Christmas at the Princess

Last year, we took the kids to check out the christmas lights display at the Fairmont Princess Resort in Scottsdale.

I remember talking with Randy about how fun it would be to book a room there the following year during their Christmas celebration.

So with a little coercion from me ;) I finally convinced Randy to do it.

We decided to surprise the boys, so they didn't know we were doing it until we got in the car to go...and when we told them, they were so excited to stay at "the christmas hotel."

After dinner and checking into our hotel, we bundled up in our jackets and scarves and beanies and took off to check out the lights on the resort grounds...

We rode the Princess Express and then snapped some pics with a christmas elf.

I promise Beck was thrilled about it, even though you can't tell from the pic.

He did the same thing he did with his Santa pics!

Acted all giddy with excitement while waiting in line and then the second he was sitting with the elf, he just froze and wouldn't say a word or crack a smile!

Then we entered S'moreland...

Where we roasted marshmallows and ate s'mores (duh!)...

rode the ferris wheel...

And then took Madden sledding down the ice hill.

Beck was crushed when he realized he wasn't tall enough for the ice hill, but he was easily distracted by multiple rounds on his favorite ride...the christmas carousel...

Then after riding the christmas train and the ferris wheel and the carousel and roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores and drinking hot cocoa, the boys were just as excited about taking a bath in the giant bathtub in our hotel room and wearing hotel robes and running up and down the hallways in their Christmas jammies...

We finished off the night with our nightly advent christmas book and then cuddled in our big hotel bed watching Home Alone 2.

It was a pretty perfect night.

I just love making memories like this as a family.

I keep thinking how quickly this phase of life will pass us by, where our kids are little and all this christmas stuff is still so magical to them.

I hope they always remember our weekend at the "christmas hotel..."