christmas traditions {the nutcracker ballet}

this weekend i took my boys to see the nutcracker ballet. it has been an annual tradition in our family since we had ace. this year, lucky was finally old enough to come along. i wasn't sure how he would react but figured we'd give it a whirl.we stopped by our favorite starbucks before the play for a cup of hot cocoa. we snuggled on the sofa and read the book before heading to the theatre.lucky ended up loving it! he didn't want to leave when it was over! it was a beautiful performance and the boys enjoyed the infamous duel between the nutcracker and the mouse king. ace decided that he was going to rewrite the story so that the mouse king would finally defeat the nutcracker. can you tell who he was rooting for?before the play began, the boys played with the nutcrackers they brought along from home. this ballerina is one of my favorites. i remember her from years past and it's amazing to see how she's grown each year. she performs beautifully. dh was out of town for this year's performance, so it was just me and my little men. i had to get a photo of the three of us, so i balanced the camera on top of my coffee table centerpiece and set the self timer. cheese! it was a beautiful night, full of memories we'll never forget (at least i won't). just one of the many things i'm thankful for this Christmas season.