For the past several years, we have stayed overnight on New Year's Eve at our friends house and celebrated the new year with a giant group of their family. This year, their plans changed and we welcomed an evening of no plans and (very) low key acknowledgement of 2011.
We dedicated out last day of 2010 to enjoying a Family Date Day. We started our day by seeing the movie "Tangled" in the theater, turning our kiddos loose in the play area in the mall, followed with dinner out. The highlight of my evening and Elaina's was a surprise trip to the hospital. No one was injured; we were merely visitors reminiscing. Since Lincoln was born at a local hospital that we pass frequently in our travels, Elaina has a hard time understanding why we never pass "Her Hospital." (which is more to the south, which doesn't land in the path of passing-by) When we told her that we had a surprise planned for especially her, she lit up and said, "I hope it's just more than a kiss and a hug! Not that I don't like that, but will it just be more than that?" (God I love that girl!)
As we drove closer to the hospital in the dark of the night, Elaina spotted a giant shining Christmas tree beaming from the rooftop. It caught her attention immediately and assumed it was a hotel or a store. We pulled into the parking lot and she asked if she had ever been there before. I assured her that she had. She and I walked into the sliding doors and not a person was in sight. All was quiet and still. As she pushed the elevator button, I revealed that this building was in fact, the very hospital that she was born. We came upon the maternity floor and the nurses allowed us access to view the now-empty nursery to see where her story all began. As I kissed my Best Girl, I pointed out the room they allowed us to have and enjoy our new baby that we were meeting for the first time. The baby that changed our lives and mended our broken hearts. The baby that has grown so mature and beautiful and continues to fill our lives with happiness.
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