Las Vegas Christmas

These pictures don't do our front yard justice, but since moving back to Arizona, Nate goes a little crazy with the Christmas lights. The first year we moved back to AZ, I was a little surprised because (not to put too fine a point on it) I remember hanging Christmas light in Massachusetts one year when I was 7 months pregnant while Nate watched TV. So, the year, he came home with the Santa train from Home Depot, I thought there was a joke I wasn't getting.

I joke that Nate goes to town on our yard because he's from Las Vegas. We don't do those white lights--we've got color EVERYWHERE plus the Santa on the train and a Santa on a carousel.

(I asked Nate is it was ok to have Santa in two places in a Christmas light display. He told me I was overthinking it.)

So, Nate does this every year, and I worry about the expense and the burning of fossil fuels. Not to mention that the first few nights, I think there are people who are casing our house because I notice cars slowing down in front of the house. Hmmm, I'm probably admitting too much about my neuroses here...

Still, Nate loves it and the boys love it, and I've been feeling a little better about it, too, since I hosted a preschool moms' night a few weeks ago. One of the moms said, "Oh, your house has the Santa train!" Then, she told us that last year, on tough nights when she and her daughter needed something to do, they would walk down our street, and our house was a favorite because of the Santa train. And, it would lift both of their spirits.

So, while I may think it's a little silly, I figure if one person told me it was brightening their holidays, it must brighten others' (including Nate).