getting ready for christmas

Ho Ho Ho

Our first Tennessee Christmas has been sweet.  

We've been making memories and sharing the time as a family.  Bo understands so much this year and is so much fun to share Christmas with.  He knows Santa says Ho Ho Ho! and loves his job of turning on and off the Christmas tree lights by stomping the floor switch.  He has a collection of Christmas stickers and believes that stickers belong on the face, and none of us have corrected him:

We've enjoyed making new traditions here in our new home.  It has been so warm thus far, which I think is pretty nice.  I can enjoy Christmas lights in 60 degree weather.  In fact, we might just get out of the car and leisurely wander around in the comfort of our t-shirts.  

Left: our back porch and Bo in short-sleeves.  Right: a house in Nashville decked in lights. 

 

Everyone around here said we had to go to Opryland Hotel to see the lights.  We finally made it out this week.  It was really crazy.  I don't really know how to explain it to my yankee friends - a giant hotel with an arboretum/greenhouse growing in the middle of it?  They really do Christmas well there.  There were lights everywhere, hanging from the lofted ceiling, engulfing the indoor Christmas tree, and stretching to every branch of the trees at the entrance of the hotel.  

Their children's section was sweet and fairly empty so we decided to see Santa without a line, even though Bo was not wearing his Santa shirt.  He wasn't a huge fan of the jolly old elf.

But he WAS a huge fan of the train exhibit.  He busted up laughing at the trolley that shuttled back and forth above the town.

A highlight was the Behold the Lamb concert at the Ryman - my first time at the Ryman but my 2nd time to see the concert.  It's been several years since and I was so excited to share the experience with Matt and our friends from community group. It is an awesome show and I highly recommend this fresh and Biblical perspective of Christmas. We will be making this a family tradition!

Currently Matt and I are on the road to OKC. Arkansas has been a long and boring state with an hour long stop on the highway. BUT... Bo flew from Cinci to OK with my parents and we are ever so glad he is enjoying a day with a train table at Coco and Boppy's instead of being stuck in here with us. Moose is a much more compliant traveler. :)