More of our Christmas in the city.....

After the visit to the Olympic Hotel, we visited the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel to see the annual Gingerbread house display. Every year architects and bakers in the Seattle area get together and create these Gingerbread extravaganzas. They always have a theme. One year it was NYC, so there was a Brooklyn bridge, a Statue of Liberty, a Empire State bldg. etc. etc. Another year it was Superheros. So you saw Superman, Spiderman, etc. This year the theme was home away from home. The two here are a houseboat and a spectacular tree house. This is also free. They ask for a donation for Juvenile Diabetes. Candy canes are given out here as well.

Then to Pacific Place to watch it snow. It snows inside the mall every evening at 6pm. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the kids are lovin' it! We do too.

Our annual trip downtown for Christmas

Every year we go downtown to take in the Christmas lights and festivities. We took the bus into the city and started with the Olympic Hotel's Teddy Bear suite. We've heard about this for years and finally decided to take a look. It's a suite all decorated for Christmas and just full of Teddy Bears, all shapes and sizes. There are couchs, beds, chairs and the floor where you can sit with your child and read stories about bears. The books are put there by the Seattle public library, admission is free, but they ask for a donation. I believe the money goes to Children's Hospital. You even get a candy cane when you leave. The lobby at the Olympic is always very lovely. Many trees, all for sale and the proceeds go to a variety of different causes.

Dinner guests

Last Friday Dave and I had some neighbors over for dinner. Here are a couple of pictures of us waiting for their arrival. Nice evening.

Dad's day in the mountains.

Dave and a coupe of his friends went up to the mountains and tried out their snow shoes for the first time this year. He brought back these photos which are some of the best he has ever taken. White snow, blue sky, wow! This is Dave in his element.

Dad

Peter and David

Last Saturday evening, Terri had a 50th anniversary party for her mom and dad. People we loving call UK and AK. We took several pictures, but many of them are out of focus. These three were pretty good. So here they are, starting with a couple of cousins!

Jolene and her Mother-in-Law!

The Honorees

Daves, trip east

Dave went to Elizabeth, NJ to visit a very dear of his. His home is just a quick train ride to Manhattan, so they went into the city. Here are a couple of photos of the Christmas decorations, as well as folks skating at Rockefeller Center. He said everything was beautiful, but it was very cold.

This is Dave's friend, Ed. They went to a fire museum in Elizabeth. Ed's father was the fire chief in Elizabeth. They discovered a photo with his dad in it and feel this is a truck he probably rode in to fires. It has been beautifully restored.

The Big Apple from across the river at Hoboken, New Jersey

The planting of Hazel's tree

My next door neighbor's sister passed away this past year and she purchased a tree for Providence Point in her honor. It was planted last Friday and a few neighbors went to view the planting. It is a magnolia tree and we think it'll be quite lovely. Here are a few photos of Paulie with the tree and one with all of us that attended.