O Tannenbaum...

Ryan usually has a very strict rule about Christmas decorations. In his opinion, you can't decorate for the holidays until after December 1. During Thanksgiving dinner, our friends, Amy and Byron, mentioned that they were going on a fun outing to pick out the perfect tree on "Black Friday".

After much cajoling, Ryan eventually gave in and we went to pick up our tree. Interestingly, Ryan dramatically changed his mind and was all about decking the halls with Christmas cheer. We'll post pictures of the final product tomorrow. In the meantime, check out these pics of the shenanigans.

Ryan and Mike find the perfect tree.

Ryan loves having his picture taken.

What did I tell you? Ryan loves the holidays.

Proof positive that tree hugging runs in the family.

When company comes to Seattle, we put them to work!

Three Cheers for Tofurkey!

You may remember our Thanksgiving post from last year (click here to jog your memory) where we made a delicious Tofurkey. Well, the tradition continues, but this time we drafted another participant: my little brother, Mike.

For some reason we always end up with a ridiculous amount of food, which is great because there is nothing better than T-day leftovers. Tofurkey only gets better with time...

I was a terrible blogger and didn't take enough photos, but here are a few snapshots from the day.

The Thanksgiving table with flowers from my garden and my favorite new obsession, glassybaby candle votives.

The New Emeril

A good chef always tests his food

Just a few leftovers...

This is what a food coma looks like.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The New Me!

BEFORE

AFTER!

From The 'Cuse To The Emerald City

Ryan's brother, Sean, and his girlfriend, Carolyn, flew out from Syracuse to enjoy Seattle's incredible November weather. By "incredible" I mean dark, rainy, and cold. Actually, the weather wasn't terrible, but it was bad enough to prevent two lazy hosts (us) from taking our guests hiking in the beautiful surrounding mountains. Instead of hiking and enjoying the outdoors, we ate, lounged, ate some more, enjoyed some of Seattle's great sites, and ate again. When the visit was over, we all had "food babies" in our bellies and talked about the need for nutritional "detox".

Check out some highlights from the weekend:

Walking at Discovery Park

Soma Caught in the Act of Cleaning His Nose

Sean and Carolyn's Feet at the Ballard Locks

An Incoming Commercial Fishing Boat

Taking in the View of Puget Sound

Ryan and Soma Checking Out Puget Sound
It's fitting that we spent some time on the Sound this weekend because our state entity charged with saving/recovering the Sound (the Puget Sound Partnership) came out with a draft plan the day Sean and Carolyn arrived.

We didn't see any seal pups, but we did see this sign. It always amazes me to think that wild animals can live in such an urban environment.

Sean Hiking Up From the Beach

Ryan (finally!) smiling in a photograph.
What a handsome devil!

We had a great time with Sean and Carolyn, and we hope we see them in Seattle again soon (with or without a moving truck, but preferably with). Thanks, S & C for coming to visit!

Now the work begins, but I'm 'Fired Up! Ready to Go!"