Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Every day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the twentieth day of the month is "Message." I have decided that I'm going to write about the last photo message I sent via text.
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We went to see the holiday lights on Sunday night. I sent my mom a photo to show that both of us are alive and well.
These friends just got engaged over the summer and bought a house together and it's been so exciting to be on the ground floor of their new lives together. They have some challenges (they live in Wisconsin, his family is on the west coast, and her family is in Canada) and are struggling with what decisions to make about an actual wedding, but they're in this thing together and young love is so sweet to watch.
Here's to our winter wonderland. Do you ever go to a light display? What's your favorite place to go?
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To see what message Bestest Friend has to talk about, visit her at Too Legit to Quit.
I love the lights! The past two years I've gone to the Chinese Lantern Festival and it's so beautiful. This year we also followed a holiday light route through our town of some of the most incredible displays. It was so much fun! No snow here though so it's not really a winter wonderland like yours!
ReplyDeleteThe snow really does add an extra layer of happiness. It's rare that we have snow that sticks this early in December, so we were super excited for it.
DeleteThis looks so festive and magical. Snow really does add a lot of warmth (ironically enough) to the whole Christmas vibe. And I love that picture of you and Dr. BB.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have any real walkable light displays, but we're planning to go drive through neighbourhoods tonight! The kids have been sick and/or busy this month, so it will be our first real light-viewing excursion of the season. I usually aim to do this earlier in the month, but it also feel more festive to do it close to the Big Day.
There are three main houses we always visit; one is about 10 minutes away, another about 15 minutes, and the last is about 25 minutes - but it is epic and everything is coordinated with the beat of music. The kids love it all. I have to admit I don't care too much about looking at lights, but my Mom is a HUGE fan, so I'll pack up the kids and my Mom tonight and we'll put on Christmas tunes and have a looksee!
I really love having a walkable area to see lights. I grew up in a more rural area and we definitely did driving tours, though, and it was fun in its own way because we could have hot chocolate and our own music. I hope you did have fun with your own light tour!
DeleteWe haven't been to a display in quite some time. Might be nice to do again someday.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's fun to see people of all ages there, especially large family groups with tiny kids up through grandparents!
DeleteOooh that looks lovely! My front yard is a festive light display, so I don't go to see anything else really.
ReplyDeleteHa. Well, if our front yard looked like this, I guess we wouldn't go anywhere else, either.
DeleteIs that an officially put on light display? I don't think there is anything like that here - but I like to walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas decorations. We don't have snow though.... which, I agree, adds a bit of holiday magic. I love that picture of the two of you :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a light display at the local(ish) botanical gardens. I think that the cold and snow add to the mystique of the whole thing, but surely there's someplace near you that does something similar even if it is warm? The decorate the palm trees and whatnot?
DeleteWe have a big light show near here which is a drive-through. We did it several years ago, but I think walking through the snow is a much better way to see a light show.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they do it anymore, but the minor baseball team in Grand Rapids used to do a drive-through light display when I was younger. It was always a good time and my mom would buy us all candy canes. We'd drive through it in like ten minutes, though, so that was a bummer.
DeleteThat's a great photo of you both! Laughing at your red paisley scarf; it's like Where's Waldo.
ReplyDeleteBeing on the ground floor of new love and lives together is a gift.
Oooohhh...I should start offering a reward for the first person who spots the red paisley scarf when it appears. Where's Waldo indeed!
DeleteHow beautiful! The snow does make it more magical. Hopefully you didn't have the extreme cold we are getting when you did this. It is NASTY outside! I'm confused about how we are getting a huge snowstorm when it's like -5 outside. Usually that is too cold for snow!
ReplyDeleteThe last 2 years, Paul and I have gone to a light display at the local arboretum. It is beautiful and so well done, but you have to buy your tickets in advance so you are always taking a gamble on the weather. And we are 0 for 2 on good weather. Paul said he wants to go in the summer next time, but there are no lights in the summer! But he might enjoy seeing the flowers so we might try it.
Yes, this light display is at our local botanical garden. We also have to book ahead and it was very cold. We just dressed warmly and went anyway!
DeleteI'm not excited about this snowstorm that's heading our way, but maybe it'll be nice to just have a couple of days to bake cookies and wrap presents and not really worry about the outside world because we'll be snowed in! I guess it's not so easy when you have two little kids going stir crazy, but if all else fails, give them little shovels and tell them to get to work outside. LOL.
Oh pretty! We are going to the Zoo lights tonight. We often do more than that but I'm feeling a little tapped out at this year. This evening we planned a month in advance with friends, which was probably a good move since I am not feeling it right now, but I know I will have been glad to go at 8:30pm. (Though maybe not at 9:30pm when the kids are still up and wired from too much hot chocolate.)
ReplyDeleteI love that you have that picture of you and Dr. BB. Just these past few years I have been trying to make an effort to take pictures of just me and the Husband. Usually it's him or me with the kids, or just the kids. Never the two of us. One year we got a Christmas card from my mentor and her husband. They are childless and their Christmas card is full of pictures of themselves on vacation. They've been married 40 years and always look so happy and in love. It made me realize that I want photographic proof of being middle aged and happy and in love too. So whenever we are out and about, I try to make sure to take a picture of just the two of us. It helps now that the oldest is old enough to take pictures decently. it doesn't help that the two little ones always try to photobomb us. The oldest has learned how to crop them out afterwards.
It's hard to get photos of the two of us because it usually is just the two of us, so whenever we're with someone else, I ask them to take photos. I think this year we were able to get a grand total of four! It is handy that your kids are getting old enough to take photos - but soon they won't want you to take photos of them! Teenagers.
DeleteThere are lots of different light displays around here. They do a really spectacular one at our MLB stadium that I need to get tickets to one of these days. This week, I went with my mom and stepdad to look at a neighborhood that goes all out for Christmas lights. (We're always like, "Is it written in the contract when you buy a house in this neighborhood that you MUST go crazy for exterior Christmas lights?!") We drive through it, although you could park and walk around. It's a fun tradition for us!
ReplyDeleteI often wonder about those over-the-top neighborhoods, too. Is it required? Is it that one neighbor starts something and then everyone is trying to keep up or one-up the other? Is it a HOA thing? How do the logistics work? How much do their electricity bills go up in December? Enquiring minds want to know!
DeleteI've been to the drive through one at Olin Park and man, it was not impressive at all. I need to get up to Waunakee one year - I hear their Rotary does a great job.
ReplyDelete