Lights

We decided to take it easy this year and avoid the Temple Square lights.  We always love the experience, but with the kids and the cold and the drive and the traffic and the crowds and the parking....we decided to stay a little closer to home.  And by golly, look what we had just blocks from our house:

Two usually fighting siblings became friends

Our Claire Bear really was.

A giant sized nutcracker

Surprise - we even saw Santa

We snuggled up like two birds of a feather

The sky was on fire with lights

The kids had dipped marshmallows

Rob and I skipped the marshmallows, and purchased a treat of our own

BDEM:  We purchased our Christmas tree!  It's all set up and tomorrow we will decorate it.  Remember last year's mini-tree?

Silly mini-tree.  We didn't go that route this year - but I guess it changed our perspective on trees.  After looking at what we thought were "big" trees, we found a beauty, brought it home, set it up and realized it was still fairly small.  I mentioned last year that our Charlie-Brownesque tree reminded me of a miniature pony:  comical and uncomfortable all at the same time.  This year's tree is like a donkey; the shape looks right, and it'll do the job, it's just not QUITE what you wanted.  Then again...how did pregnant Mary get to Jerusalem?  Hmmm.  Maybe I'm onto something here!