Christmas Eve at Longwood Gardens

This year we decided to spend Christmas Eve with just our little family. We had heard great things about Longwood Gardens - a huge 1,000+ acre botanical garden. They change the grounds with every season, and Christmas is gorgeous with all the decorations and lights.

We got there early in order to walk all around the interior greenhouses (still 5 acres to see indoors!) before the lights were lit outside. We had such a wonderful time in this beautiful location.

Just arrived to the greenhouse area and posing near the "living wall"

Nolan loves all the colors!

Happy boy

One of the largest Christmas trees in the greenhouse area (and there were MANY trees!)

Gigantic table set for show

Gorgeous colors everywhere!

Another tree

Wide eyed boy :)

Gorgeous flowers

Christmas Tree made of Agave plants

Roaming the huge greenhouse space

Trees decorated by local schools

Beautiful lemon tree

Moravian stars

Spanish moss

Poinsettia tree

Posing in front of one of the many trees

Father and son

Mom's turn!

What a fun Christmas visit!

Sporting the ergo carrier

Nose kiss

After spending over an hour wandering around the interior space - we headed outside right before dark when the trees became lit. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous. We would have stayed even longer to get photos in the dark, but it was freezing and started snowing pretty heavily as we walked around outside. It was gorgeous with snowflakes in the air and the excitement of a white Christmas :)

Lights are on!

Awesome fountain show - the water was choreographed to Christmas music!

Pretty grounds

Field of lights - these "blossoms" were fiberoptic and pulsated different colors

Keeping Nolan as warm as possible!

Rosy nose and cheeks 

Outdoor Christmas tree

Stars in the trees

Red lights

Colored forest

Feeling the Christmas magic

Lights are standing out as dusk settles in

Having fun in the cold

Snowflakes on Nolan's first Christmas Eve

We got home early enough to relax a bit with a cozy fire, Christmas songs, and to watch one of my favorite Christmas movies - How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Such a fun night.

My little guy's first Christmas Eve!

Having fun before bedtime!

So much to be thankful for

This was the first Christmas season in a long time that I could let go and really feel the joy of the season again. It's been filled with such sadness with the loss of Emily - almost unbearable the first few years after our loss - that it feels so good to be able to actively participate in celebrating the holiday again. Christmas was such a magical holiday growing up (which made it so hard without Emily), but something I want to capture again through the eyes of Nolan. I am very thankful for this second chance to take back this holiday.

A few random Christmas photos I wanted to share:

Deaner and Santa!

Nolan's not the only one who got to visit Santa this year. I took Dean to the dogpark a few days before Christmas and was pleasantly surprised to see they were taking Santa photos there to raise funds. Of course I had to get Dean in there! He did not hesitate in the least to jump right up next to the bearded guy - that's my friendly boy! :)

Our DIY gift this year - Nolan's handprint ornaments

We made about a dozen homemade Nolan handprint ornaments this year to give to family, friends, and Nolan's teachers. They were made using air-drying modeling clay and I spraypainted them high gloss white to give them a nice shine. I think they come out so cute :)

More to come from Christmas day and beyond!