The Polar Express

Hello friends! This month of December has been non-stop Christmas fun. From holiday traditions like cutting down the very important Christmas tree and decorating our home, to hosting and attending the sweetest festive parties, my favorites being a favorite things party which I host each year and an ornament exchange I attend each year. There are tastes and smells and music that are associated with each, sweet and salty treats and pine scented candles, and Frank Sinatra. Conversations about our favorite family ornaments and how the tree sat top heavy with Starbucks cups until the kids went to bed and mom fixed it all. 

There are beautiful traditions, some pure fun and others more meaningful. We love building the gingerbread house that decorates our kitchen table all December long, and requires a few hand slaps as children reach for "falling" candy throughout the month. We love our Christmas plays, pageants and recitals that come in full force, as there is no end to the pageantry. Between the 4 kids and my dance studio, we attend show after show all month long and they are beautiful. The kinds that leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy and so thankful for our Savior's birth, reminding us in touching ways of why we celebrate this season with all the energy and excitement and magic we can muster. It's a beautiful time in our lives, truly. 

And finally, there's this morning when we take the kids to ride the Polar Express. It's a field trip morning so a little different to the fancier event offered later at a steeper price, but it's still so sweet. We ride the happily trimmed train while Christmas carols play and the conductor walks through to shake hands. The kids love it. The museum offers cookie decorating, train exploring and pictures with Santa. 

Here is a look at one of our mornings there, as I went twice. Once with Elliot and his first grade class, minus my fancy cam, and then again with Monty and Scarlet, fancy cam in hand. :)

{our cousins :)}