black friday

chattanooga made another attempt to woo me this weekend. (just patronize me, okay).

the friday after thanksgiving, chattanooga holds their grand illumination. the christmas season is officially ushered in with the lighting of several buildings and the placement of some snow flakes on the street lamps. now, in days past i might have spent this post making fun of the event. i'd point out how less than grand the illumination actually was. i would have complained about the single strands of lights that they try to pass off as festive decorations... wait, this is bordering on complaining. and that is NOT what i wanted this post to be. sorry, old habits die hard.

so, you wanna see the cutest thing?

the picture may not be too clear... so here's the explanation. during the grand illumination, there is a boat parade! along the tennessee river, right in the middle of downtown, boat owners dress up their boats in christmas lights and ride up and down the water front. at the risk of sounding really patronizing, it was adorable. it is such a novel idea. totally fun.

the whole evening was memorable. there was a singing santa, a live nativity scene complete with a petting zoo, and a firework display that absolutely rivaled those lit on fourth of july. it's become clear to me during the days since, that the festivities while enjoyable, aren't what made it so much fun. what truly made the evening special was sharing it with family. (insert awwwww, here). seriously though, i'm not trying to be sappy or load this post with sentimental syrup. i've had a real breakthrough.

i miss my family ~ more than i realized.