Festival of Lights

Last night we headed down to DC to see the festival of lights. It was breathtaking. Just before we got to the temple we were admiring the city lights and different homes lit up for Christmas and the kids were searching for their favorites. We rounded the bend and with a collective gasp saw the temple grounds all lit up and glowing. It was immediately and unanimously declared the favorite!

We spent some time admiring the creche and listening to the story of the Saviors birth.

Or course no one could pass up the chance to sit on the life size camel!

I loved this shot through the window of the visitors center. All the people were waiting for the concert, or for loved ones, or enjoying the sights, and there was our Beloved Savior watching over us, inviting us to come unto Him.

Our little fam, minus the big girls, in front of the temple. (S had to work, J was at a YW party,and D and her family live in stinkin' Utah :) )

We saw a hand bell choir. They were really good and it was so fun. I think I could play a hand bell!, I might look for a choir to join:)

My favorite part was looking at everyone's shoes. The entire choir was dressed in all black and under the table we could see all these legs in black and then I looked at their shoes and it was so fun to imagine what those shoes said about their wearers.

The girl, 5th from the right, had on red shiny high heels. She was the only none conformist and looked fancy nancy cute in her sparkle shoes. I imagined that she had a personality as sparkly as her shoes, that her home and kids were color coordinated and lovely and that she liked to get pedicures (just a little dream of mine ~if I was a fancier girl)

The girl on the end with the biggest bells had very sensible shoes. Maybe she's a teacher. She was concentrating on the music and didn't smile much but she looked kind.

The two gals with the longer skirts had on black boots. That's my look, long skirt & black boots. Is it because they, like me, don't like to shave their legs in the winter? they don't want to be cold? they've chased little kids for so long that they have long outgrown the thrill and challenge of keeping a shorter skirt covering their parts while kids romp and play and squirm on their laps??

Number 3 from the left had on peek- a-boo toe, kissing my soldier good-bye on the dock, WWII, super cute strappy heels. In my head her boyfriend was watching in the audience and waiting to take her out to see the lights after the performance and to propose to her over a thermos of hot chocolate. I loved her shoes! (he had a sparkly princess cut solitaire hiding in his pocket~ in a light blue box BTW :) )

My favorite though was #4 from the right. Her's were flat and cute and black and looked comfortable and stylish in an LLBean catalog kind of way. She was thin and looked like she ran the jiggle bell jog that morning and then made her kids home made granola treats. I would want to be her, if I didn't hate to run and love chocolate. She looked all together.

I looked down the row and saw little Lu enjoying the concert as well :) Her warm black boots said "my mommy loves me and doesn't want me to be cold"

the end