Christmas

I love me some Christmas but this year December has been kinda wonky.  I have been sick literally the entire month with a terrible cough.  Like coughing so hard I thought I would actually puke.  Like coughing so long I couldn't catch my breath and would almost pass out.  Like coughing so often I could only sleep in about 15 minute increments if at all.  I finally went to see the doctor a few days before Christmas because my ribs were hurting every time I took a breath.  Turns out I have bronchitis and I bruised / hairline fractured a few ribs from coughing so hard and so often.  Awesome.  The good news is that the antibiotics are working and hopefully in another week everything will be completely over.

Even though December wasn't quite normal, we did do some Christmas-y stuff.  We missed a bunch of stuff I wanted to do, but there is always next year.  I know you're just here for the photos so here they are. 

Our lit up but undecorated tree.  Don't worry, we did decorate it.

In SoCal our neighborhood had a Christmas Eve parade.  In D.C. they also have a parade of sorts.  It's just that this one takes place down the Potomac River with decorated boats.  It was really cool, even though the pictures are not so great.  It's hard to take photos at night of something that is lit up AND moving!

Santa fishing (the fish wasn't lit up right then), a lighthouse, a wreath on a mast, a turtle (with moving legs!), and an American flag.  The rest of the photos were too blurry to post.  I think we'll do this again next year. 

We went to see the National Tree on the Ellipse in front of the White House.  It was definitely not what we were expecting.

It's not that tall and it's kinda shaped funny.  It's because it is a living tree planted in the late 70's.  So yay for being green, but not so yay on the impressive scale.

Around the National Christmas tree there are smaller Christmas trees representing each state / territory (this one is Iowa's).  Towards the back is Santa's Workshop.  You walk past the White House to get to everything.

We went to the Festival of Lights, which is the D.C. temple's version of Temple Square.  It was really awesome.

We saw a Christmas concert at the Visitor's Center and then the nativity exhibit (about 100 different nativity sets from around the world).  This one was my favorite because it looks kinda like a carousel. 

I was really digging these purple trees.

This Christmas tree in the Visitor's Center was decorated by our stake.  Not that I had anything to do with it, but you know, reflected glory and whatnot.

This is the tree at the National Harbor.  Much better than the White House National tree. 

Plus, this tree's lights were choreographed to change color and pattern with the music.

This tree is at the National Patent Trademark Office.  I was a big fan.  This is what I expected the National Tree at the White House to look like.

We drove past the Capitol's tree downtown and it looked better than the White House tree, but not as good as the National Harbor tree.  All the Christmas trees in D.C. totally pale in comparison to the tree at Rockefeller Plaza. 

This is me in front of the Rockefeller tree in January 2009.  Shortly after this photo was taken we saw a guy propose to his girlfriend in the middle of the ice rink!  Sweet!  It made me tear up probably because I had just gotten engaged a week earlier!

Anyway, the Rockefeller tree really is the best Christmas tree in the country!