Noche Buena (Christmas Dinner)

Celebrated 'noche buena' with a combination of Asian and Western cuisine.

Pancit Canton and Meat Loaf - classics indeed!

Needless to say the food didn't last a week... ;-)

Peacock Lane

Every year, there's this neighborhood block that sets up an awesome array of lights.

I think it just started as a tradition, and since then they kept it going, and SE Peacock Lane in Portland is always a nice spot to visit and enjoy the amazing display of Christmas lights. Kudos to the homeowners and their creativity and for sharing their displays to the public.

And I thought we had enough lights on the porch... ;-)

Christmas Tree 2011!

Here's our Christmas tree from 2011.

It's was Grand Fir and it smelled so nice (gotta love fresh pine scent)!

The nice thing too is we were lucky to pick such a healthy tree. It stayed very fresh all the entire December and 1 week in January.

We even felt bad when the time came to recycle the tree, as it was still so green and fresh (and still smells good too).

One of the best, if not the best live Christmas tree that we got to date. Hope we get lucky next Christmas!

Ribbing it

Oh yeah! Half slab pork ribs @ Dave's Famous BBQ!

Bring it!

Whoa 2012!

Ok, where did 2011 go? We got so caught up with the holidays that I forgot to blog stuff!

The holidays bring both smiles and 'headaches' - it's a double-edged sword.

On one end, there's that innate joy ine feels. Christmas presents, Christmas trees, parties, the food and drinks. Don't we all look forward to that?

But hey, these things just won't drop out of the sky and land in perfect order on your lap. You got to prep and work for them - and here comes the other edge of the sword.

Figuring out/buying presents, setting up the tree and decors, scheduling this and that, last minute gifts - these things can get really stressful.

But I guess in the end, it's all worth it, as you sit back and relax and look back on it with a positive attitude.

And as you pack up your decors and trinkets... deep inside there's this yearning and anticipation for next year's holiday.

Happy 2012 everyone and may this year bring peace, joy, and prosperity to all!

Note: Yes, I love Klondike bars and thanks to my sweet and loving girlfriend who gave them to me as part of her 10-stage Christmas gift! ;-)