The Polar Express

What a fun trip. We took the Polar Express train to the North Pole!! This was our 3rd year taking the train and it was still so much fun. We boarded the train, ate cookies, drank hot cocoa, and listened to the book over the speakers. Then we stopped at the North Pole and saw Santa. Santa then "cuts" off a bell just like in the book and boards the train. Then starts the singing.......aggh, the singing. No one is on key, no one is on the same tempo, and the "elves" are trying to get all the songs sang. This lasts until Santa comes onto your car. Santa wishes each child a Merry Christmas and gives each one a silver bell.

This was taken BEFORE the bells were handed out. Can you imagine all the kids with a bell each!?! Who's idea was this?? And where are the ear plugs???!! Ok, it's not quite that bad.....or was it. Bells were everywhere. Each child drops their bell at least once leaving the parents to swan dive for it. It's forbidden to leave the train without your bell, and I'm sure Santa doesn't have any more......it was so funny to watch because we did the same thing.
Our bell is not broken...the kids ring them all day....is there a mute button for them?? All kidding done, we really did have tons of fun. The kids are getting older and understanding more. What a great memory we have now.

Christmas lights at Little America 2007

We took a trip to Little America where they turn all their christmas lights on at once. We didn't go last year because it is usually too crowded. But we decided to go this year and it wasn't so bad. The kids and I had on about 15 different layers (it was really cold out!!).

The kids did great and loved seeing all the lights come on at once.Tonight we ride the Polar Express. I'll post pics of that soon (I hope).

Not claustrophobic!!

Kaleb was taking a nap and when I checked on him, I didn't see him in his room. After a small panic, I called out for him.....he answered me from his toy box. He had put his stuffed Spiderman down and layed on him like a pillow and closed the top. After my heart started to pound again, I got the pic.

Brother and sister love.
Tackle
Ahhh
Cute kids and how they love each other!!

Captain Kaleb and Princess Klara
Kaleb with out the squished eye
Klara hanging with mom

Ahhh, the pumpkin. Time to slice it open (not your finger), scrape out it's guts, carve it (again, watch your fingers) and set it on fire. Sounds like fun. Well, that's what happened to me last year, so this year I opted for the "mummy" so I could help the kids paint theirs. Overall, they turned out pretty well and it was fun.