This past weekend we enjoyed our usual, and not so usual, flurry of activities. First there was the small town Christmas parade where main street is bedecked in the lights for the season; local churches, businesses and the school band march through town pelting kids with candy. Santa enters town on the last float and he and Mrs. Claus take their seat at the Santa House on the square.
It is then officially the Christmas season.
Each year I have been wanting to go a farm in the mountains of central PA where Clydesdale horses pull you in a wagon to find your perfect Christmas tree. So with our first snowfall of the season, and after a trip to voice lessons, I had visions of my family nestled under wool blankets on a horse drawn sleigh, sipping hot cocoa and finding the perfect tree.
So off we went.
After a beautiful drive and many Christmas carols later, we arrived there only to find some cranky people tell us we were 4 minutes late for the last wagon. Someone ahead of us had just asked as well so I think they were tired of the question. Then as we were pulling out of the parking lot we watched a wagon leave with only 4 people in it. I guess they were better at the puppy dog eyes than we were. Blair cried.
On the way home, the GPS got us lost when we went looking for fast food. It took us to a small sub-division in the middle of nowhere and we laughed so hard we cried. I distracted Jon when I yelled, "Hey, there's a buggy!" and took a picture when I saw the Amish. He missed the turn when I startled him and I endured jokes from the kids yelling, "Hey, there's a cow!," "Hey, there's a car!"
The GPS took us back and Jon almost missed the turn again and the kids asked us to keep our eyes on the road. As we passed by the Amish house again, Charley remarked that even they had a trampoline in their yard. We laughed so hard at the kids' whimpering and Reese's exclamation, "I live in a van down by the river," Chris Farley style.
The next evening we were all enjoying some down time at home. I was doing laundry and tidying up the bathroom when I heard all this ruckus going on upstairs. I figured someone was arguing so Jon would take care of it since he was upstairs. Loud, crazy noise is a daily occurrence around these parts.
I continued to clean and then I found a cute headband. I went in to the bathroom and tried it on. I was enjoying this primping but decided to go out and see what was up with everyone.
As I was leaving the bathroom I felt my throat sting and thought maybe I used too much cleanser. As I moved toward the stairs I began to choke and cough. Staggering up the stairs, I couldn't catch a breath. Jon came to my aide, pulled me up and we ran out the back door. There I saw my whole family bent over on the snow covered deck, gasping for air. I asked what in the heck was going on and they told me that Reese sprayed bear spray, a heavy duty pepper spray we take on hikes, downstairs.
Jon came running back out and told us to get to the car. He called one of his best friends from the Army who is now an Orlando police officer and has a little experience with mace. We were laughing (and choking) while Belen was retelling the story and how two of her siblings went screaming by her, their arms flailing in a panic.
Feeling ill, we had to wait an hour to let the house air out so we went to get something to drink. The kids told me they were wondering where I was but ran for their lives instead. Jon said he checked the bedroom but I wasn't there. I did hear him ask where I was but I figured he was going to pawn off what I thought was a fight, onto me.
Jon dramatically joked that they felt I would've wanted them to go on...
Good times in this household.
Reese and Charley and the Darrenkamp's truck.
My friend Ryan, aka Buddy the Elf. 
School bus representing.
The End.
