The Holiday Season Has Officially Begun...

So, today Tim and I set out in the 7 degree, -2 weather for that most special of holiday traditions...the cutting of the perfect Christmas tree. Yes, it was REALLY that cold. We piled on the clothes and got into the truck and headed to Green Bluff. http://www.greenbluffgrowers.com/ Where, you can go and find the perfect tree and cut it down, strap it to your vehicle, and take it home. Yes, there is a tree lot less than 3 minutes from our apartment, but we wanted the experience. The snow crunched under our feet and we lost the feeling in our fingers 2 seconds after we got out of the car, but it was great! Tons of trees and not one other person there. I immediately went for the tall skinny tree, Tim wanted to keep looking...we weaved in and out of rows, we even found the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but then, as if a signal had rung, Tim and I saw it....the absolutely PERFECT Christmas tree. Tim cut it down while I went back to get the cart...and ran into the only other foolish people to be out on such a cold day, a family of 5. The tree was shook (no squirrels or chippies) and put into the back of the truck, we paid and got our hot chocolate and off we went.

Our second destination was to the Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane http://www.thedavenporthotel.com/ , once we dropped off the tree and changed, we headed downtown. The Davenport hosts a Gingerbread house contest, usually themed in some way, people can come and watch them be built, kids can build their own, and then the houses are judged and set out where people can see them up close and personal. Tim took me last year...and I LOVED IT, so this year we headed downtown again.

Christ Kitchen Gingerbread Build-off and Display
Date:
December 14, 200810:00am to 11:59pm
Description:
House Build Off 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Kids Event 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Iron-Chef-style event features renowned local chefs and architects creating enormous, impressively stunning, Gingerbread structures entirely decorated in just 3 hours with the public watching! Kids "of all ages" can also come decorate their own mini-gingerbread houses! Cost is $7 per house.
Dec 14-25: Gingerbread Houses Displayed on hotel mezzanine.
Contact:
Contact: Patty Seebeck, Event Coordinator, 509-954-0554 or visit the website at http://www.christkitchen.org/

A couple of our favorites this year included the Holiday Ball castle complete with Cinderella and Prince Charming inside the ballroom, you could see them through the windows. And, a grouping including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Eloise, Charlie Brown Christmas and the Christmas Mouse...the detailing of the Grinch's dog was incredible! After we looked around, we headed to the atrium to order a late lunch. The food at the Davenport is incredible and there is nothing more festive than sitting in the atrium, watching people on the balcony and in the hotel lobby, looking at the lights, listening to Christmas Music and sipping an adult hot chocolate...Tim and I sat and talked about our company for Christmas, what cookies to make and then enjoyed some french onion soup, a couple salad and their crab salad on an English muffin with a tomato and slice of Gruyere. And, we also had to have their fries...Davenport is one of the only restaurants in Spokane that makes shoestring fries...and they are INCREDIBLE!

Once we left the Davenport we headed to Fred Meyer for some things to help us with decorating the tree...egg nog and some last minute things. Now, we have watched Christmas Vacation for the second time (the first was last weekend while decorating and cleaning the apartment. Had some nog, and decorated the tree. It has been a great day! Happy Holidays!