All I want for Christmas...

I've mentioned before about my extreme love for everything Christmas, especially the music and movies. Well this weekend, as we close in on the final week before Baby Bogart's due date, I found a whole new appreciation for one of my favorite Christmas songs: Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You". If you listen to the song and pay close attention to the lyrics it makes perfect sense. See!

Click me and listen to the song! You know you want to!

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas
Is you

I don't want a lot for Christmas
There is just one thing I need
And I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree

I don't need to hang my stocking
There upon the fireplace
Santa Claus won't make me happy
With a toy on Christmas Day

I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is you
You baby

Oh I won't ask for much this Christmas
I won't even wish for snow
And I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe

I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeer click

'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do?
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
You baby

Oh all the lights are shining
So brightly everywhere
And the sound of children's
Laughter fills the air

And everyone is singing
I hear those sleigh bells ringing
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need?
Won't you please bring my baby to me?

Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas
This is all I'm asking for
I just want to see my baby
Standing right outside my door

Oh I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
Baby all I want for Christmas is you
You baby

All I want for Christmas is you baby
All I want for Christmas is you baby
All I want for Christmas is you baby

See what I mean?! It's such a perfect song for me this Christmas. So perfect, in fact, that I've started blasting it multiple times a day while singing it to Brock. I'm hoping he gets the hint. But have no fear! I remind him on many occassions that I don't mean for him to take it too literally... I definitely don't need him to wait until Christmas to make his appearance. In fact, I'd prefer that he didn't. I want him to be here before so we can enjoy our first Christmas as a family of three. (Preferably not in a hospital bed with cafeteria food.)

But I guess in all actuality at this point I'm not being too picky... I'm just so ready for him to be here that I will take whatever day he picks to make his debut. Even if it does mean spending Christmas in a hospital and forever trying to make his birthday special even though he has to share it with Jesus. Although, I cannot tell a lie - I'm a pretty big fan of the "sooner rather than later" philosophy if I had any say in it.

But here comes the fun part! In an effort to keep myself mildly entertained this week as I very impatiently count down the days until this Friday when he's due to arrive, I want to start a poll of sorts. I want to know everyone's guesses for a) when Brock will actually decide to make his grand entrance and b) just how much his little (or big!) butt will weigh. I haven't decided yet if there will be any sort of prize other than just bragging rites for the winner(s), but humor this desperate pregnant lady and play along. Pretty please? Just leave a comment either here on Blogger or on Facebook with your guesses and I (in my true nerdy fashion) will start up a spreadsheet to keep track of everyone's guesses. It'll be fun, I promise!

Besides, who doesn't love a little friendly competition on a Monday morning? But make your guesses soon just in case my wishful thinking and out-of-tune singing actually entices the little man to come out in a timely fashion!

Good Luck and Happy Monday!

Lots o' Lights (Fo Free!)

I apologize cyber world for neglecting you all week... please forgive me! It's actually been a surprisingly busy week for the Bogart family. More so for Ryan than it has for me I guess since he's been busy with actual obligations and I've been busy just trying to stay busy (so I don't sit around and dwell on the fact that I'm still pregnant). I've done more cooking, some baking, a lot of Target/mall walking (even though my Christmas shopping is completely done) and I even treated myself to a pedicure, too! It's been a good relaxing and yet productive week. Ryan even took some time out of his busy schedule on Tuesday for us to go see the Bentleyville Tour of Lights.

For those of you who aren't from the Duluth area, or haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the magic of Bentleyville before, you are missing out! It's pretty much amazing. It has been held in downtown Duluth's Bayfront Festival Park for the past couple years now, but  it was first started by a man named Nathan Bentley back in 2004 when he hosted the event on his own property.  Now it is the largest light show in the upper Midwest with almost 3 million lights and it was voted the "Best Light Show in Minnesota". I told you.. it's pretty much amazing!

Plus, it's free! That's right - it costs nothing. It's sponsored by the Salvation Army and various businesses in the Duluth area and it's set up, staffed, and tore down completely by volunteers. And while you walk around the paths enjoying the pretty lights and views of Duluth you can sip a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, munch on some cookies or popcorn, and roast marshmallows in little fire pits for free! They even have Santa there every night too handing out Bentleyville embroidered hats to all the kids. You guessed it - for free!

Since it is sponsored by the Salvation Army, they appreciate canned food or new toy donations to support their other projects, but it's not a requirement. It's just such a cool event for the community and I've looked forward to it every year since Ryan and I first drove out to the middle of nowhere to experience the original Bentleyville our freshman year.

This year they added something a little different to the lights display - dinosaurs. Sort of weird, right? Not exactly something you would expect in a holiday light show. There was even an article in the Duluth Tribune a couple weeks back commenting on how that and how it didn't fit in with the "holiday theme" and apparently that offended some people...? I don't know. It didn't offend me but it's definitely unique, that's for sure. On a side note, Ryan wanted me to add here that it was his favorite part. (Go figure, right? Ryan liking something that everyone else finds weird and/or offensive... that's so unlike him! Hahahaha!)

The pictures I have don't really do justice to how great Bentleyville really is since my fingers were slightly numb.. So you should all visit the website, learn a little bit more about the "Best Light Show in Minnesota", and go enjoy it for yourself! It's open until December 26th!

http://www.bentleyvilleusa.org/



TGIF!