where did tuesday, wednesday and thursday go?

I've come to a revelation. I can either exercise, clean my house or blog. But only one of those.

This week I exercised. Don't worry. I'm sure it won't stick. Because SOMEONE is going to have to take down the Christmas tree one of these weeks.

I've been downloading all the Christmas break pictures and remembering all the fun we had over our unexpectedly long break. (HELLLLO blizzard.)

We went to see ICE at the Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor. It is a bit pricey, but totally worth it. There's nothing else like it. (Except the OTHER ICE displays at OTHER Gaylord hotels.) It runs through Sunday if you live in the area and are interested. Jessica and her crew went. Taza and Husband saw it. And Melanie and her monkeys. Frostbitten thumbs up all around.

It is basically a HUGE tent full of elaborate ice sculptures. (Including some ice slides that were fun, but your butt can really only take a few slides down solid ice.) It is actually TWO MILLION POUNDS OF ICE! And it's 9 degrees in there. They give you a great big coat to wear. Bring gloves!









We also went to the U.S. Botanic Garden to see the annual Christmas display of trains, poinsettias and natural replicas of DC landmarks. Simply amazing.


South Side of the White House. Check out Sasha's and Malia's playground, and Michelle's vegetable garden. SO cute!







We also did our traditional viewing of the train displays at Union Station and the College Park Airport Museum, pizza night at Unos in Union Station. (True fact, we got engaged at an Unos. Not this one though. I'll share the story some day.) This year, we did just a drive by of the National Christmas Tree (true fact - I ALWAYS cry at the National Christmas tree)* and Mormon Temple lights, due to sleet and generally fuhreezing weather. It was pretty all the same.

(I'm catching up! Hopefully I can stop talking about Christmas by the time I take the tree down. Or Easter. Whichever is first.)

*I thought for sure there would be a story I could link you to about this, but I can't find one. If you have never been to the National Tree, there is one big (national) tree and then each state and U.S. territory has a smaller tree decorated with ornaments handmade for that year, in that location. Sometimes they are made by children, local artists, disabled people... each year, each state has a story.

In 2005, patients at Louisiana Children's Hospital were selected to make the ornaments for that year's tree, but the hospital was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. So that year, the Louisiana tree sported one ornament donated from each of the other state trees.

Touching, right? I shed a tear or two.

The NEXT year, the Louisiana tree was covered with ornaments that said "THANK YOU, MARYLAND!", "THANK YOU, PUERTO RICO!", "THANK YOU, ALASKA!" and well, I just lost it right there amidst the masses. Now, my kids won't even walk through it with me, because I just can't pass the Louisiana tree without tearing up.