Finding Some Holiday Cheer...

Friday evening our little family of four ventured out for dinner and some Christmas Cheer.

And around here, the place to go for some awesome Christmas Light displays is Longwood Gardens.

It is an annual tradition since I can remember.

I love how this fountain display doesn't change every year.

Insert your favorite Holiday Song (instrumental version) and fountains moving to it and you're there!

It is magical seeing something with your kids, that you remember as a child...

And that every year there is a new theme and the trees are all just a bit different…

I love the red and white lights (they remind me of peppermint - which I love!)

And this is my favorite light wrapping technique.

I hate doing it (frustrating & too many lights & branches to deal with)...

But I love seeing the tree structure like this at night!

Oh, and in the Conservatory - how grand this inside garden is!

Pretty formal for my garden taste - but I can admire the design that goes into it.

I love the visual layering of the lines, texture & color...

The smell of paper-whites is everywhere inside this building.

It is not the most pleasant smell - reminds Dave and I of a Sharpie marker…

But is is a scent that brings back memories of Christmas Time here with family from years ago...

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The theme this year is Gingerbread…

There were gingerbread decorations everywhere...

And this - the Conservatory in Gingerbread…

And huge jars filled with so much candy!

Wish it smelled more like Gingerbread than Paper-whites…

But there were gingerbread scents here and there..

And the trees were dripping with decorations…

Seriously… dripping with SO many decorations!

We always save the Children's water garden for last.

We have learned to bring a change of clothes due to it being - well. Wet...

If we time it right, the change of clothes is feety pajamas.

Perfect so the little ones can be ready for a sleepy car ride home...

Then all bundled up with hats, gloves, scarves…

The kids in their pj's snuggled in blankets with their jackets, hats, gloves & scarves on…

We venture back out through the gardens to admire the outside lights one more time…

This was our favorite tree there - it was immense!

I especially loved snapping this photo of a man taking a photo of three of his girl friends posing in front of the big tree… 

Their silhouettes posing were so much fun to watch against the bright lights…

An family night out was exactly what we all needed!

With my dad through a successful surgery (went as the doctor expected) and now on the hopefully normal slightly bumpy road to recovery...

We were all able to actually enjoy this outing just that much more & we were able to exhale a bit too.

Hope this brings you some cheer as well.

Thank you for all the well wishes & prayers!

It means so much more than you will ever know… 

Thank You!!!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Happy Holidays to you!