Over the weekend, it really felt like the holidays arrived. With my semester coming to a quick close and the arrival of Thanksgiving, it all hit quick. No complaints here. We had a great weekend- bundled up, scooting around town with fun adventures afoot.

Saturday morning, I took the kids to see Matilda at Notting Hill Gate Cinema. On Saturday mornings at 10:30, they do a Kids Club for £1.50. They play the best movies and it's such a great treat for Viola.... and me. The theatre is really old and has gorgeous carvings all over the ceiling. I come with a coffee from Pret a Manger and relax as she climbs around and toddles through the aisles during the show. (There are hardly many people who come, so the kids roam and have a great time.)

After that, we met Tyler at the Farmers Market for a quick stroll. The winter vegetables! So bright and vibrant! I think I thought it officially felt like Christmas when I saw a farmer unload an armful of giant brussel sprout stalks out onto his stall.

There's a stand at the market that always sells bacon breakfast sandwiches that smell amazing. Toasted bun, hot bacon from the grill, a giant fried egg and then, if you like, brown sauce all over the top. I am always sad that I have already eaten by the time I get there. People look like they have won the lottery as they walk away holding them.

Saturday afternoon, I exchanged my yoga pants for black jeans (one skin tight black trouser for the next) and we all headed to Harrods for our time slot at the Christmas Grotto. Viola is still a little uneducated about Jesus/Santa/Christmas... so everything is very, very new. She did great with Santa. A coy little conversation, but she (okay, we) had a great time. Harrison just squirmed and laughed... despite what all the photos of him staring off in the distance might otherwise imply.

I conned Tyler into letting us end the occasion with a trip to the Ice Cream Parlour on the 2nd floor before we left. I was in heaven. As much as I love pastries, my heart actually beats for ice cream. Unfortunately, it's just not the same here. No $0.84 cones from the Braums drive thru in London, but I did tell Tyler that the hot fudge on our sundae was the closest to Braums I had ever had in London. (Write that down, people. Important survival note for London.)

On the way home, we stopped by Whole Foods on High Street Kensington for one last grocery run before our Thanksgiving dinner the next day. I love/hate that place. So good, such a flashback to Texas life... but I'm never not in shock at the register. So expensive.

Today, we headed out for church. The sermon was on The Prodigal Son. That story is one we have all head so many times, yes? Today I heard it in a new way that left me so exposed to who I really am... and yet so thankful for a God that is so loving!

Then we came home and I somehow cranked out a Thanksgiving dinner in an hour. I think we just blacked out and got in the zone, but somehow- we sat down for a dinner a little bit later with friends and spent the rest of the day eating, eating, eating... I kept thinking of the verse in the song "There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy, when you pass around the coffee and pumpkin pie" as we laughed and made our way back for more coffee and pie throughout the afternoon.

And now... well, I'm sitting by the Christmas tree with the fireplace going too stuffed to eat dinner. The kids went to bed easily after such a big weekend, and I'm with Tyler as we our Netflix game goes strong watching the new (really good!) Amazon series, The Man in the High Castle.

What a wonderful weekend- putting two of the best holidays right up on each other. Christmas and Thanksgiving collide. (I'm pleading the fifth regarding my Black Friday online activity. Yikes. Some of items that may or may not have snagged me below, if you're so inclined.)

How did you spend the weekend? In recovery mode from Thanksgiing hooplah or continued excitement for the weeks ahead? And raise your hand if you have your Christmas tree up, too!