All Abooooooooard!

So, we're sitting at the table, slurping up some delicious soup, my girls and me.  We had just assembled some super-fine gingerbread houses with our littles, and learned some valuable lessons in gingy-construction, by the way.  Anywho, girl #1 asks the group, "...any Christmas traditions?....."  

Discussion ensued and my ears perked up and my heart quickened when Jenn mentioned golden tickets and Christmas lights.  What an idea!!  What a fun way to take our annual light-sighting trip through the neighborhoods and glam it up a bit!

So, Brian and I set to work prepping the kids.  "One of these nights, you are going to be alllllllllllll ready for bed, you're going to get jammied, we'll read and pray and smooch, and tuck you in and, OH MY, you'll find a little golden ticket in your bed!  And that little golden ticket will be good for a round trip ride aboard the Meade Express.  You will get to delay bedtime, stay up super late, and we'll all go look at Christmas lights together."  

the idea was a hit. 

Would tonight be the night of the golden ticket?  Tonight?  One of these nights ....

and then it was time!  The kids were none-the-wiser, daddy bathed them and jammied them and I worked fervently to put the plan into action.  The golden glitter tickets were placed neatly in their beds, popcorn and cookies were placed in their seats in the van, Christmas music was queued.  We were ready. 

The kids were thrilled to find their golden tickets (they first noticed the glitter that had managed to get allll over their beds, they each then traced the glitter back to the ticket that they'd initially overlooked).  :)  They were not thrilled to pose for pictures.  In the words of X:  "IT'S A GOLDEN TICKET!!!!   lets GO!" 

We had a most fabulous time.  We saw gorgeous displays of lights, reminding us of Jesus, the light of the world.  Daddy treated us to hot cocoa at the Bucks, Phoebe enjoyed the displays as much as the rest of us, and we did stay up waaaaaay past bedtime.  It was so so much fun.  And thanks to a great idea, a lovely morning of fellowship and a friend's hot tip, we have a new family tradition.

Now, I don't have any pictures of the lights, nor do I have any pictures of our second light-sighting trip, but it was extra special as well.  On Christmases when grammy and grandad are here with us, we go looking at lights together as well.  And so we did; we piled the 7 of us into the Meade Express and had another great evening enjoying one another and the beautiful scenery.  It was particularly fun the second time around, as Phoebe had picked up on "pointing out" the lights.  She was tickled pink to point out every light spectacle she saw and arouse grammy's oooohs and aaaaaaahs.  :)