Thanksgiving Up North

Thanksgiving weekend was a serious success as my family flocked north to my brother's brand new home in Seattle. 

Dad liked the idea of Thanksgiving away because there is a 7-11 within walking distance where he could replenish his daily 64oz of soda.

Mom liked the idea of Thanksgiving away because going into it, she truly believed that she wasn't going to have to cook at all (and the truth is brother did most for actual Thanksgiving, but mom was the resident chef for the rest of the weekend).

My brother liked the idea of Thanksgiving at his house so that he wouldn't have to drive, could get his internet installed, would have special delivery of his TV and other things he'd shipped to mom and dad's house - and the obvious fact that we'd leave with the place cleaner than when we got there. 

My sisters (two golden retrievers above) loved the idea of Thanksgiving away because they've never been to "Matt's place". He's lived in Europe for the last four years and he's the one who has been making the visits. 

I liked the idea of Thanksgiving away because with no Wifi at my brother's place, it was very unlikely that I'd feel the pull to work during the holiday. This doesn't mean I didn't refrain from pulling out the laptop on Saturday and Sunday, but at least the stress wasn't present during family time. 

We all enjoyed the way that Thanksgiving actually turned out and no credit cards were maxed out with the peer pressure of Black Friday. I may have popped onto Amazon for a few books and this 64oz Hydro Flask that will be everlastingly awesome - but nothing overboard. 

The feast itself was plentiful - with more carbs from potatoes, pie, stuffing and bread rolls than I'd expected - but all consumed with consciousness and zero regrets. 

Wish me luck this week with my attempt to navigate the awesomeness of ClassPass during my crazy-busy work week!

How was your holiday weekend? Eat everything you wanted? Sweat a little? Shop till you dropped?

Beach Weekend | Part 2

If you didn't stop by yesterday I recommend reading yesterday's Part 1 post to catch up - Now where were we?

Oh yeah, that beautiful day at the coast!

Saturday night after warming up by the fire we had a meal to make! We all played our part in the preparation or clean-up of the taco night and had fun creating our own idea of a heartwarming dinner. Mom browned the meat and cooked the beans, Matt steamed the tortillas, Dan and I chopped vegetables + avocados and we all had our fill on a rainy Saturday evening.

After stuffing our faces with healthy eats, we joked about going out to karaoke, played with the puppies and found ourselves falling asleep in our chairs. I just can't party like I used to and honestly that's not a bad thing - weekends are all about relaxing and resting. Especially when adorable moments like these are just around the corner:

Sunday morning came too soon but it was exciting to be woken up by the sound of two puppies ripping around one floor above us. I put my contacts in, kissed Dan good morning and ran up the stairs to see what all the commotion was about!

A sight for sore eyes - Bella was protecting the wall of toys, Bailey was yearning for a walk on the beach and everyone was getting ready for another day together!

I know that I promised some yummy breakfast photos but those are going to have to wait for another day. While they're mouthwatering, there's just too many puppy beach photos to share and I'm afraid it would distract you from the most important detail - that it was a beautiful day at the Oregon Coast and a perfect way to round out the weekend. We even splurged with ice cream cones!! Bella's first steps on the moon beach were as exciting as you could imagine - she was careful, curious and witnessing every move made by her older sister so that she would know what to do when she was one day old enough to go crashing in the waves along with her.

^ Look at his eyes! ^

I only wish that it could have been a few degrees warmer and a little less windy for our long walk up and down the coast, but it was a perfect excuse for hot cocoa with marshmallows and cuddling with my sweetheart. Wonderful weekend!

Beach Weekend | Part 1

The past weekend at the coast with the entire family was exactly what the doctor called for. A new sister to love, a brother who lives far away home for a week and some extra R&R demanded by my body and my mind. You can't argue that snuggling is the best medicine!

Since the entire family was invited, I brought Tiger to work so that he could leave for the coast with us on Friday evening. He didn't seem to enjoy the smaller home and going on a road trip, but we think it was a better alternative than letting him starve and have no social interaction for a few days. Protective mother.

Dan and I set out after another long week to dine at Mo's and use up some vouchers we had purchased a few months ago and had a tasty and filling meal before meeting up with the family. Steamed clams, salmon steak, cannonball bowl and a cookie and we were happy oysters.

We tucked into bed early on Friday night in anticipation of a fun weekend ahead. Saturday morning we woke to a beautiful breakfast bar with anything we could ever ask for all presented by my mom the hostess. Once we were well fed and caffeinated - we bundled up and headed out to the sand to get some walk-time in before the rain was supposed to hit. It was pretty cold, and since miss Bella isn't allowed to walk on the beach yet, but we made the most of our time outdoors and Bailey got to strut her stuff in the sand and crashing into the waves. Goldens just want to have fun!

Once we made it back indoors and everyone warmed up (for me it took a shower and hot cocoa) we had a fun time watching the puppies play and figure out their relationship with each other while heating our feet by the fire. I'm not sure if it was the glow from the fireplace or the glow from our laptops/iPads/kindles - but everyone looked Happy. 

That's all for today, look forward to seeing our tasty dinner, filling breakfast, and a SUNNY day at the coast with cuteness-overload and even ice cream cones!