Prairie Lights 2014

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014
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One of our family traditions is to go to Prairie Lights each year at the beginning of December. We know how crowded it gets so we always make it one of our first Christmas time plans. We grab some food to eat on the way and try to get there right when it opens at 6 pm. They had changed up at least two big sections of the lights this year and left the two new ones from last year. Dani loved it and was screaming with excitement as we drove through the park. It was so fun to hear her joy and delight.

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

In the middle of the drive they have a Christmas village set up where you can get out and ride a carousel and spinning ride as many times as you want. We started there because the lines start to get really long as the evening goes on. The girls have so much fun with this each year. I let Nadia and Amelie spin the big bear so I could hold onto Dani and see if she liked it or not. She really liked it and how fast they were making it go.

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

We tried to take a photo with Santa, but it wasn’t the usual man who is really good with the kids and they were really abrasive when we were trying to see the samples so we didn’t buy any photos this year. After that we went through the walk through lighted part and it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. It wasn’t nearly as cold as prior years and we just strolled along. Once that was finished we went into the main area again for the “show.” This year it was just music and laser lights instead of live action like last year.

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

Prairie Lights 12.3.2014

Decorating the Tree 2014

Decorating the Tree 2014

I have been looking forward to Christmas this year because it’s Dani’s first – just like I was excited over Nadia and Amelie’s first Christmas. Dani has such a giant personality and she has been over the top excited about everything!! It’s awesome. The first Christmas tree she saw was at Grandma Linda’s nursing home and she was mesmerized. A couple days after we got home from our Colorado trip I put the tree together and the lights on while the girls were having a nap. Dani was a little confused when she woke up to the tree, but she liked the lights and really got excited about the decorating.

Decorating the Tree 2014
She is so excited!
Decorating the Tree 2014
Serious decorating
Decorating the Tree 2014
Dani style - all on one branch
Decorating the Tree 2014
She stared at this for 15 minutes

This year the big girls chose their ornaments with Daddy while I was in New York with Dani. Here are their 2014 choices.

Decorating the Tree 2014
Nadia
Decorating the Tree 2014
Amelie

Decorating the Tree 2014

This is Dani’s from our China trip. She was born in the year of the Dragon so it’s fitting.
Decorating the Tree 2014

And this totally awesome and amazing ornament was thought of and created by Mike. We like to have the girls first year with us ornament represent the biggest thing that happened and this fits the bill! It turned out so awesome!

Merry Christmas 2014!

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Merry Christmas to our family, friends, and blog readers!

We are so blessed that Dani joined our family this year. The Christmas season with her excitement and giant personality has been so wonderful and filled with joy! We pray that the coming year is blessed for you and yours.

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Last Day in Colorado 2014

End of CO trip 2014
Dani and Jess
End of CO trip 2014
Dani and Kelsey

Our week with the Peterman’s was pretty uneventful and relaxed which is what we were hoping for. The 4 big girls spent a lot of time playing and Dani did her best to keep up or hung out with the adults who were chatting. We ate a lot of delicious food including finally going to The French Press which Randy and Jess have been telling us about for years. It was fantastic just as the promised! We will have to go there again on our next visit. Did a little shopping on Black Friday without the kids and had an adult lunch out after we got some good deals at the Children’s Place. Jessica and I scored a cart full of jammies at Target and spent a lot of time talking and laughing.

Thanksgiving 2014
You can never have too many jammies

After dinner on our last night in town Dani and I went to meet Emma, her mom and her Grandmother for ice cream. Emma and Dani were foster sisters in China. Emma was adopted a few months after Dani and is now living in Colorado. It was a special treat to connect these girls once again. I like to do this kind of thing every chance we get because all of the children adopted from China share part of a story that is so different from their parents. Dani surprised me by being willing to hold Emma’s hand and saying, “Emma! Emma! Emma!” It was really cute.
End of CO trip 2014

Emma and Dani in China in January 2014 (this is a guess based on when we sent the camera and the snow). Then in CO in November 2014.
End of CO trip 2014
End of CO trip 2014

After ice cream I needed to head back and pack up for our 12 hour drive home the next day. I am always sad when it’s time to leave our friends, but we really had such a wonderful week. Thanks for hosting us Randy and Jess and letting us crash your family Thanksgiving 🙂

End of CO trip 2014
End of CO trip 2014

On the road trip home in a little town in CO we saw a building made of petrified wood. My sweet husband made a u-turn so I could hop out and take a photo. I get a kick out of quirky things we see on our countless road trips.