BMS Speedway In Lights

Last night we took our first trip of many this year to the Bristol Motor Speedway In Lights, with our buddies, The Clymens. This is the 11th year for this event. This is a big tradition for us. Jarrett and Blake love it!! We had planned to go on Friday night,that was the opening night, but changed it to tonight. Which is probably better anyway because we were going to go to a Chili Cookoff at our church then all pile up in one vehicle. That could have gotten ugly!! You know how chili can effect people! =-0
We have gone to this for about 5/6 years now...with different friends along the way. For me the fun isn't seeing the lights as much as it is spending good quality time with friends. It's always so much fun to pile into a vehicle....laughing, talking, singing and being just plain ole' silly!! That's right up my alley ;-)!! You do some major bonding during this trip...you are piled into a vehicle for about 40 minutes while you go around the outside of the raceway looking at all the lights, 1.5 MILLION lights to be exact, then you get to ride on the actual racetrack at Bristol!! BIG FUN! Whomever is the chauffeur at the time normally goes up on the side of the racetrack..as far as we can that is....speeds it up a little bit the kids scream (some of the adults do too) and get a big kick out of that.
The past few years they have also improved on the Santa Village that's in the pit area. They have rides for the kids, lots of food and crafts. We always make our way to the fire pits and roast lots of marshmallows. Sometimes we do go see Santa...but Jarrett and Blake know THAT isn't the real Santa...the real Santa is at the Johnson City Mall!! ha..ha..ha!! Last year we got to take them on The Polar Express...in North Carolina. Of Course...Santa was there too!

They also have a ice skating rink at the entrance of the speedway. We plan to have some fun this year doing that too!! I just hope we don't have any broken bones!!

Bristol Motor Speedway In Lights Tommy took LOTS of pictures... Here we are all piled in =-) Jarrett, Blake and Allie Ashley

The Nativity

Toy Factory Christmas VillageLots of light tunnels to drive through
This is probably my favorite part of the lights. This is another sponsor...Ripleys Aquarium Of The Smokies. The picture below shows The Sea Of Illumination....it is so pretty. This picture does it no justice at all.

This was in Santa's Village in the pit area of the race track....these were "Dancing Lights" from the Dixie Stampede in Pigeon Forge, TN. One of the sponsors of Raceway In Lights. The lights were synchronized to Christmas music....it was really pretty Michael Here's me and Jayme. We are all roasting marshmallows in Santa's Village. It was c-c-c-c-cold!! We stayed close to the fire roasting marshmallows for quite sometime. Here's a hint...for all you penny pincher's out there in blogger land....like ME! This year we brought our OWN bag of marshmallows to roast. They sell them for $1/4 marshmallows!!! That's highway robbery!!!! Last year we didn't know any better.....this year we did. So if you go....take your own bag of marshmallows ;-) Tommy roasting marshmallows.... Allie eating her marshmallows....YUM! Jarrett gulping down some marshmallows!! Blake roasting his own marshmallows.... Blowing on them to cool them off a bit......
and then inhaling them!! Look at those BIG BLUE EYES!! Trust me he knows how to use them too ;-)

Me and Michael

And last, but certainly NOT least......here's my son the toboggan head! His hair was sticking up everywhere after we got back in the van and he took off his toboggan. What a face!! Silly faces ARE his speciality you know! We were cracking up!!