Stringtown Polar Express

The Stringtown Polar Express is a miniature train ride for the whole family that leaves the Stringtown Station in Lindon, UT and travels to the North Pole to visit Santa Claus.You get to visit Santa Claus and sing Christmas songs with the kids with him and teaches about the true meaning of Christmas. During the journey back from the North Pole, you hear music and see pictures about Christ's birth, His life, and the true meaning of Christmas.

We've been trying to do this for years. The sweet family/volunteers that run this for 2 weeks do not charge (donation) and have a lottery for tickets. Who knows if the kids actually understood/felt the spirit like I hoped, but I loved it.

Throwback Post: Our First and Possibly Last Christmas Lights.

The view of the back yard from our deck. Brian covered a lot of trees and surprised me one afternoon. We enjoyed the compliments but not the electric bill.

Lilly's First Hot Chocolate

Having a 3 year old at Christmas is different from having a 2 year old at Christmas in that we can actually establish some traditions that have some meaning to the kids. She's also old enough to enjoy things she could not have before.

Like Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows.

Temple Square Lights

Shortly after School ended for both of us this year we took the kids on an outing up to Salt Lake to see the lights and tour the new mall downtown. The mall is architecturally pretty cool. At night though it's not any kind of sight for my camera, so instead enjoy these photos of us at Temple Square.

Lilly

Tis The Season

We put up our tree on Thanksgiving Weekend, when we were not working on the downstairs bathroom. Our tree is notably void of decorations this year...

... Except for the Decorations Lilly added.

Hats.

The Gift That Will Keep on Giving

Here are some detail Shots of the Wonderful gift Aunt and Uncle B gave us.  As you can see, it is constructed in a slot and tab manner that allows it to be dismantled and easily stored. Today, We will be painting it white, then Painting all the carvings that Paige's Sister in Law designed in nice bright colors. Then we will put a gloss sealer coat on it all. That should allow us to take it outside for picnics, and inside for a coloring table, and reuse it for a kids table at family gatherings. I see this heirloom piece having a long and happy history ahead of it.

James on Christmas

 

James slept through a good chunk of the Christmas excitement. But he was stylish while doing it.

I want to say that I enjoyed this Christmas more than any I have ever had since returning from my Mission. I have had a lot of real downer holidays in 14 years, all of them before Paige. I even had a few years where I threatened to write "Bah Humbug" in the front window with Christmas Lights.

This year was different, partly because of the excitement of my children, and partly because I just had fun this year. I got several additions to my Wooden Train set. I will have to pull them out and photograph them for you later. I got a couple of books, and all in all, I just really had fun this year. The Secret Santa made a huge difference to.

So, Merry belated Christmas, everybody.

James' Wardrobe provided by his Aunt and Uncle C. Guest accommodations by the Horse You Rode Inn.

Christmas

How does one Start Christmas Morning?

With a Bath, of course. Well, at least you do when you have church at 9:00AM. Our actual Gift opening was not until around 11:00. Lilly was overdue for a nap and comported herself admirably. James, on the other hand, slept through the whole thing. Lilly wore a pretty slightly large hand me over from a neighbor that was just perfect for the occasion.

Dressing Formally imbibes a sense of confidence.

Lilly got this awesome step stool from Gramma and Grampa B:

That allows her to actually get in and out of her rather tall bed.

Paige, who has mentioned several times that she would like a Belgian Waffle maker,

Got a Belgian Waffle Maker.

Lilly Got a Book From Mom and Dad. It was rather difficult to get pictures, as overly excited Cousins kept stepping in between the gift and the camera. I had to ask a couple of times for them to step back. It was rather funny.

Paiges Family Draws names every year for which family gives gifts to which other family. It just worked out that the family giving us gifts this year happened to be the family that came to spend Christmas with us. They brought us a table of their own design that dismantles and has a holder and everything. It was the most unbelievable thing ever. It was not quite finished, it needed some braces added and we will be painting it later.

Lilly, in her genius, was able to tell precisely where the screws needed to go, and got some of them started for us.

 Yeah, that screw closest to the camera? She did that one, and was in the process of working on another when I got the Camera out.

Lilly also got a stuffed Dog from Gramma and Grampa O, which has long floppy ears that she loves to Peek-a-boo with. Between that, the Doll that our Secret Santa gave her, and the Bear that one of her Olson cousins gave her her hands are frequently full.

And here we have Christmas Breakfast. At Noon. With the First ever Paige and Brian Olson's "Kiddie Table", provided by their overwhelmingly awesome Brother and Sister in Law.

Christmas-ed Finale

Well, here it was, Christmas Eve and the final Gift from our Secret Santa's.  A very fitting one at that.

Christmas-ed

 Someone, has very graciously and generously chosen us for a 12 days of Secret Santa activity.  We have been given a plethora of nice gifts along with a few edible goodies.

Allow me to show you the generosity of someone who seems to at least know us well enough to reproduce Lilly rather well.

They have made sure to label specific items for specific individuals.  The first 4 nights were hats. One for each individual, starting with James and moving up through Daddy.

Here are James and Lilly's Hats:

Here are Dad's and Mom's:

Then James got some blocks:

And Lilly got this incredible hand made doll:

And Paige and I got some statues:

We have also had a couple of nights of treats. We suppose that there may be one or two more items coming, and since tomorrow is Christmas, I will post about them later.