Invasion!

I apologize for my brief blogging vacation.  And also for the inundation of new blog posts in the next few days, I am going to try to catch up on about a month of blogging.  It was quite a month, with family visits, friend visits and holidays galore!! So here it goes...

Most importantly was the visit of my dad and sister from Ohio to Seattle! It was my dad's first visit in almost 50 years to the great Northwest (he came on a family vacation in 1962 when the Space needle first opened) and my sister's first visit to the Northwest and the first time both of them have been to see me here in Seattle and meet Ryan's family.  I was so excited for their trip and planned out a great time for all.  They were very VERY lucky in that for the first 3 weeks of December it was the driest on record.  In fact their first day here was absolutely beautiful and clear and it was a perfect day to get a little snack at the market before heading to the Space Needle.  It didn't take long for both of them to love the market and all the neat things it holds.  The trip to the Space Needle was amazing! We could easily see all the way to Mt. Baker and beyond into Canada and far south to see Mt. St. Helens on the horizon.  It was a little emotional for my dad too considering his first trip here was the summer the Space Needle opened and he was only 8 years old.  It was amazing the things that he remembered and memories that flooded back for him.  Needless to say it was a great first day of their visit!   

Dad and Holly in front of the original Starbucks with their Piroshky Piroshky treats

Dad at Pike Place fish getting ready for an unforgettable fish catching experience

Holly with one of the fish guys

The next day we all woke up at Sue's house (so amazingly generous of Bob and Sue to open their home to us) and headed out to see where I work at Seattle Children's Hospital and a quick shopping trip to University Village before heading back to the east side for a little wine tasting and dinner at the Stone House.  Wine tasting was so fun, and such a great thing to share with my family as that really isn't something you can do in the midwest.  And then of course it was great to take them to the restaurant so they could really see Ryan in his element and try some of his delicious food!  My dad and sister both loved wine tasting and dinner at the StoneHouse and can't wait to try both again!

Cute holiday picture of Holly and me at U Village in the sled

Dad, me and Holly at Chateau Ste Michelle ready to kick off wine tasting

Holly relaxing on the DeLille heated patio

Sisters! at DeLille

On their last full day in Seattle my dad and sister wanted to re visit their favorite destination.. Pike Place Market for more Piroshky, Starbucks and memories.  I am so glad they could see one of the reasons I love Seattle so much and they loved it too.  After a trip downtown, it was more holiday shopping in Bellevue and then a big Donaldson family dinner before really getting in the holiday spirit at Snowflake Lane and the Bellevue Botanical Gardens with their holiday lights.  The lights at the Botanical Gardens was the most impressive light display I have EVER seen and if you are in the Seattle area next Christmas it is a MUST!  Everything is done by hand and all volunteer hours, it is really quite incredible and a great way to really feel like it was Christmastime!

Holly by her favorite Seattle treat

The aquarium lights at the Botanical Gardens - those Jellyfish blink!

Botanical Garden light pond with moving fountain

Oh and yes that is a grape orchard arch!

All in all the Linton Invasion to the Great Pacific Northwest was incredible and I am so glad I got to spend time with my family near the holidays and show them why I love Seattle so much.