Merry Christmas!!!! (Part I)

As Pete, Koa and I hit the road, heading south for Bend, here are some photos of Christmas, Take I. Luz, Yenny, Pete and I had a full-fledged Christmas on Sunday, with fun home-made stockings, gifts galore, and a Christmas Feast. We combined holiday traditions - Pete wore his jingle hat, the girls' introduced me to "santa for a day" and I passed along the Anderson tradition of wearing all the ribbons from the gifts. Plus, no holiday would be complete without a high-spirited game of Shut The Box. The evil-step-mom (that's me) won the pot and took all the girls' quarters. Meanie.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Lovely cards and photos from family and friends - love them all!!!

Tree!!!

Pete, wearing his Colgate colors. Go Gate!

New stockings! And the loot that was in said stockings

Meeeerrrry Christmas!

I have a sneaking suspicion the neighbors have nicknamed us the Griswalds, but I think it looks lovely. Blurry photo due to lack of tri-pod and shaky (freezing) hands.

I'm a sucker for the holiday spirit!

We hired Kevin, the gent who did all the paint work on the house, to come over with really tall ladders and help us deck out the tree in the front yard. Pete's son Joe and his buddy Craig were here over Thanksgiving - we most definitely couldn't have done it without them.

Apparently, Pete's a perfectionist :) He pulled out the ladder, borrowed an 18 foot golf ball retriever and "patched" spots on the tree that needed more lights. The day after the fact, he admitted that at one point, he kind of fell into the tree. Great.

We cut a bunch of branches from Pete's lake house and made a big ole wreath! Joe and Craig, putting the finishing touches on the wreath.

Happy Birthday Koa!!

Happy 7th Birthday Buddy!! I love you!

Working on his newest birthday toy. It's supposed to be indestructible - jury's still out.

Neat Things about Spokane that Surprised Me

In no particular order:

1. Manito Park
2. Watching the crazy squirrel inhabitants of Manito Park (one is staring me down right now)
   
3. The fact that you can rake your leaves directly into the street and the City of Spokane takes care of them for you. An incredible perk, seeing are there 10 times more leaves in Spokane vs. anywhere-else-I've-lived.
   
4. Our incredible neighbors. I can't imagine a friendlier, better welcome to a new city. I mean, Laurie brought me a bag of cheese on my second day here!!!
   
5. Nordstrom.
6. Our really lovely house.
7. Wild Sage and Sante - two of the best restaurants I've been to. Oh! And Cafe Marron!
   
8. Lower gas prices (which slightly makes up for the fact that you have to get out and pump your own gas here! Come ON Washington!!)
9. Dick Newton, who just might be the world's best general contractor.
10. Four "local" ski areas - Mt. Spokane, 42 Degrees North, Lookout and Schweitzer. (I'm still partial to Mt. Bachelor, but at least there are good options up here!)
11. The Spokane Symphony
12. Auntie's Bookstore
13. (13 and 14 are excellent additions suggested by Mom and Dad) Saunders Cheese Store (see #4)
14. Wine Festivals - an afternoon of wine tasting at Barrister, Arbor Crest and others, with friends and parents.
    

That's all for now, but I know there are more. The first four months of Spokane-habitation have been great!

But he's just so cute!

Mom and Dad swung through Spokane for Thanksgiving Part I, and brought Aka with them. He is too much. Part stuffed animal and part comedian. Koa thought he was cool, until Aka discovered Koa's tail and thought it was the. best. toy. ever.

Koa and Aka deciding if it's too cold to play outside.

He has not mastered the concept of keeping one's mouth closed whilst drinking

Aka likes being under stuff.

Under barstool in kitchen.

Under chair in dining room.

Under sofa.

Under Koa.

He also (according to the humans) likes being picked up.

Picked up by Luz.

Picked up by Yenny.

Picked up by Amy

Trying to get Koa to play.

Newest Family Member

Anyone who has met the Andersons knows our borderline obsession with our darling dogs. Well, there is an addition to the family - Aka! Mom and Dad brought Keaka home on Tuesday and he is simply too adorable to not be posted to a blog. They are all coming to visit this weekend, so any regular visitors, please prepare to be inundated with puppy pics.

Proof of cuteness.

Veery sleepy puppy, crashed out under the table.

He's already an Anderson - camped out in the kitchen!

Dad with his new boy. Because, who doesn't need a giant puppy when you're 80!!!? Although I have a sneaking suspicion the fluff ball (Keaka, not Dad) will make the Bend-Andersons feel 20 years younger.

Wedding!

Wedding photos! These are photos taken by Ethan, nephew-in-law extraordinaire. We should also be getting the photos from the official photographer soon. I'll upload yet another batch then. Thank you to everyone who could join us - it was a perfect day.

Mom and Dad delivering and installing our new Anderson-original sculpture! Love it!!!

Greta, being put to work to make "place cards" with her lovely architect-handwriting

See?

Soon-to-be step-daughters Diana and Yenny posing in the alcove

Diana, Yenny and Greta, the night before the big event

Oil lamp favors, made by Mom Anderson

This is when we moved ALL the furniture out of the house, to then move tables and chairs into the house!

Tent. And Koa exploring the new tent

Luz and wedding chairs on the front porch

Pete and I took photos before the wedding, so we staged a little "viewing" with the family. Here is the unveiling of the bridey.

Mary, tempting the sculpture with champagne. Earning her the nickname "champagne" for the weekend.

Fixing Pete's tie.

Ethan's photo creativity!

Ethan, David and Greta!

Flower Girl #1, Gabrielle, with a little help from Mom Amy

Flower Girl #2, Makena, with a little help from Mom Jenny!

Ring Bearer Ben, with help from mom Corey!

Ben, stopped in awe of the crowd gathered.

Diana and Luz!

Koa Anderson and Yenny! well, Yenny's legs...

Dum, dum, di dum. The bride, with debonair dad!

The ceremony, officiated by Reverend Happy Watkins. He was fanTAStic! He had Pete and I in stitches, got the crowd fired up, and it was a perfect balance of decorum and laughter. What a fantastic ceremony.

The bit with the rings...

Proof of laughing.

You may kiss the bride!

A touch of aloha. Mom and Dad surprised us with leis. Pete's first maile!

Mmm, cake.

We went to Cave B on the Columbia River for a few days after the wedding. What a spot - great food, beautiful view and accommodations, and Cuvee, the Inn Dog adopted us for the weekend! She slept in our room with us and joined us for hiking! Don't tell Koa....

Thanks again everyone, it was a perfect perfect day.