December was kicked off at the Portland Art Museum. Then it was a blur of Christmas tree farms, holiday parties, and festive light displays at Peacock Lane and the Grotto. I decorated the house this year, and played Christmas music nonstop.
Tom and I instantly fell in love with our new kitty. He is very energetic in the morning, naps all afternoon and becomes a maniac again before bedtime. One of his favorite activities is playing fetch with his favorite toys, and stashing them upstairs under the bed when he's done; I've never seen a cat carry toys in its mouth like Louie does. When he is tired, he becomes a limp noodle and dozes off in my arms. I love rubbing my face in his fuzzy belly while he purrs loudly. Coming home to my Louie is the best part of my day.
We left Louie in the care of good friends over Christmas weekend. This year, Tom's family traveled to Pasadena, California to spend the holiday with Grandma Odell. Tom and I left after work on Thursday to catch a quick flight from PDX to LAX.
Pasadena is located 20 minutes northeast of Los Angeles, and hosts the annual college football Rose Bowl. I was excited to trade in a few days of dreary winter for southern California sunshine, but was disappointed to find it raining buckets when we landed. Tom and I were still eager, though, to meet everyone at the Hilton. We played Tripoly with the Odell cousins, who flew in from the midwest and east coast.
Christmas Eve was another cold and rainy day, but we went for a walk and attended a prayer service at Grandma's assisted living home. That evening, the extended family shared a very loud and fun dinner at Smitty's Grill.
We enjoyed brunch on Christmas morning, and spent a lazy afternoon at the hotel watching classic holiday movies. I made sure to video chat with my family in Pittsburgh before heading to dinner at Argentine restaurant, Malbec.
The sun finally came out on Sunday so Tom and I spent a few hours in nearby costal town, Santa Monica, before catching our afternoon flight back to Portland. We fortunately did not encounter any travel issues, despite the holiday and impending northwest snow storm. Plus we were anxious to see our Louie!
It was new for me to spend Christmas in a hotel, as my parents always insist on hosting and cooking. However, I feel grateful for the opportunity to have met and been welcomed by Tom's extended family; my adopted west coast family!
