Fantastic Festivities :o)

So, December has been jam packed for us this year! Although officially Hollies 2nd Christmas, it kind of feels like her first as she was barely a few weeks old last year and slept through almost EVERYTHING! This year, she is a little bigger a LOT more aware & really starting to pick up on 'the excitement' of it all!

We started off our Christmas celebrations by going with the lovely Annabelle to Winter Wonderland! We'd gone altogether as a family the first year it opened (2009) & it was absolutely magical (it even started to snow AND settle just as we entered the park!) For someone like me who takes about 1000 photos a day (OK, so that is an exaggeration before anyone worries!) but Winter Wonderland is just HEAVEN for me with all the hundreds of photo opportunities! Of course, with only Annabelle myself & Hollie it meant I had to be in a few more photos myself this time round- but was still an absolute blast! We totally cheated & went on November 30th to start our Christmas' a little earlier! It was as magical as I remembered! Hollie was in her pram & just staring constantly at everything around her! The lights, the smells, the ambiance- WE LOVED IT ALL! Plus, Hollie met Father Christmas for the first time! It was so funny to watch her just stare at him, totally oblivious to how important this red caped chap will become in her Christmas' over the next ten years or so :o) Her bottom lip started to quiver a little bit when he tried talking to her, so we popped her dummy in for safety then she just gave him some funny looks while we tried to capture the whole moment on camera! (Yes, I was that sucker Mum who bought photos of the whole occasion! I couldn't help it! It felt important to do & Hollie looked so CUTE!)

 

We're heeeeeeeeere!

Let the silly hat wearing competition begin!

Catching the Nuns going on the Pirate ride...just weird!

Amazing!

Fun fun fun!

Enough said really! WE WANT SNOW!

A fake snowman...OBVIOUSLY there for Hollie & I to pose on!

Meeting Father Christmas!

The official photographs :o)

On the way home we had the BIGGEST gusts of wind blowing around us, but it was still such a beautiful Autumnal day (yes on the 30th of November it still hadn't reached particularly cold yet!) and all the leaves in Hyde Park were still creating a blanket effect across the park so when the wind blew, they blew up & around us! It may sound a little strange- but it was actually beautiful! The colours were just stunning, although a little strange that they were still so strongly Autumnal for so late in the year.

The photographer trapped inside me couldn't help but wish I had my big camera with me & a family to photograph in such gorgeous colours & settings!

I have a real soft spot for Hyde Park. Luke & I have a lot of memories held here- PLUS I love these gorgeous pathways with the majestic trees either side! Simply beautiful (my camera does it NO justice!)

Pooped after such a fun day!

Sad, but thought it was a little bit cool my boots were almost camouflaged with the leaves!