With Mikes 6 weeks break from school we were able to fit in many festivities. December was filled with lights, lights and more lights. Downtown Denver puts on a parade of lights where everything is covered in lights, even the band players. We found out Elena is terrified of gigantic balloon characters- definitely no Macy's Thanksgiving parade for her. Fortunately we passified her with hot wassail we brought in our thermos Mike gave me for Christmas (He knows my obsession with hot cocoa and finding any excuse to enjoy more). Mike and I were lucky to get a taste of it!
We did trail of lights, where you walk a garden path to view lights. We tried those glasses that turn them into shapes and words, which was fun but very trippy. It was too easy to run into things if you wore them the whole time, so I had to take them on and off. Along the walk there are warming stations and Elena got to make a reindeer ornament and write Santa a letter. Mike was so cute, and wrote a letter back a couple weeks later. It really made Elena fall in love with Santa. Last but not least, we did the Zoo lights where again, you walk a path of lights. Fortunately they had ice carving and zoo animals to look at, and even more fortunate- Elena cannot get enough of lights. You would think all those lights activities would have been enough, but we even went driving to look at lights at least 3 other nights.
Mike and I decorated graham cracker gingerbread houses for one of our earliest dates before we were even engaged (Our blog picture is one from that). I think we have gotten better over time. It is kinda tradition, but one we will have to make more kid friendly. Elena did well enough and we were able to build this. Next year me may make one a head of time, Mike is already drafting the architecture plans.
Don't make fun of our little Christmas meal, it was our first Christmas home. We had been planning on going to Las Vegas for Christmas with Mikes family, which is always such a treat. Sadly the week before we felt we should not go with the possibility of having a baby. We scrambled to get our own Christmas frills. With only 3 of us though there was no reason to buy to many sweets (yes, buy not make this year). Our turkey and stuffing turned out great, thanks to Mike. He was quite the chef and I was more a sous chef. Although I was proud of the poached pears we had for dessert.
Christmas eve, we let Elena do a sleep over with us in our room. After she fell asleep we got up to put the stocking stuffers and presents out, and this is when Mike and I started having lots of fun. It got us really excited for the future when we have more kids who understand and appreciate Christmas anticipation. Heck we were so excited it took us a little while to get to bed. Elena had been so excited for Christmas, she spent at least 3 days prior talking about almost nothing but how Santa was coming with her pink sunglasses, and we were leaving him cookies. Christmas morning must have brought too much excitement because when we let her run out to look at her presents she got nervous and asked to be carried out. Once she saw her presents parents were merely an afterthought.
Fortunately all the gifts from family and friends made our Christmas even better, as we all enjoyed opening many wonderful gifts, for which we are very grateful for. I still wish we could have shared Elena's excitement with Mikes family, but I am just glad she had many reasons to be excited.
It was a very Merry Christmas. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas too. We were hoping for a little Christmas present in the form of a baby girl, but we may just have to wait until after the New Year. We will keep you posted on when the baby comes. It doesn't seem like it can come soon enough!.
