Christmas

We decided that since our children had NEVER been to the Northwest for Christmas or Thanksgiving, that we would make some memories and planned a trip for Christmas.  We arrived in Seattle, and went to Red Robin's because we were famished.  Then headed home to Bellingham.  We also had the perk of being in town for Dane's cousin Kai's wedding reception and to meet Kai's new wife, Patty.  The next day we went downtown and viewed some gingerbread houses that were in a store front window and then walked down by the water to where the ferry boats and cruise boats come into dock.  We came a day late, or we would have seen the large ferry boat that goes back and forth between Alaska.  The next day we got to work making the traditional chocolate and sugar cookies to leave for Santa.  We then read a Christmas story out of the Bible.  The kiddos went to bed after leaving some cookies for Santa and oats for the reindeers to sugar plumbs dancing in their heads (not really, just sounded Christmasy).  They awoke Sunday morning and we had them open their stockings, but left the gifts until after church (because church started at 9).  We had a yummy breakfast and headed out the door to the Christmas sacrament meeting.  The meeting was great and it was fun to reconnect with the Hatch family that we hadn't yet seen and are in Dane's parents ward.  We came home and opened presents (plasma cars, colorable playhouse, barbie, and car's 2 remote control car were the favorites), ate lunch, took naps, and then headed over to Dane's aunt Carolyn's home for a yummy Christmas dinner with all the Hatch clan.