the lights.

Today on my drive home from work, I drove down this little hill, slowed down to go over the speed bump just wanting to get home and saw a bunch of colors coming from behind a row of trees.....Christmas lights! This home was decked out in Christmas lights, reindeer, Santa Claus, and numerous snow men. I must have had the biggest smile on my face, because before I realized it, the car behind me had started beeping and I noticed I was stopped just staring. 

One of my favorite memories from the holiday season are the lights. My parents and my yiayia used to take my two brothers and I, each and every year to Long Wood Gardens to see all of the trees and lights. 

I remember being completely swaddled in my winter coat when we left the house, only to have it unzipped by the time we got there. My oversized earmuffs that I absolutely had to wear, slowly slipping off my head as I ran to be the first one in. I loved the lights. I loved them almost as much as my yiayia. There were so many different colors but my favorite were the bright white lights that covered the trees. 

To this day, my favorite thing to do once the holiday season settles in and the chill in the air starts to overwhelm us, is to drive around in the car with hot cocoa looking at all of the lights. Yes, we have to get out of the car if I see an overly spectacular set-up, and yes we take photos in front of it. 

The first year David and I were dating I invited him over to my uncle's home for Christmas day dinner and he asked to leave early that night. If you come to holiday dinners with my family, they rarely end early so I was a little disappointed he wanted to leave early but I agreed. We got in the car and drove back towards my parent's house, and then past my parent's house. I had no idea where we were going and was a little annoyed at this point (yeah, it happens), until...I saw almost a half a mile of lights as we turned down this long road in a small neighborhood. 

There was a house with the greatest set-up of Christmas lights and decorations I have ever seen. He parked the car, told me to button up my white coat and put my hat on. We got out of the car and walked along the path this family had set up for everyone to watch the lights. David went there as a little kid, each year to see the lights. It was the best ending to Christmas. We go every year to see the lights and I get a little excited right after Thanksgiving, waiting to go see them. Thank goodness David enjoys it just as much as I do, or we may not have worked out ; ) 

Needless to say, I'm really excited to see the lights this year.