Luminaria

Once we finished cleaning the church, we ran home and finished cleaning our house...then the fun began. The boys went to see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story while Mom, Jonas and I went out to eat at one of her favorite Utah restaurants, Magelbys. We ran a few last minute errands before rushing home to get our warm clothes on and meet up with the boys. That evening we attended Luminaria at Ashton Gardens in Thanksgiving Point. I have been waiting for this event since it was announced a few months ago. I love Christmas lights! Seeing lights was one of my family's Christmas traditions. We would research which neighborhoods were the most decorated and drive through several of them during the Christmas season when I was younger. I think I just love to see the world a little brighter and a little more beautiful. Couple my love of lights with my love of Ashton Gardens and I was all in! I felt like a kid again as we approached the gardens. Star shaped lights adorned the light poles along the road leading us back to the gardens. From the road, you could see the massive 120 foot "tree" that topped the Roman Garden mound in the gardens...but there was so much more. We met up with Scott and his family before entering the gardens and starting our walk. The path was created with several light theme. We started at Poinsettia Place then traveled through Candy Cane Lane with its peppermint scented mulch. After that, we wandered through Glowtanical Gardens and a forest of beautifully lit trees that led towards Reindeer Woods. There were REAL reindeer there! Comet and Vixen were getting geared up for their big Christmas Eve flight. They were beautiful! I admit I was a little giddy thinking about Santa's upcoming flight. I think I've been a good girl this year. Our path eventually led us to the Light of the World Garden. I think this was the highlight of the whole evening. As we entered the garden, we were greeted by the statue of Christ walking on water. We quietly strolled along the lantern lit pathways as we viewed the other 30+ statues depicting key scenes in Christ's life. There was a sense of serenity and peace in that garden. Gone were the decorative, colorful displays of before. Gone was the secular holiday music. In its place were sacred Christmas hymns and the muted glow from the hundreds of lanterns. This was it. I had found the Christmas spirit. It is the love of Christ that brings the magic to this season. I cried with my mom as she felt the presence of her mother there. I cried as I felt His presence there. He is what Christmas is all about. I lingered as long as I could before departing the sacred garden. We finished our colorful, cheerful walk through the gardens. There were a few games to play and fire pits to warm ourselves by. I loved sharing this with my family. It was the perfect evening...and the perfect way to start off the Christmas Eve/Christmas weekend!