December was full of holiday traditions and family time. We even took Christmas up a notch this year by flying off to winter wonderland December 26 through 29.
most improved award on her tennis team. | beautiful solo by friend grace miner in the nutcracker. | eve of christmas eve we enjoyed a family hike on our nearby trail. | it’s olive’s favorite (she’s nearly always off leash). | and then we tried out a new brewery in our part of town, dreamchasers. | christmas eve tradition—checking out the lights after church. | and, chinese food with the miners. | christmas is exhausting. | and we’re off on another adventure! #christmasincanada | we made it to québec city, in a snowstorm. | bienvenue á québec! | the first thing they had to do in québec city was ride the toboggan slide near the château frontenac, operating since 1884. | a fondue dinner to top off our first night in québec city. | icy stairs give you all the views. | the château frontenac is the most photographed hotel in the world. | our little photobombers wiped out behind us. | my little toboggan puller. | we had to try some maple taffy while in québec. | view of château frontenac from lower town. | place royal, the site of the first established settlement in new france in 1608. | château frontenac at night. | yummy québécois dinner at cochon dingue, the crazy pig. | after climbing “break-neck steps” from lower town to upper town 3 or 4 times, we decided we’d enjoy the quick and easy trip on the funicular for our last trip. | the view from up top. | headed to montréal, we stopped at montmorency falls, a taller waterfall than niagara. | these kids are embracing winter. | we had to try out canada’s dunkin’ donuts—tim horton’s! | carolers in place royal, flashback to québec city. | we made it to montréal—first stop, the awe-inspiring st. joseph’s oratory. | photobomber strikes again. | room with a view in montréal.| big, fat snowflakes came down all day. this is the basilique notre dame. | inside basilique notre dame. | 24-carat stars. | dome of cathédrale marie-reine-du-monde that is 1/4-size replica of st. peter’s in rome. | nothing brings these two together like long trips. | hôtel de ville—town hall. | marché bonsecours—once a theatrical venue in which charles dickens performed in 1842. | the sailors chapel. | inside the sailors' chapel. | we visited the biodome and saw the capybara, the world’s largest rodent. | we enjoyed the planetarium, too. | tour montréal—the world’s largest leaning tower, from the 1976 olympics. | walking in a winter wonderland. | great way to finish our trip—ice skating in the old port of montréal. | beautiful views ice skating. | one last look at the port-side view of sailors chapel. | old montréal was transformed at night into a holiday village.
