Lights, lights and more lights

For the last 8 years, Bryan and I have made a Christmas trek to Pizzeria Uno in a certain shopping area across town. Imagine our surprise when we walked out of the parking garage and rounded the corner only to find that it is no longer there! Additionally, the McDonald's that has been on that corner longer than I've been alive is also gone.

Where would we eat with two small children? Surly not Ruth's Chris. And most definitely not upscale seafood!

We ducked into a warm store to discuss our dining options. Sports bar, Mexican, Italian, barbeque, fondue? As we were talking, Zach interrupted saying that he'd spotted the perfect place on our drive in. However, he explained that it was at the other end, where we first entered. He was so excited and just certain that we'd love it, so we agreed to give it a shot. Fearing that we'd have to walk several blocks, in the cold, out and then back, possibly without finding this perfect spot... Thankfully, less than one block away, we spotted it! A place that Zach and I frequent when we're on dates, but a place that Bryan doesn't like much at all. In fact, he calls it "the home of the $7 PB&J". He had soup.

After dinner, we walked through the streets admiring the stores' Christmas lights while I told them stories about different places we used to go for snacks and hot chocolate when I was a little girl. It's always beautiful down there. Luke loved the horse drawn carriages - I guess he didn't remember them from last year. He thought it was pretty funny to see horses in the middle of the street.

We took an extremely long route home, detouring for spectacular Christmas light displays. Mansions with enormous 100 year old trees wrapped from top to bottom in colored lights. Streets lined with trees whose trunks were wrapped in white lights, stretching forth as far as the eye could see. Candy Cane Lane - a street where every house has a giant candy cane at the curb and each house is decorated with different Christmas inflatables and scenes. Christmas lights that flash and dance to music on a specific radio station. Christmas light webs draping over streets and parks.

As Luke said, "Raise your hand if you love Christmas lights the most" an argument ensued. "Me! No, it's me! Nuh uh, I like them the most!" Well, the truth is... It me. Luke fell asleep before we hit Candy Cane Lane. We couldn't let him miss it though, so we woke him up after a short nap. Zach fell asleep shortly after Candy Cane Lane. I still had a stupid grin on my face after an hour and a half of looking at lights! I was also still oohing and ahhhing. I win. I love Christmas lights the most.