I hate winter...most of the time

For all the complaining I do about the cold and wet and general depressiveness of the winter season, I guess it's not all bad. It's views like this--moments like this--that make me happy.

I went to Mt. Vernon with a couple friends this weekend to enjoy their holiday activities. We got to see the third floor of the house (which is only open between Dec. 1 and Jan. 6), we learned a Colonial dance that would have impressed General Washington himself, and we watched them make hot chocolate from coco beans.

And who doesn't love an overly ornate gingerbread house? The little jelly pigs sitting beside the guest servant quarters made me smile (I wish I had taken a close-up picture of them for you to enjoy as well).

While I often wish I lived in the Caribbean during the winder months, the traditions of the holiday season make me glad to be right where I am. And knowing I will be with my family in just a few days makes the cold and wet and darkness worth it.