Christmas break was so wonderful. We spent a weekend in Portland with our friends, the Burrells. We made yummy food and did a little Christmas shopping (new tires for my car...woohoo!) and went to a "dollar movie" at Kennedy School. Let's not talk about the part where I smacked my head while getting into the Burrells car, or the big bruise I'm still sporting on my forehead as a result.
Then when we got back home the girls had a little party with some friends from school where we made our tradiational graham cracker gingerbread houses.
We made(and ate) lots and lots of cookies--a couple batches each of gingersnaps and mint chocolate chip cookies...mmmmm.
Christmas Eve we weren't sure what to do. Since moving to the NW, we've gone to the Nelsons on Christmas Eve. We weren't about to drive to Portland and back in one day, so we decided to try something new. Night skiing, our first choice, was closed. We ended up having a Jewish Christmas Eve--going out for Chinese food and then walking through the Botannical Gardens to see the light displays.
We had a great Christmas at home...the girls both got (imitation) American Girl dolls from Santa. They were a big hit, which was shocking because the girls have never played with dolls. For some reason, Madeline has asked for an AG doll for the last three years. I guess Santa finally gave in.
He also gave in and finally brought us an Xbox. He even brought it early so we could stream Netflix movies while I could actually watch them. That Santa sure is a thoughtful guy.But the highlight of our holiday break was our trip back to Utah. I'm still struggling with returning back to Seattle. It was just such a great trip, so good to see family, and so hard to leave. I really felt a sense of HOME while I was there, and returning to Seattle hasn't eased that for me. Madeline didn't make things easier by weeping as she said goodbye to all her cousins, and begging her aunts and uncles to bring them up to Seattle to visit. :( I'm already looking at graduate school options for me in SLC.
We got in a few days of skiing while we were there--two days with kids up at Brighton, and one day without kids at Snowbird. The girls were cruising down black diamonds--and not just any black diamonds: UTAH black diamonds--by the time we left. Cory brought Logann and Aidan up to snowboard with us the last day (their first time, and they did great!), and the girls loved having them up there. I can't wait until next year when we can all ski/board together.
Kolby and I skied at Snowbird the day after a big storm. Oh my. That was absolutely the best day I've EVER had skiing. Absolutely amazing snow. I don't know what that white stuff is we have on the mountains here in Seattle, but it's not snow. It's a snow-like substance. A snow product. A faux snow. Snow colored rain. Something. But what we skied on in Utah? That's the snow I remember. Soft, dry, powdery heaven. In real mountains.
I went back to school yesterday feeling incredibly homesick for Utah, and guess what? My new professor talked for the first five minutes about her 20 years in Utah living as a ski bum by day, nurse at the U of U hospital by night. She even pronounced Alta correctly.
