My Four Day Weekend...

The good...
Hello? Four days off is pretty darn good in my book!
Spent two days with the in-laws and actually had a good time!
Isabella got to drive a tractor!  Not just any tractor... a JOHN DEERE, baby!  (and, no, I don't have any pictures)
On the way home from the in-laws we stopped at The Gaylord Palms in Orlando to see ICE!  Absolutely amazing!  2 million tons of ice carved into stautes, and sculptures, and slides, and it was just incredible! And cold!  Like 9 degrees, cold.  Oh, sure, they gave us "parkas" to keep you warm, but seriously?  Did I mention 9 degrees?
I dragged my lazy butt out the door and onto my bike to ride 20 miles on Sunday with a good friend (now my lazy butt is sore).
We put up (and decorated) our Christmas tree.  Mom came over to help us decorate - the Christmas Spirit is alive in our house again!
Christmas shopping is 95% done!
We started to put up the house lights, but it started raining (boo) so we couldn't finish, so I guess that brings me to the next heading...

The bad...
Did I mention the rain which interrupted the decking of my halls?
The Miami Hurricanes (I could go on, but I am still annoyed so I won't).  Sorry, Coach Shannon, you seem like a nice guy, but you had it coming...
There was a GIANT spider (Fear Factor sized) in the bathroom with Isabella and I on Thanksgiving.  Much hysteria ensued, until Ray and his father were able to subdue it with a flyswatter (which just broke its leg), and finally, Ray's size 12 shoe.  They tried to save it and move it outside where it could continue eating mice, or frogs, or whatever else it was eating to get so big.  However, the spider did not understand human logic and refused to accept amnesty.  Sadly, it met its untimely demise in the guest bathroom at my in-laws house (under the aforementioned shoe).
We did not win the lottery (my apologies to everyone to whom I have promised spoils of my winnings - maybe next time).
Weight Watchers changed its program and points system AGAIN!  Now I'll have to re-learn the whole darn program!  Oh-well, I guess it will free up all the brain space I had dedicated to points values of all my favorite foods (wine = 2 points per glass, beer = 3 points per pint, dark chocolate = 1 point per square)

Looking ahead...
Getting a haircut tomorrow - hey, it only happens twice a year, so its a big event in my book!
Bill Bone Bike Tour on Sunday.  This is a bike ride on the Palm Beach Marathon Course.  It will be fun to ride the streets ahead of the runners on totally closed roads.  It will be dark, so I'd better buy a light!

Final Thoughts...
This evening we all went to downtown Boca Raton for the blessing of the Creche (Nativity Scene).  It was quite magical to see how many people were there.  Pastors from four or five different churches (Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Orthodox) were all there to offer their prayers and blessings.  There were children in costume as part of a living Nativity, we sang Christmas carols, and lit the Christmas tree. It was kind of strange to be participating in something so blatantly... religious... in an outdoor setting.  I kept waiting for the PC police to come shut us down. 
Isabella seemed to really enjoy it, and wanted to be in the very front and stay until the end.  I was so thrilled to see her getting into the meaning of Christmas, and told her so. 
Silly me.
She just wanted to get a closer look at Mary's costume.
It turns out she wants to be the star of the Nativity next year...
(I should have known better)