Christmas Lights

Classes are over (hurray!), the air is crisp and cool, our house smells like pine trees and gingerbread and Christmas lights are lining the streets! It's the most wonderful time of the year and it's only going to get better this week.  We started off the week with a trip to look at Christmas lights with my best friend and her hubby, and it was just as amazing as we'd hoped.  The boys were thrilled (not) to look at lights and didn't complain once. Sike! They did. But I think they ended up enjoying themselves in the end. I went a little bokeh crazy, but it was so hard not to when it looked this beautiful.

Then we took turns in front of the patriotic house since both our hubbies are military studs.  Best friend and her hubby took their turn and I'm pretty much in love with the turn out.

So apparently not everyone knows how to work a DSLR camera...what? I know, news to me too. But it was mine and Mr's turn to stand in front of the house for our "support our troops" picture.  I thought we could teach best friend's husband to take a picture real quick.  But after about 9 failed attempts and 15 minutes of waiting for crowds to pass, running back and forth to change the focus..raise and lower ISO and reposition ourselves, we gave up :) Best friend's husband and Mr did an excellent job at not complaining throughout the process and now we have a great memory of crazy photo taking at the patriotic house and I'm so very thankful for it!

I'm almost certain I would be happy if it were Christmas time year round. Who wouldn't love to stare at magical lights all the time?

I can't wait until we have little ones to take with us down Christmas adorned streets. It will be so magical for them. There was Christmas music playing, hot cocoa to drink and people swarming the streets.  Everyone complains about Christmas music being played in early November, but I secretly adore it.  Nothing beats this time of the year.  I remember feeling so happy as a little girl, as soon as Christmas tree lots popped up around town.  Then houses lined with colored bulbs and bushes covered in white lights. Christmas trees in windows facing the street, so passerby could catch a glimpse of sparkling beauty. My heart feels full and ready to embrace this season of love and remembrance of our Savior's birth. 

Take two with best friend's husband as our photographer resulted in our faces in focus and some pretty lights in the background. Mission accomplished!

We had such a fun double date and hope this becomes a tradition!  The rest of the week holds more Christmas light looking, present wrapping, eggnog drinking, Christmas Eve services and lots of time with family. I truly adore it all.

With all the lights..treats..parties..presents and music it's easy to lose sight of where our focus should be. So let's not forget to thank and praise our Lord and Savior for the blessings He has brought so we can enjoy this amazing time of year <3