Christmas Time!

Being in Laurelhurst for Christmas this year has been really fun. Our neighborhood is filled with lights, carolers, school concerts, and even a horse-drawn wagon that takes people out to look at the lights! We took a fair amount of walks to gawk ourselves. Here's the family on the dreaded Peacock Lane, which has become nothing short of a zoo during the holidays. Thankfully we are a good half mile away from this craziness.

DECORATING! We hosted 15 family members and friends for Christmas this year and wanted to have the house looking its best! Casey took much care in staining and installing the trim around our leaded glass window in the dining room. It is a great example of how the rest of our trim will eventually look, which is downright beautiful!

With Gretel's help we hung swags and made paper chains to spruce the place up. A true Decking of the halls!

Alistair stood watch over the Christmas tree after Santa made his visit.

Christmas Eve dinner was a mess of crab, salmon and other wonderful goodies at the Hess house. I stole a few pictures here from Sally Hess's blog since I was such a slacker photographer...

Christmas dinner was at our house, and was complete with Christmas crackers, a Lackaff family tradition dating back to our days in England.

Here are a herd of nerds wearing their crowns! Casey and Kyle got Blazer tickets in their stockings for the game that evening and Casey wore his crown to the Blazer game!

Casey and Gretel, Christmas day.

Momma and Gretel, opening gifts.

Gretel hanging out with great grandparents John and Dorothy, cousin Soleo and Pops.

Gretel playing with her loot the next day including a few great new wood toys, the supercute new doll that Auntie Sally the Younger made for her and the ring toy from great grandparents Jim and Norma. Gretel says "thanks y'all!"

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!