Ellie's First Christmas Light Experience!

EEEK!! It's the most wonderful time of the year!! And while it is not always fun to see your little baby grow up, it is occasionally such as times you get to share a new experience with them and see their faces light up, their excitement, smiles, and joy!

Everyone knows I take Ellie to LITERALLY every single event I can find for her because while I know she will not remember them at this age, each new experience or repetition of an experience creates and enhances new pathways in the brain. So, I keep her super active and explorative and she soooo loves it! Well, God willing, Christmas adventures will be no different. We are hitting up every Santa, festival, market, parade, Breakfast, toy drive, and cookie party we can!

I had to do my research on Christmas lights around us as I grew up going to a lot of places that just don't exist anymore. The families grew older, died off, and those family members left behind just didn't seem interested in keeping it all going. Not to mention Roper Mountain Lights are finished forever now, too.

I did, however, recall my childhood and a time or two with my oldest niece and nephew years ago before I met Eric, when we went to Hollywild's Safari of Lights. Not only were the lights beautiful, but the experience was top notch to us. If you go to Inman to Hollywild while they are open this holiday season, only, you must include the "deer forest" in your experience. For those who are unaware, this is an incredibly cool experience in which you drive your car in a field full of goats, deer, cows, buffalo, llamas, and sheep, and they come to your car and eat crackers that are provided for you....right from the window of your car!!! It is so so so fun! Adults will enjoy this as much as the kids. I have always loved this and was ecstatic to share this with Eric and Ellie...both of whom had never been.

Ellie was mesmerized by the lights. She stared, never blinking an eye, pointing and shouting and squealing with excitement.

When we had finished the feeding, we retired to Santa's village where we got out of our car and went to take a photo with Santa, ride ponies, feed more animals, and gather around a toasty bon fire where hot dogs and other concessions were being sold. It wasn't just a fun event, it FELT like Christmas. There was magic. We were all laughing so hard, so excited. The three of us were a bunch of kids together. I loved even the looks on Eric's face as he fed the famous "Zonkey" (Zebra + Donkey). Eric had such a childlike nature explode and it warmed my heart to see my family enjoy my own childhood memories and traditions.