The mondo-huge caramel apple my mom put in my stocking
Watching The Office at the airportThe rest of this blog is a summary of our trip, day by day. I'm using the blog as part of our family journal, so excuse the lengthiness. If you'd rather take a quick tour, I'll be sure to caption most of the pictures.
12.24.08
Sebastian and I flew out of ABQ on Christmas Eve and arrived in Seattle at around 9pm. Papa Dunlap greeted us at the airport with our own personal tins full of oatmeal cookies. What a wonderful surprise! Sethrina, Mama Dunap, and I watched half of The Fugitive while wrapping gifts. Noah and Laura arrived from Houston right before everyone hopped into bed.
12.25.08
Christmas morning
Christmas morning covered Seattle in a glistening blanket of snow! "Christmas" wasn't ready when we woke up, so Sebastian and I bundled up to play outside. Seb chucked a snowball at Sethrina, who was running on a treadmill in the carport. She joined us in building a tropical snowman (with lemon eyes, pineapple leaf hair, and a celery nose)!
A new shirt from mom!
At around noon, we finally opened presents galore! Some of the more memorable gifts included a missionary scrapbook from Laura to Noah, a "new home" journal entry and budget from Seb to me, ruby earrings for Sethrina from Mama Dunlap, and a Whole Foods gift card from the Hobbs to the Dunlaps. We spent Christmas evening watching the color version of It's a Wonderful Life. Oh! And Sethrina cooked our entire Christmas dinner by herself . . . and it was delicious! Lemon chicken, brussell sprouts, mashed potatoes, and salad. Mmm!
12.26.08
Views from the car window
12.27.08
On the ferry
12.28.08
I looked forward to Sunday morning because Sebastian and his siblings were scheduled to sing in sacrament meeting . . . and they had not practiced at all! It ended up sounding great. The rest of the meeting was a mix and mingle with refreshments. Sebastian and I particularly enjoyed playing Cranium with Papa Dunlap and Noah before dinner.
Sunday evening, the young married couples delivered 10 Books of Mormon to the MT&Z boys, each book engraved with a friend's name. Sebastian and Noah felt it was a perfect, special Christmas gift for their best friends. I enjoyed seeing their nice, spacious house! Especially Casey's room - in the garage! Later that night, I made yummy homemade rolls.
12.29.08
Some cool art near the opera house
On Monday, we were blessed with the exciting opportunity to have lunch on top of the Space Needle! We ate a delicious meal with a breathtaking view! It's so cool because the seating area rotates and you get to see the entire city in about 35 minutes. Seb and I were feeling sea sick, though, from the spinning. After lunch, we rushed to the Seattle Opera House and watched the Nutcracker ballet (a Dunlap family tradition).
12.30.08
I had been looking forward to this part of our trip for months . . . Pikes Place Market and NORDSTROM Rack!!! Woo hoo! All the kids (and Casey) woke up semi-early and headed towards the Market. Seb had a bagel for breakfast, but I splurged and bought fresh mini-donuts at the Market. Oooh they were good! The Market is one of my favorite parts of Seattle; it is so . . . so . . . Seattle! We tried famous Beecher cheese macaroni; I tasted several flavors of honey and roasted nuts; I sampled a fresh pear and salmon; and Sethrina boughts tulips, baklava, and strawberries for Mama D. How delightful!
After the market, we rushed into Nordstrom Rack. I went crazy looking at the boots, shoes, purses, jeans, and home accessories. I was pretty disappointed, though, by the prices. I should have figured it would have been pricey with "Nordstrom" in the name. Seb and I did end up buying things, though. I got jeans and a hoodie and Seb got jeans. And I made a crazy rush purchase: a beautiful duvet and shams for our new apartment. Unfortunately, the duvet is a king and our blanket is a queen! That's what I get! Then, we had lunch at Teriyaki Madness (a must for Seb while he is in Seattle).
Seb and all of his childhood pals
All vacation, Sethrina had been tic-tic-ticky-texting away to her boyfriend, Josh. The lonesome lover ended up flying out to visit his schnoookie-poo. We were so excited to hae him come! That evening, the boys played ball while Laura and I watched, chatted, and painted our nails. Aferwards, Seb and Sethrina and I left to pick Josh up from the airport. When we came home, we spent the evening watching adorable home videos featuring all the Dunlap kids . . . and starring Little Seb. He was such a ham!
12.31.08
Josh, Sethrina, Mama Dunlap, and Seb at the Kirkland waterfront
After everyone ate a hearty waffle breakfast (spoiled by an early-morning run to Country Side Donuts), Noah and Laura headed home. That afternoon, we took Josh to see the Kirkland waterfront. Unfortunately, my health was attacked by an achy, sore throat. We went to Pagliacci's (again, but with Josh this time) and afterwards watched the dancing soldiers at Lincoln Square. Then, we watched Marley and Me and retired early (10:00ish) on New Years Eve - what party poopers! My throat was so sore, though, that I couldn't stand being awake any longer! Happy New Year! Bah!
01.01.09
I spent all of New Year's Day sleeping, watching The Office in bed, and sitting in bed chatting to Andrea (who got engaged!!!) while everyone else went and did stuff. I think Seb spent the day running errands with his Mama. Basically, I felt like total crap: swollen throat, painful swallowing, headache, body aches, on and off fever and chills, you name it! Mama Dunlap made tacos that night, and I cried trying to choke them down. Ha ha! Don't get me wrong, they were delicious! Just painful to swallow!
01.02.09
You guessed it. I went to urgent care and found out what was wrong: Strep Throat. Sorry, Seb, no making-out for 24 hours, until the antibiotics start kicking in! We spent three hours waiting to see a doctor. Don't you love American healthcare?
After picking up my prescription, Seb and I went to the Science Center with Mama and Papa D. My favorite part was the butterfly house. When I stepped inside, a beautiful butterfly swooped right over my head!
01.03.09
Seb had been dying to eat lunch at his favorite Mexican joint, Gorditos, but we were disappoined to find that it was closed. Instead, Seb and the MT&Z boys had Pagliaccis's (AGAIN) but I opted for thai instead. I had a nice time chatting it up with Papa Dunlap as Seb reminisced with his buddies.
01.04.09
On fast sunday, Seb and I both bore our testimonies. I love seeing my sweetheart up there. Then, we skipped out of church early to visit Snoqualmie Falls. The drive there was gorgeous, and the falls were spectacular. Next time, I would like to hike to the bottom! Later, we spent the evening watching White Christmas . . . finally!
01.05.09
Can you spot my ball?
Seb and I had planned to spend the entire day alone - on a little date - but then we decided that that was a little stupid since the main reason we came to Seattle was to see family! We did spend the morning alone - walking around the expensive shops in downtown Seattle, revisiting Pikes Place Market, rescuing Seb from his asthma by buying an inhaler, and eating lunch a Gorditos - but then we met back up with the Dunlaps and hit balls at the golf range. That was a blast! We were able to see where Mama Dunlap teaches music when we dropped her off for her first evening of teaching in the new year.
01.06.09
Papa Dunlap graciously drove us to the airport at 4am and our Seattle trip finally came to an end. We had a wild and wonderful trip and crossed almost everything we wanted to do off of our list. Thank you, Mama and Papa Dunlap, for making Christmas 2008 a vacation to remember!
12.24.08
Sebastian and I flew out of ABQ on Christmas Eve and arrived in Seattle at around 9pm. Papa Dunlap greeted us at the airport with our own personal tins full of oatmeal cookies. What a wonderful surprise! Sethrina, Mama Dunap, and I watched half of The Fugitive while wrapping gifts. Noah and Laura arrived from Houston right before everyone hopped into bed.
12.25.08
Christmas morning
A new shirt from mom!
At around noon, we finally opened presents galore! Some of the more memorable gifts included a missionary scrapbook from Laura to Noah, a "new home" journal entry and budget from Seb to me, ruby earrings for Sethrina from Mama Dunlap, and a Whole Foods gift card from the Hobbs to the Dunlaps. We spent Christmas evening watching the color version of It's a Wonderful Life. Oh! And Sethrina cooked our entire Christmas dinner by herself . . . and it was delicious! Lemon chicken, brussell sprouts, mashed potatoes, and salad. Mmm!
12.26.08
Views from the car window
All of the kids (Noah, Seb, Sethrina, Laura, and I) went to the Bell Square Mall to exchange gifts. Then, we met up with some of the boys' friends for lunch at Pagliacci's. That evening, Mama Dunlap surprised us with tickets to Disney's Beauty and the Beast! It was magical! It was as if the Disney movie came to life. This was definitey a highlight for both Seb and I.
12.27.08
On the ferry
While Sebastian and Noah played basketball with the MT&Z crew, Laura and I planned our entire holiday break. After I ran errands with Mama and Papa Dunlap and Sethrina (to the bank and the AT&T store), everyone took a ride on the Bainbridge ferry. It was bitingly cold, but well worth it to see the glittering city lights. And of course, Seb and I reenacted our engagement. Ha ha. After the ferry ride, the young married couples had dinner at the Rock Bottom Brewery (I recommend the country fried chicken but NOT the mac and cheese). Then, everyone met up again and we watched Benjamin Button (a visually stunning snoozer).
12.28.08
I looked forward to Sunday morning because Sebastian and his siblings were scheduled to sing in sacrament meeting . . . and they had not practiced at all! It ended up sounding great. The rest of the meeting was a mix and mingle with refreshments. Sebastian and I particularly enjoyed playing Cranium with Papa Dunlap and Noah before dinner.
Sunday evening, the young married couples delivered 10 Books of Mormon to the MT&Z boys, each book engraved with a friend's name. Sebastian and Noah felt it was a perfect, special Christmas gift for their best friends. I enjoyed seeing their nice, spacious house! Especially Casey's room - in the garage! Later that night, I made yummy homemade rolls.
12.29.08
Some cool art near the opera house
On Monday, we were blessed with the exciting opportunity to have lunch on top of the Space Needle! We ate a delicious meal with a breathtaking view! It's so cool because the seating area rotates and you get to see the entire city in about 35 minutes. Seb and I were feeling sea sick, though, from the spinning. After lunch, we rushed to the Seattle Opera House and watched the Nutcracker ballet (a Dunlap family tradition).
12.30.08
I had been looking forward to this part of our trip for months . . . Pikes Place Market and NORDSTROM Rack!!! Woo hoo! All the kids (and Casey) woke up semi-early and headed towards the Market. Seb had a bagel for breakfast, but I splurged and bought fresh mini-donuts at the Market. Oooh they were good! The Market is one of my favorite parts of Seattle; it is so . . . so . . . Seattle! We tried famous Beecher cheese macaroni; I tasted several flavors of honey and roasted nuts; I sampled a fresh pear and salmon; and Sethrina boughts tulips, baklava, and strawberries for Mama D. How delightful!
After the market, we rushed into Nordstrom Rack. I went crazy looking at the boots, shoes, purses, jeans, and home accessories. I was pretty disappointed, though, by the prices. I should have figured it would have been pricey with "Nordstrom" in the name. Seb and I did end up buying things, though. I got jeans and a hoodie and Seb got jeans. And I made a crazy rush purchase: a beautiful duvet and shams for our new apartment. Unfortunately, the duvet is a king and our blanket is a queen! That's what I get! Then, we had lunch at Teriyaki Madness (a must for Seb while he is in Seattle).
Seb and all of his childhood palsAll vacation, Sethrina had been tic-tic-ticky-texting away to her boyfriend, Josh. The lonesome lover ended up flying out to visit his schnoookie-poo. We were so excited to hae him come! That evening, the boys played ball while Laura and I watched, chatted, and painted our nails. Aferwards, Seb and Sethrina and I left to pick Josh up from the airport. When we came home, we spent the evening watching adorable home videos featuring all the Dunlap kids . . . and starring Little Seb. He was such a ham!
12.31.08
Josh, Sethrina, Mama Dunlap, and Seb at the Kirkland waterfront
After everyone ate a hearty waffle breakfast (spoiled by an early-morning run to Country Side Donuts), Noah and Laura headed home. That afternoon, we took Josh to see the Kirkland waterfront. Unfortunately, my health was attacked by an achy, sore throat. We went to Pagliacci's (again, but with Josh this time) and afterwards watched the dancing soldiers at Lincoln Square. Then, we watched Marley and Me and retired early (10:00ish) on New Years Eve - what party poopers! My throat was so sore, though, that I couldn't stand being awake any longer! Happy New Year! Bah!
01.01.09
I spent all of New Year's Day sleeping, watching The Office in bed, and sitting in bed chatting to Andrea (who got engaged!!!) while everyone else went and did stuff. I think Seb spent the day running errands with his Mama. Basically, I felt like total crap: swollen throat, painful swallowing, headache, body aches, on and off fever and chills, you name it! Mama Dunlap made tacos that night, and I cried trying to choke them down. Ha ha! Don't get me wrong, they were delicious! Just painful to swallow!
01.02.09
You guessed it. I went to urgent care and found out what was wrong: Strep Throat. Sorry, Seb, no making-out for 24 hours, until the antibiotics start kicking in! We spent three hours waiting to see a doctor. Don't you love American healthcare?
After picking up my prescription, Seb and I went to the Science Center with Mama and Papa D. My favorite part was the butterfly house. When I stepped inside, a beautiful butterfly swooped right over my head!
01.03.09
Seb had been dying to eat lunch at his favorite Mexican joint, Gorditos, but we were disappoined to find that it was closed. Instead, Seb and the MT&Z boys had Pagliaccis's (AGAIN) but I opted for thai instead. I had a nice time chatting it up with Papa Dunlap as Seb reminisced with his buddies.
01.04.09
01.05.09
Can you spot my ball?01.06.09
Papa Dunlap graciously drove us to the airport at 4am and our Seattle trip finally came to an end. We had a wild and wonderful trip and crossed almost everything we wanted to do off of our list. Thank you, Mama and Papa Dunlap, for making Christmas 2008 a vacation to remember!
3 comments:
Guys it looks like you have so much fun. WAO! it looks cold in there, but fun:)
Thank you for sharing your Christmas in Seattle with us! I'm so glad you got to stay with the Dunlap family and do so many fun things together.
We missed you this holiday season and are so grateful that you live in Albuquerque now! I love you!!
I loved your detailed report of your Christmas. Also loved looking at the pictures. We sure do miss you guys. We hope that you can make it out to visit us. That would be so much fun.
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