The 7th Day: Holiday Lights at The Atlanta Botanical Garden!

^ Doesn't that look fake?? It isn't! ^

Holiday Lights at The Atlanta Botanical Garden!

You know what makes the holidays special? Family. You know what makes the holidays even more special? Doing holiday-ish things with your family. You know what makes those holiday-ish things with your family even more special? Hot hot beverages.

So happy.

Enter the Spencer family annual walk through the Holiday Lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (I say annual because it's something we aspire to doing annually :) We had SO MUCH FUN. We laughed a lot. Gazed in wonderment. Perhaps belted out a few memorable Frozen tunes at peak moments of bliss. Perhaps confused other light-onlookers as to whether or not we were some kind of odd flash mob/circus act hired (rather curiously) by the Botanical Gardens to create a flurry of shenanigans for the people to join in on. Like those children who went screaming towards the Olaf -like Snowman show (because we might have done it first...) Like the DJ who was so excited by our slam dancing to his mad skills that he turned up his scratching (so LOUD) and we had one of those "me and the DJ!!!!"-moments. Until my baby woke up. And woke me up from my dream of being Jennifer Lopez in a club. Having a moment with the DJ. I threw him the deuces. And then motioned towards my little wailing baby with my swaddle cloths, as if to say, "THIS ISN'T A COME HITHER DANCE WITH SCARVES. These are swaddle clothes. I have to rescue him from the misery of your loud tuneage. Yep, that's spit up. Oh wait, there's a bit here in my hair, too."

I don't know what your family is like, but I bet they are insane in their own way, too. Isn't every family? Some are better at putting on a proper face, but all families, no matter how composed (publicly or otherwise) are pretty insane. We gladly accept this fact and probably revel in our familial personality archetypes a bit too much. But it's fun. Joking with my family. Is something I missed these past few years while we lived away. Thankfully, my husband has joined right in on the fun and is getting excessively good at his zingers. My dad has been teased, put in his place, and proud of Stevie all in one fell swoop of a joke. Which is how you reach son-status (in his book). This evening was one for those kinds of books. We just enjoyed each other so much and it made me incredibly thankful for my crazy sweet kin.

Something about those lights. Makes you feel that magic inside.

Is it just me, or does this totally look like Olaf's parts? You know, when he comes apart?

I just felt like it was Olaf and all his friends.

Aren't these the most tubular photos you've ever seen? SHE'S LIT UP. But not like that.

Isn't my sister the prettiest. If you're in the market for the perfect woman, I'll be conducting several rounds of interviews on her behalf. Contact me directly. K thanks.

These two.

That's the Christmas magic. Right there. Don't miss it.

Sometimes they're a little too bro-tastic for my liking.

The famous lady with all the hair.

My baby was with us. But he slept like a baby. It's uncanny - why won't he do this at home?!

I'm gonna need to marry this guy all over again. HE'S SO BEAUTIFUL IT HURTS.

It's a Marvel.

If you're in the Atlanta area, wandering through this light show is one of the raddest things you can do with your family at Christmas. Hands down, my favorite addition to the "annual" Spencer family Christmas traditions. Happy 7th day!!!