Sunday, December 8, 2013

All aboard!!





Hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate - we got it!  We got it this weekend on the Polar Express.  This was our third trip to make with the Hong family (second trip for Lily), and we had a great time!  It was quite chilly with temps in the upper 20's - low 40's, but perhaps bundling up made the trip to the North Pole feel a bit more authentic.  I didn't get as many questions from Nathaniel as I had expected regarding whether we were going to the "real" North Pole, how we got there so fast, and that sort of thing.  Lily picked up on the excitement of her brother and friends, though she didn't really know what to expect.  When she saw they were serving hot chocolate and cookies, she was delighted.  The lights at the North Pole, the music, and getting her very own sleigh bell were highlights for her.  Due to the possibility of some sleeting, we decided at the last minute to stay the night in Palestine, which allowed us to have a fun morning swimming at the indoor hotel pool, and make a leisurely drive back this afternoon.  We stopped at a park near Sam Houston State University to snap some pics in the beautiful fall colors and chase the ducks with sticks (Nathaniel).  Here are some photos of the highlights:



The kids are ready to hop on board!
Caleb had the coziest seat :)




Tickets, please!!

Hot chocolate was a favorite!
Nathaniel waiting for Santa to board as
we left the North Pole.

Nathaniel told Santa he wants a Lego dolphin set for Christmas.  Hope Santa comes through because Mom and Dad don't know where to find that one!
Santa handed out sleigh bells to everyone.


Lily was not sure what to think about being invited
to parade through the train car caroling.

She loved the sleigh bell, though!

It was a great ride!




And here are a few from our stop in the park.  Gorgeous fall colors!












1 comment:

Jamie Smith said...

Glad they enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun participating with you guys last year.