ALL ABOARD.......

THE POLAR EXPRESS!!!!

Those of you who are familiar with this awesome Christmas movie will be able to appreciate our willingness to get back in our car for a 5 hour drive a mere 2 weeks after arriving in AZ. When we found out that a Railway in Williams, Arizona was offering an experience that followed the storyline of the movie, we knew that it would be a great way to kick off the Christmas season. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, it starts with a boy who is probably around Abby's age who is beginning to have doubts about Santa. He is researching and trying to figure out just what to believe. He is woken in the middle of the night, on Christmas Eve to the sound of a train outside his home. When he goes out, the conductor tells him that it's a train to the North Pole and invites him to come aboard. The boy initially declines, but changes his mind. The train turns out to be full of children who are questioning what to believe. The conductor punches out a word of encouragement that is specific to each child's personality on a golden ticket. On the way to the North Pole the children show each other compassion and see that not everyone has the same benefits in life. One of my kids favorite scenes is when dancing waiters serve hot chocolate and sing a very catchy tune.... anyone who has seen the movie is now singing it too! When they arrive at their destination, they receive a glimpse of the inner workings of Santa's operation. The main character in the story is given a bell that he is told can only be heard by those who believe. He then loses the bell through a hole in his robe pocket only to find it under the tree Christmas morning, just when he is wondering if perhaps it was all a dream.

We had a great time and it was nice to have a bit of a vacation before Jeremy went back to work.

The kids wore their Christmas pj's and robes!

Amelia and her yummy cup of hot chocolate

They even did one better than the movie and served cookies!

Marshall was just happy with everything.

Santa came on board to hand out "magic" bells. Thankfully, we all could hear them!

After our train ride, we worked on our Christmas letters.

Abby's list...it's short, but it includes a member of the rodent family. I think she'll have better luck with the rest of the list.

Amelia dropping that all important letter in the mail.

What happens when a 3 year old practices tying your shoes. It took me about 10 minutes to undo what was done!

The last segment of old Route 66 runs right through Williams.

The view from a lookout point on the way home

Jeremy doing his best to give me a heart attack! I was leaning against the car to take the picture.