December 21

 We are FOR SURE starting to count down the days until Christmas around our house! Whose idea was it to let school out on December 18??? My children are running around in circles and on the walls! Christmas cannot get here fast enough! We'll just have to stay busy until the big day............

Emily has wanted to go to the "glowing garden" since she saw it illuminating on the hill as we would speed by on our way home from swimming lessons. It is officially called "Garden Aglow" and it takes place at the Idaho Botannical Gardens....much like temple square minus the temple, visitor center, reflection pond...HOWEVER, when you're 300+ miles away, it does the job quite nicely! Aaron and I last went about 5 days before Alec was born (yeah...about 9 years ago). It was one of the most memorible dates I've been on with Aaron! It was kind of like our last time together as just us....anyhoo....we found ourselves back there again AND this time, we had three other energetic little people with us!!! What a fun night. The lights were beautiful, the cookies and hot chocolate were delicious and as a very satisfied Emily said, "This feels magical"...and it did!

We even met a reindeer named Prancer...although Alec and Emily decided it probably wasn't THE Prancer...just a namesake!