Christmas on the Potomac

I love, love, LOVE getting recommendations from others about amazing places to visit or things to do. So, I am passing them on too!

I have been able to do more of these "new" things this year because I have the kids part of the time, and I want to enrich their lives (as well as my own!) And, I feel like that has really given me the opportunity to embrace the holiday season this year and actually take a step back and enjoy it! It's made a remarkable difference in my attitude too. I feel like the past few years I was just hoping to "survive" the holidays. It always seemed so stressful! But, this year, a new combination of things and events changed my approach to the holiday. And, I loved it! I even attempted making my Christmas cards this year, even though they were on the "easy" side when it came to craftiness level!

One recommendation for the holidays came from a teacher friend at church. She took two of her students to there and raved about how amazing it was! She was not exaggerating!
I am speechless. My words can not do justice to this exhibit or experience. It was magical!

TWO MILLION POUNDS of ice carved into a walk-through attraction of ten larger-than-life, three-dimensional holiday scenes, including a Nativity Scene with a 25-foot-tall ice angel and a Christmas Castle with ice slides standing more than two stories tall. It's only 9 degrees in there (and yes, they're not kidding!) ICE! is created by dozens of artisans who will migrate to the DC area from Harbin, China. It takes them nearly an entire month of 12-hour shifts to transform the refrigerated tent where the exhibit is held into a remarkable icy wonderland. (Learn more about it's makings here)

The first sculptures you see are of National Monuments in DC! Here's Jeremiah. He knows all the monuments well, by name, and thought this was SOOOOO cool!

A holiday scene... looks just like your living room, eh?
But, it's ALL ICE!!

We called this the "Happy Feet" scene. And we danced on our happy feet as we walked through! The detail on the penguins was incredible!

Ho, Ho Ho! Jeremiah was worried Santa might freeze :)

A life-size horse and buggy! We took a ride (in our imaginations!)

THE BEST part were the two-story high ICE SLIDES!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

A nativity scene that was so intricately done.
I took pictures from 3 sides, but it was breathtaking!

Merry Christmas!!

After we left we went to the main building to thaw out. Inside there it's decorated beautifully as well! We got hot chocolate and a cookie and sat in front of the fountain watching a water show timed to holiday music. Then, we went to see their model train display where Jeremiah just stared for 30 minutes at the trains go in and out, round and round the town! Mrs Clause came to welcome us and gave us candy canes and then we rode the glass elevator up 18 flights of stars just so we could look down on this magical wonderland! It was incredible and being there with Jeremiah made it that much more fun and enjoyable! He's a light in my life!