Festive Photo Dump

Tis' the season for all the pictures and festive things and photo dumps - and that's what I've got for today! The last weekend was a festive one for our family as we celebrated Christmas together over the weekend. Friday night we did our traditional meal of hearty appetizers and Ryan and I were able to open one gift each - boxes that contained matching Christmas pajamas. He certainly humors me and my festive whims! 

My parents just completely overwhelmed us with all the thoughtful gifts they gave us - including a gift card to Seven Springs in PA - a ski resort. Ryan grew up skiing and snowboarding, meanwhile I've been skiing once. I'm going to have to buy some thermals & brush up on my skills if I have any hope of keeping up with him, ha-ha! I do know I'll excel at snow-tubing though! 

Another portion of our "Christmas Day" celebrations was attending Enchant in DC - a repeat from two years ago that I absolutely love! Enchant is the largest light maze (in the world maybe) and has a theme each year as you explore the corridors of light and sights. This year's theme was an elf that had lost toys in the maze and you were tasked with finding all eight before Christmas Eve.

Enchant also has a Christmas Marketplace with vendors and special food stations - like bread bowls, hot chocolate, cookies and more. It's a perfect Christmas activity... although after seeing one too many small kids looking a little lost or overwhelmed, I remarked to Ryan that I thought I'd only bring kids if they were small enough to carry - I feel like too many little people could end up getting lost in the maze! There is just so much to see and take in....

 

 

We found all the toys and I was thrilled to take a picture under the twinkling engagement ring that I'd admired two years ago and wished for my turn to (finally) come around. I am most certainly living in the midst of things I prayed for.. and I prayed for them for a very long time. This year has been filled with blessings and answered prayers and they're especially heartfelt at Christmas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After finding all the toys littered throughout the maze and taking a ton of pictures - which Ryan posed for without so much as a complaint, good man - we headed up to explore the Christmas market and see what was on offer. Ryan sampled some Reaper Pepper Beef Jerky and the heat must have hit extra strong because he made the funniest face shortly after popping it into his mouth. And then insisted he didn't need a drink as he coughed and sputtered!

 

Saturday was a good day and a long day - so we all crashed pretty hard once we got home on Saturday night. Sunday morning began with sleeping until after 8 AM, which is a miracle in itself and then heading to church, where the preacher did an excellent sermon! We had an early birthday lunch for Ryan at Olive Garden and then headed to Long Branch to check out the house all decked out for Christmas.

It was such a good weekend - wrapped up with laundry and football and just relaxing and getting ready for the week ahead. The week of Christmas! Can y'all believe we are just three short days away from Christmas (I'm not counting today...duh).