For a while, it was very much a white-out. Very pretty.

 
This cracks me up. National Geographic, article entitled, "Arctic Explorers, Ages 7 and 3."

 
Throwing stuff.

 
You might think she tripped. Nope -- she intentionally face-planted.

ICE! at National Harbor

Just before Christmas, our friends the Martins invited us to a really fun ice sculpture exhibit/playland called "ICE!" It was held at the (relatively) new National Harbor on the Maryland side of the Potomac. It was "a winter wonderland created entirely of 5,000 BLOCKS of ice weighing 1.5 MILLION POUNDS! hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling nine degrees Fahrenheit" (says the advertisement). It was a great time, and afterwards, hot chocolate for everyone!

 
A quick family snapshot, just before getting super-cold!

 
This was just a tunnel, lit up with lights. Nothing special -- I just thought it was pretty.

 
Right at the start, they put big blue parkas on everyone. Sean was... enWRAPtured.

(Get it? See, he's "wrapped" up, so the pun is... never mind.)

 
HELP! HELP! THERE'S A GIANT BEAR ABOUT TO DEVOUR MY CHILDREN!

(Sean knew what was coming -- look at his face).

 
Kids, meet Fred. Fred the penguin.

 
A Christmas angel.

 
At the very end, they had this nativity scene. Quite beautiful, I thought.

 
The National Harbor really is a beautiful place. Their Christmas decorations were lovely.

 
The 2009 Christmas picture.

Grandma and Grandpa's Pre- and Post-Christmas Visits!

Because Kim was feeling not so great due to being pregnant, we had a quiet Christmas, just the four of us -- but, we were delighted to get to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa both before and after the holidays!

 
We visited the Air and Space Museum out at Dulles with Grandma and Grandpa. Abby was thrilled to get a penny smushed and imprinted with the image of the Enola Gay. A little strange for a 7-year old girl, but then again, she is related to me.

 
A Grandma and her boy.

 
A Grandpa and his girl.

 
The kids always share a navel orange or two with Grandpa when he visits.

 
He's got teeth. Honest.