Silver bells, silver lights, let it snow and snow and snow! Yes, it's cold and blustery, but oh my goodness it's beautiful out there, truly a winter wonderland. John and I and both kids celebrated the frosty fabulousness with dinner at Ciao Bella - pizza, risotto, lasagna, salad, calamari, tiramisu, salmon - basically, a tour through their entire menu, ha.

Afterward, full and bundled up (and thankful for all-wheel drive), Nathan and I set out for a tour of a different sort, a Christmas-light tour, first checking out displays we looked up in the newspaper, then ending with simple drives through some of our favorite neighborhoods. I'm such a sucker for the big light displays, and every neighborhood looks perfect and Christmas-y under a blanket of soft, fluffy snow, lit by a full moon no less, warmly cold, silver and gold. Having ourselves a Merry Little Christmas indeed.

Tomorrow, stay tuned for late-morning Christmas caviar on toast points for John and me (one of my presents, nice!), then roast chicken and vegetables with stuffing and pan juices, crab cakes, and chocolate mousse and lefse for Mom, Stacey, Cooper, and Bowen for Christmas Eve dinner.

Thank goodness we'll be opening some presents, I'll be needing the exercise, whew.