December 3rd

Saturday was simply fantastic. When we got home I was so excited to look through my pictures. I felt like sharing them with the world because the day was so great but when I tried I just couldn’t do it. It dawned on me yesterday, it’s because it didn’t know how to put into words the feelings Paul and I shared. Then I realized I shouldn’t even try. It was our day, our moment, for us to remember and to have. It was special. It was all ours. It was just what we needed, a quiet afternoon/evening to be together, to enjoy each other and to feel close and connected. I still want to share the pictures but I don’t feel the need to explain why it was so magical to us, it just was. 

A while back we had booked a couple of nights at a hotel in SLC. We were going to go to a fancy dinner, ice skate, attend the temple, see the holiday window walk at the Grand America, Christmas shop and look at the lights. Well those plans had to be cancelled due to the whole furnace debacle. 

After much hemming and hawing we decided to go to SLC for the afternoon. We met my parents at the Blue Iguana. 

We all had lunch together and then they took the kids home with them. I got a pork chili burrito this time and LOVED it. I want another one. Like right now. For breakfast. Seriously. It was huge, spicy, chunky and just plain delicious. YUM!  

After lunch we made our way to the Grand America hotel. What a gorgeous, luxurious hotel. I didn't know something so grand (pun intended) existed in Salt Lake. We loved exploring walking through the massive yet quiet halls doing our window walk scavenger hunt. 

There was so much to look at. So much to take in. I would call it a visual smorgasbord. 

We earned a sticker when we made it to the toy store. 

At the end of our hunt we ended at La Bonne Vie where they gave us a large star shortbread cookie. We also ordered gelato and I got a macaron. 

It was chocolate spice. I am so addicted to these cookies. I'm glad they are hard to find or I would want them all. the. time. I loved the texture but I wouldn't get that flavor again. I would try the orange chocolate, I think. 

Our cute cookies for completing the scavenger hunt. They were delicious in the gelato.

La Bonne Vie was Ad-Or-Ab-LE! 

I have always wanted a sugar plum themed Christmas so the decorations in the store were almost more that I could take. I wanted one of everything, including the candy Santa. I was dying at how cute everything was. 

I am officially in love with the Grand America and I haven't even stayed there. Someday, someday! 

After we were done at the hotel we went to temple square to see the lights. 

I don't know if these nativities are new or if we just have never seen them before but I loved them. They were so fun and unique. They added a nice spirit to the night. 

They also had a hundreds of luminaries up with sentiments of the season in various languages. It was beautiful. I wish I had had my tri-pod so I could capture them glowing but I didn't want to carry it around.

This was one of my favorite nativities. 

This elephant is the main reason why. It reminds me of the nativity David and Nancy brought me from Cambodia. It was the first time I had seen an elephant included in with the animals. 

I loved the kiwi bird in this scene.

It is almost the 16th anniversary of our engagement. We stood here on the day we were married. I can't believe it has been that long. I'm so lucky! 

Everywhere you looked there were gorgeous lights. 

We went into the Joseph Smith memorial building to warm up and to get to hot chocolate. The tree in there was awe inspiring. Just gorgeous, like the building. 

The hot chocolate really helped warm us up. We were ready to do and see more. 

We were able to go into the Assembly Hall. I think that was my first time in that building. We also got to go into the Tabernacle. I don't think I had been in the tabernacle for decades. I'm amazed at how small it is and that they were able to use it for conference for so long. 

After we were done on Temple Square we gathered the kids, got some treats at Kneaders, watched the house in our area that has choreographed lights and it's own radio station and then went home and did the advent calendars. It was almost perfect. 

It's time for Hipsta prints 

At Kneader's 

The house with the awesome lights. I wish I could get my video to upload. Oh well.