Leavenworth

Jace wasn't so sure about this "Santa."

"You sit on a throne of lies!"

Waiting in the bitter cold for the Christmas lighting ceremony to start

We finally made it to Leavenworth! I've been wanting to go since we moved here last fall, but we wanted to wait for the holiday season, and I was too pregnant to go last year.  Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed town nestled in the snowy mountains about two hours from our house. We were told Christmas is a great time to head out there, because the town goes all out. It definitely did not disappoint!

The drive was absolutely beautiful, with the fir trees covered in snow and icicles; a literal Winter Wonderland. I love all the seasons, especially when the leaves change in the fall, but snow-covered mountains are my happy place. I was in heaven once we hit the pass.

The town itself is pretty small and very German. Bratwursts are a big deal there, as is alcohol (we did not partake of either). But we still had so much fun exploring the snowy streets, looking through antique shops and European bakeries. We bought a loaf of cinnamon bread from The Danish Bakery, in honor of my people. Apparently, it's "World Famous." We'll see. And we also found the coolest little shop where we bought my parents' Christmas gift. That's all I can say for now, but Colt and I were both pretty impressed, and that's saying a lot because Colt is not an easily impressed sort of guy (luckily, I'm super impressive, which is why we are married).

We stopped for dinner at a tasty burger joint, where JJ ate more of my cheeseburger than I did. He did great all day; we carried him around and he just took it all in! He wants to be part of everything we do, and I love it. He's our little buddy.

 Afterwards, we headed to the main street gazebo to enjoy the town Christmas lighting ceremony. They do it every weekend in December, and the whole town is covered in Christmas lights. Jace was getting a little cranky at that point because he hadn't taken an afternoon nap (too much to see!), but once the lights came on, he was captivated. 

I'm thrilled we made it to the snow and to Leavenworth this year. I had such a good time with my boys. I couldn't stop taking pictures because my heart hurt a little when I looked at them together. I love them both so much. I'm so lucky I get to spend all of my time and all of my Christmases with these two.