The Pink Pig, a Visit with Santa, and Christmas Lights!

This Christmas has really snuck up on me!  I don't know what it is but I feel like everything has come so quick and I have so much I want to do and so little time to do it in!  I don't know what it is but....Seeing Santa and going to ride the Pink Pig is a yearly tradition of ours so I was adamant that we pick a day to do this and Tuesday it was!  It was Cohen's last day of school before Christmas break so we were able to get her out early and Kelly took the afternoon off.  We loaded up and headed to Atlanta.  We rode the Pink Pig first since both girls were so excited to ride.  We got our tickets and headed in.  Kate would have nothing to do with Priscella the Pig character but Cohen jumped right up in her lap for a picture.

The girls then ran up to get on the train.  The ride is just a short little "train" ride but they just love it! This year we were going to let them ride it together by themselves and they headed up hand in hand and jumped in the seat together.  Then I look and Cohen is getting out of the car and getting in by herself.  I kept asking for her to ride with Kate and she said Kate didn't want her to.  It broke my heart seeing them ride apart but it didn't seem to phase them at all.  We were letting them ride twice but Cohen decided she wanted to wait so the second ride was just me and Kate.  Which I love the little ride myself and I love it more with my girls.

Next we were off to see Santa.  Cohen had made a Christmas card for Santa.  She still gets a little nervous though going to see Santa.  She must have a little of me in her...I never liked Santa and didn't have a picture with him until I was 14...not even kidding.  But both girls went right up to him and even Bryce wasn't phased by him.  I figure the fun with him will come next year :)  We do have to beg Kate for a smile.  She looks everywhere but the camera and has a little fake smile on her face.  Finally we just took what we got.  It was so funny though because when I was looking at the pictures on the computer she came up beside me and said, "no Mama I don't want to look like dat".  I told her that is why we always ask her to smile.  It was just so funny hearing her say that.  I loved our little Santa picture though and I have already added it to our collection on the book shelf.  I felt so good to finally see Santa too!

Of course there would have to be a mannequin picture...Kate in a mall?!  Its going to happen!

Another reason we love going to Atlanta to see Santa is we also get to go see my friend Betsie.  Betsie is one of my best friends from college and I wish I saw her more often but life gets so busy.  She has adorable twin boys so the girls were so excited to get to see Jack & Andrew.  Even though our visit was short I loved getting to catch up with her and hopefully we will do it again very soon!  I hate that I didn't have a picture of the kids but they were going full on the entire time so stopping to sit for a picture wasn't happening!  

While we were out we decided to check out the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for their holiday lights and I am so glad we did.  It was beautiful!  I love love love Christmas lights and they had so many pretty ones!  Pictures never do justice for Christmas lights but I would highly recommend anyone go to see these.  We will probably be adding this to our trip each year because we all had so much fun.  We barely missed the S'mores so we will have to give ourselves more time next time.  

Kate loved the frogs!