Honolulu City Lights

Waikiki

[Realization: officially made it through one year of blogging...yay!]

All Christmas season, I was looking forward to having a Christmas date with Dan to see the Honolulu City Lights display downtown. We had previously seen some lights in Waikiki and they were super pretty, but they were not "the" official City Lights display. 

I absolutely love cities at Christmastime, and I was excited to be in a new city this season. Growing up, we'd always go to NYC at least once around the holidays - there really isn't any comparison, but Honolulu definitely did not disappoint. 

Dan would probably agree that I was a little too excited for this date. And... [guilty] we definitely went through the entire display three times so I could get pictures before dark, just as it was starting to get dark, and then one last time once it was really dark. Christmas lights are just so magical!

Even though this is how Dan really felt about the lights, he put on a smile and let me take as many pictures as I wanted. He's a keeper...

While we were waiting for it to get dark, we went inside Honolulu Hale (City Hall) to see the Christmas tree and wreath displays/competition. 

Then, we got amazing doughnuts from Leonard's Bakery...

...just as the lights were coming on.

Once it was really dark, the lights were even more magical. Pictures don't do them justice.

What a fun night!

Well, we're off to celebrate the last few hours of 2012 with some friends.  I can't believe another year is over. 2012 was such a blur! There were so many changes/life events/things to be thankful for. But we're looking forward to a new set of adventures in 2013.

Happy New Year! 

Keep Smiling...

Christmas Pajamas

Yes, my family stills wears matching Christmas pajamas. every. year.

Yes, I realize the youngest person in our family is a 20-year-old-adult. 

Yes, I know that this tradition my seem childish or dorky or lame. 

Yes, I understand why some think this is extremely embarrassing. 

But, frankly, I don't care. 

I love the fact that our family still wears matching/coordinating Christmas pajamas every year. I love that my parents join in, too. I simply love traditions, and this is one of my personal favorites! 

Since this was our first Christmas away from home, I was a little worried about this tradition. But mom came through. She mailed us 3 packages for Christmas: one for Dan, one for me, and one for Syd that she instructed we could open on Christmas Eve because there was something we could wear that night. I knew exactly what that meant! So the tradition lives on, even though we matched from afar this year. 

For a few giggles, I thought I'd reminisce and share our pajama history starting with 2004 (because that's when I went "digital" and those are the oldest pictures I have on my computer).

[I apologize in advance, siblings.]

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010
(Our first married Christmas.  Dan is such a good sport and the best son-in-law!)

2011
(Yes, Jon's mustache is real.)

2012

Merry Christmas!

Keep Smiling...