'twas the night

i just finished packing my suitcase and ate the last piece of chocolate out of my advent calendar. to quote the grinch, "tomorrow is christmas! it's practically here!"

i feel like christmas sprang upon me this year in a way it hasn't in the past, but i have still enjoyed this month leading up to the happiest of holidays, and i hope you have, too.

i spent a lot of time making things, which was a first for me, including a wreath for our door, stockings for our banister, and approximately 3 tons of candy.

AWD took me to see the ice sculptures at the national harbor, which i always love. this year the theme of the display was "how the grinch stole christmas." AWD didn't gloat that he could go down the ice slide so much faster than me, and i didn't gloat that i can recite the first quarter of the aforementioned book by memory. so a good time was had by all.

and then my girl KJ came to town! we spent 2.5 seconds looking at the capitol christmas tree before freezing nearly to death, and spent the rest of our hours together eating pizza and drinking hot chocolate and talking, talking, talking. old friends are a gift any time of the year.

and then, of course, there was "it's a wonderful life" in all its glory on the big screen (everyone cried) and a christmas tree and jazz at the national botanical gardens. they even had notable d.c. buildings made out of some magical combination of seeds and husks and stems. it was so warm and cozy and festive in there. in other words, perfect.

EH and i went and got our toenails painted christmas red and had our roommate christmas a few nights ago, AWD stashed presents all over my house last night, just like a real santa, and now i am just counting the minutes until i leave for home. a week of family and movies and laughing and loving sounds just about right to me.

safe and healthy and happy holidays to you, all my dears. see you next year.