Tis The Season!

I LOVE LOVE this time of year! 

Everything about it makes me happy... the Christmas lights, the excuse to bake fun holiday treats, the gathering of family, the old Christmas movies that replay everyday, the fun holiday traditions, getting cards in the mail, the decorations you put in your house, going to my parents house and feeling like a kid again.

Here we are doing some of our favorite Christmas time things.

Ha! All the jolly talk and I had to include this picture.  This time of year also brings lots of colds for little ones.  See below...

Cousin holiday love on a warm December day.

Last weekend was very eventful...

Friday we went and saw Santa.  It is SO nice with Will having half days every Friday.  We beat all the mall traffic and there wasn't a line. Here is Benjamin checking out the big man before his turn.  

It was looking slightly promising... 

I was so wrong!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

He had a hard time afterwards recovering... our mall trip ended earlier than planned.

 Saturday we had a full day filled with Gaylord Christmas fun with the family.

(Note: Benjamin is wearing the same outfit but he literally wore it for an hour with Santa.  Don't judge.)

We went and saw the ICE! display in celebration for Amanda's 30th birthday! This was Will and I's third time to go and it felt very full circle.  The first time we were newly dating, the second I was very pregnant with Benjamin, and now the third pregnant with our second kid.  Lots of fun memories at the Gaylord.

 Here is Audrey and Pop waiting in line.

Benjamin loved soaking in all the colors and lights.

Leave it up to Pop to play like a kid! 

Ashley and Rett 

My family of three!

Cousin photo.

After ICE! we ate a Mexican food restaurant and while we waited for our table the kids enjoyed listening to Tula sing some carols.

Taking pictures with small children is rarely successful.

The ice adventure would have been enough fun for anyone, but we decided to squeeze in a little more.  Since Amanda and I used the same realtor, they were kind enough to gift us with vouchers to The Great Wolf Lodge.  We decided to use them this weekend, since it is just across the street from the Gaylord.  I have heard wonderful things about this place, and it did not disappoint!  There was a huge water park, characters, a magic hunt (too old for us at this point, but when they get older, would be great), a bedtime story, and snow falling in the lobby.  We were in kid heaven!  I highly recommend this as a family vacation, but next time would try and go on a week day, when it wasn't so crowded. (We didn't get any water park pics, because we were too busy having fun!)

I managed to squeeze in a nap with Audrey and Benjamin while the rest of the gang was at the water park.  Audrey woke up before Ben and enjoyed some snuggle time with Aunt Ali.

The bedtime story was precious!  They read a story in the lobby and all the kids wore their PJs.  At the end of the story it snowed in the lobby!

Getting ready for bed...

Maybe not the best idea right now...

The rooms were super nice but the night was longer than expected. 

(See below - I was somehow puzzled into the picture.)

What a great weekend! We are so blessed to live near such fun family outings!