Remember. Be Grateful: Erica’s Visit

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year….and one of our most favorite weekends of the year, too!  My husband’s daughter (and her family, as in – the grands!) live in Florida and we do not get to see her (or them) very often; however, every year just before Christmas, she comes to visit her dad.  We all look forward to it every year and, then, enjoy every minute of her visit.  I thought I would document some highlights here – to remember and be oh so grateful for.  Honestly, the best part of her visit is always how much my husband enjoys it……that just makes my heart happy!  Here are some of the other “bests”……

Best part of DC:  We always take a day to go into our nation’s capital.  Very touristy but she loves it!  I think she has a picture of the White House from every year she has been here, although it pretty much looks the same every year.  The White House is a drive-by but we try to find a different place to explore each year.  This year we went to the Eastern Market and to the Holiday Market.  Both were a lot of fun but the Holiday Market was our favorite.  It was packed and full of Christmas.  Christmas sights, sounds, gifts, dancers, food! and holly jolly people….the atmosphere was fantastic!  It was also cold that day.  I’m not about the cold but it did make it feel even more Christmasy:)

Side note – the churros at the Market were ah.mah.zing!  I don’t suppose stuffed churros are new, but they were new to me and I totally approved.  Yum –

Best new tradition:  We went out two different evenings to ooh and ahh over the Christmas lights.  Thank you, neighbors, for doing an extra nice job this year!  Apparently, people have time to not only cover their yard and homes in lights but to also synchronize them to holiday music.  Who knew.   But on the second night, we stepped it up a notch and had a Christmas lights scavenger hunt.  (Thank you, Pinterest!)  We laughed and yelled and got a little competitive – and had a great time!  Next year, it will be game on.

Best food of the weekend:  Youtube for the win…. thanks to Nicki at My Bashful Life, we all got in the kitchen and made an upside down apple pie.  Mind you, I don’t really care for pie but this really was delicious.  We made it as a family – which was fun – and we devoured as a family, too!!  I am definitely not a food photographer…but it really was just that good!!

Best mall moment:  Our weekends always involve eating, lights, sight-seeing (of sorts), eating, gifts, laughs, etc., and we always make time for shopping.  Adults-only shopping is a treat, in itself, for Erica:)  I have been trying and retrying (to no avail) to take a photo that could possibly work for New Year’s cards.  We were walking past one of those high-end furniture stores….they have super expensive furniture but they also have beautiful displays, including trees.  We were those people taking photos in the displays.  The sales lady was even helping:)  Funny, but embarrassing.

Best hallmark moment:  “I’m dreaming of a white weekend in Virginia” is pretty much Erica’s theme song.  It was cold but a no-snow weekend – except for the fifteen minutes after she landed.  Not kidding.  The whole time she was taxing into the gate, and as we walked to the car, the lightest, prettiest flurries were everywhere.  Straight out of a Hallmark movie.

She was beside herself – over flurries.  I was just as thrilled that was the extent of it.  (I’m not really a scrooge but my heart does long for palm trees and sunshine.  In December.  Especially in December.)

Best gift: