That dog is getting ready for Christmas! As are we all. But before we get into all that, we have some catching up to do! I promised in the last update some news of the Shraders. First up was the Dawg Dash. It was my first race in Seattle, a 10k through the University of Washington campus. It was a gorgeous day and the campus is stunning. It makes me want to go back to school (I know, I know).
It is really gorgeous. I didn't even pull the really good pictures with Lake Washington and Mount Rainier. These pictures above are more representative of what I remember running by during the race. It was a really fun race. I ran it with one of my coworkers, Devra. She and her husband live pretty close to the University, but her parents are walking distance from it, so we parked there and walked over. It was a great time. Harry the Husky was out, high-fiving the runners, and the UW Alumni Band played at different spots during the run cheering people on. I admit, I was pretty homesick for Brutus and TBDBITL by the end of it.
Just a few short days after the Dawg Dash, Halloween was upon us. Lorelei dressed as Link from one of her favorite games, the Legend of Zelda.
She also had a Halloween Party with a few friends. With the exception of one meltdown (Lorelei's), I think the girls had a good time:
You know who else had a good time? Ivan. He participated in the decorating:
There isn't much of an emphasis on trick or treating here in the city - most businesses have some sort of function for the kids. Unless you are in a truly residential area, there really isn't much trick or treating. So we took Lorelei to the All Recipes Halloween Party where Daddy and Uncle Eddie work. It was a great time, and Lorelei got lots of treats.
One of my favorite Halloween kids was Maya. Her hair has grown at an alarming rate!
No sooner had we recovered from Halloween and Thanksgiving was upon us. But it was a lovely Thanksgiving. This year we did something a bit different and went back to our favorite place, Pacific City, Oregon, and spent Thanksgiving at the brewery. It was a lovely holiday.
It was a bit rainy on Thursday and Friday, but it was still amazing. The surf was so wild and unruly.
The tide pools were very active with wildlife, too. Below you'll see lots of anemones, starfish and a hermit crab or two. We had a blast looking at them!
The truly amazing part of this trip to Pacific City was that we finally climbed to the top of the great dune that is off to the north of the beach. What a beautiful view awaited us!
I cannot believe I took these pictures with my phone, of all things. We decided to stay an extra day until Sunday, and we were so glad we did. The sunset Saturday night was spectacular.
It was a great weekend. The Castanedas joined us as well, and a lovely time was had by all. So nice to get away. While we have lots of other places to visit on our list, we seem to always be counting the days until we can go back to the Oregon coast.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, it's getting darker and the rain is ever-present. Every once in awhile, though, we have a lovely day that reminds us just how gorgeous Seattle is.
I took those pictures on my commute to work. When it's nice here, the city is transformed.
It is, however, getting on winter, and that means we are going to have a bit more rain before the sun and the light return. Because of that, some of the living beings in this house have determined that they must put on the winter weight for their, uh, hibernation.
We have managed to keep ourselves busy to let the time pass until spring. Lorelei is taking Tae Kwon Do (I promise to have pictures of that soon), and Shawn is pursuing new avenues at work. Of course, my job is busy, but it looks like December and January will be unusually so. These are all good things, though. And before you know it, it will be time for visits and travel again!
In the meantime, happy holidays to all, and be sure and hug your children on this of all days.
