all the shiny things...

Every year on the same weekend, Ed and I go to Kansas City (he has a law conference, I tag along). The annual weekend marks our Christmas festiveness kick-off. We eat ridiculous amounts of amazing food and play to our hearts content! This year we added ice skating to our tradition.

Some friends from college live in KC now so they joined us for lunch at a micro-brewery in the Power and Light District and ice skating on Saturday. Indika is from Sri Lanka and has never been on ice before. She gets mad props for being brave enough to step 'skate' on ice. She is a runner as well, but that's as cold weather 'sport' as she'll get. I can't blame her, her DNA isn't wired for cold weather activities like my Irish/German blood!

After skating we headed into the Crown Center for hot cider and lots of chocolate goodies. I'm hoping I burned enough calories falling on my ass while ice skating to make up for all the dark chocolate peppermint bark I inhaled (and am inhaling still). Then we headed home, exhausted!

On Sunday we took Milo and went to Prairie Pines Christmas Tree Farm and cut down our Christmas tree, this is all part of our "Christmas Kickoff" weekend. Milo supposedly lived on a farm before we adopted him when he was 18 months old. He seemed pretty happy to be out there, running amuck and watching all the Clydesdale horses in excitement. He was as good as a herding dog could be on a horse drawn ride to the tree fields.

To end our weekend, we decided to be as festive as possible. We bought lumanaries, which our neighborhood strongly encourages, and house lights for the first time since being home owners (three years now). Ed was determined, despite the dark, to get everything put up before the work week started. I made some potato-cheese soup and started in on the tree and left Clark Griswold, Jr. outside to do his thing!

It was awesome. Griswold, Jr., his tool belt and gigantic ladder set off and created a sweet Christmas scene in the dark, all without getting hurt. Of course our neighbor across the street called to congratulate us on joining the outdoor Christmas decorations club and point out that it was dark and it's not the best idea to be on a sloping roof in the windy night. But the lights are up, look adorable and Griswold, Jr. is safe, what more can you ask for?

Why is it that during the holidays the weekends wear you out more than the work week does?! But it's all worth it. I love Christmas, it's my favorite holiday, all the cheer, joy, cold noses and parties. To me, it really is the hap-hap-happiest time of the year!