It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Today's blog with Romance Writers Weekly is about our favorite Christmas time romantic story.

The first memory that comes to me is a story about my husband. Back when we first began dating, there wasn't anything I disliked doing with him. I was content sitting on the floor facing each other and having a staring contest. We never did that, but I would have if he wanted to. Fondly, I remember one Christmas season, he called me up and asked me to go out with him on a Saturday evening. When I asked him where were we going, he replied in his typical light hearted way, "Can't say. It's a surprise."

Well, l'm always up for a surprise, and I said, "Okay." "Dress warm!"

Until that point, we'd never had any dates outdoors so I was curious about what we could possibly do and assumed that we were going skiing. So I dressed in layers.

"I know where we're going. We're going skiing," as I tracked the scenery as we drove down the road.

"Nope."

We drove toward the city, listening to a special Christmas tape he made just for the occassion and I was truly perplexed until we turned into the zoo.

Still confused, we walked up to the gates where hundreds of people, families, dates were walking up to the same gates.

"The zoo?" It was the last thing I would have ever imagined. I didn't even know the zoo was opened in the winters and couldn't imagine why it would be. We walked into the zoo and was transported into a magical winter Christmas land. The zoo did Christmas time BIG with lots of lights and decorated Christmas trees representing all of the surrounding towns, and mega Christmas decorations galore.

As we walked, in the frozen weather, hand in hand, I marveled at my surroundings looking at it through new eyes.

We went by the polar bear caves and was amazed at how suddenly they seemed to be "home". Then we wandered over to the hot chocolate stand and got a cup of the rich, creamy drink and sat down to talk.

It was probably one of our most romantic dates and it happened at Christmastime.

Since that day, every year we went for the "Christmas lights at the zoo and we eventually began taking our kids to see it as well, repeating the same old trail he and I took that first year, ending with hot chocolate.

That is my favorite Christmastime romantic memory.

Please hop on over to my pal Susan Peterson Wisnewski http://spwwrites.com/blog to read her favorite memory.