Although we celebrated Christmas away from Ontario, we did have some Canadian visitors! Martin and Marlene came to visit for the weekend. They arrived on Friday night and after a quick visit in the apartment we went to Jack Stack's BBQ. There was an hour wait for dinner so we decided to walk around the plaza and see the lights. The plaza was really busy and since it was open late for Christmas hours we were able to go into a few stores and browse.
On Saturday the weather continued to be amazing. Unfortunately most things are closed since it was Christmas Eve. We did manage to visit a few of the second hand stores that I really like here in KC. We took Nathan's parents to Joe's Furniture (a huge consignment shop) and they really seemed to like it. We did a tour of the city, including the Nelson Atkins Art Museum and Longview Lake (both closed) but it was worth driving by and getting a feel for the city. After a quick afternoon nap we met back at our apartment for dinner. I've really enjoyed having most of our meals together in the apartment. I thought I'd be more intimidated to make the meals but I planned it out well so it was really easy.
After dinner, the four of us played Scrabble and munched on crackers and specialty cheeses. We stopped by a cheese shop on the plaza today and after sampling most of the cheeses picked 2 perfect styles to go with our wine after dinner.
On Christmas morning we had a huge pancake breakfast before we went to church at Wornall. Martin and Marlene were able to meet alot of the friends we've made since we arrived. The service was great and we celebrated with both the Spanish and Haitian churches that share our building. We even got to take a poinsettia home with us!
After church we went for a tour of downtown Kansas City. We took Martin and Marlene to the Waterfront Park. I can't believe we were walking by the water in light jackets on Christmas Day. People were reading in the sunshine, walking their pets, and riding bikes! It was a gorgeous day.
After the waterfront walk we went to the Liberty War Memorial. It was closed but we were able to walk around and see an amazing statue.
The War Memorial is next to the Federal Reserve and there were a bunch of protesters for the 99% movement camped out. I wonder if they would still be there if the weather wasn't as nice as it was.
After another quick nap we met up for a big Christmas dinner. I made ham instead of turkey because I've already had 2 turkey dinners and was ready for a change. After a big meal we had apple pie and ice cream for dessert. I ate way too much food. After dinner we opened stockings and a few gifts that Heather and Ian had sent for us. Heather sent some sugar free jam (which I'm so excited to try) and this beautiful star she made.
After a french toast and Timmy's coffee breakfast (another gift from Heather and Ian) Martin and Marlene packed their car with things we wanted to send home (since we're getting ready to leave KC soon). It was a great visit and we had so much fun as a family!
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