This last Thanksgiving was truly one of the most wonderful I can remember. We started off by driving up to Lake Tahoe where Dave's parents were staying for the week to visit them for a couple hours. Debbi is the queen of holidays-I have officially declared it so-and she had a small feast prepared for our arrival. After monkey bread, shrimp, walks on the peer and some time playing at the playground, we got back in the car and headed farther west to Sacramento to spend the rest of the day with my family there. My cousin Cathy has a new house and Thanksgiving was our first time in it. It was a great place and we enjoyed dinner with my family, some play time out back and even spent some time at the park just across the street. We had an awesome time there with everyone.
WE GOT TO RIDE THE POLAR EXPRESS! It's in caps. Because if the kids were here they would scream it to you at the top of their lungs while jumping up and down. Mental picture accomplished. My in-laws surprised us with tickets to ride The Polar Express in Carson City. You did know that Aaron is obsessed with trains right? You have to know. What you may NOT know is that he is equally obsessed with The Polar Express. He watched it about hmmm...50 times in 2 months. Not.Even.Kidding. We didn't tell them where we were going. We just got them in their pajamas, put their bathrobes on and loaded them up in the car. They had no idea. We arrived and went inside a big tent where there was a gift shop and such-they still didn't know what was going on. We lined up. Then we told them what exactly we were lined up to do. Aaron didn't get it. His eyes got big but he couldn't comprehend it. Riley surprised me by being beyond thrilled-eyes wide, grin the size of Texas, and hopping up and down on his toes for barely being able to contain his excitement. Then the train pulled up before us. Aaron had never seen one driving on a track up close and he started to get very excited. He looked at Dave who was holding him and said, "Look Dad! A TTTRRRAAAIINNN! Can we go see it???" Dave looked at him and said quietly, "Aaron, we get to go ON it. It's the Polar Express and we are going to ride it!" Aaron took Dave's face in his hands and repeated every word back to him. Like don't you dare trick me Dad, could this be real?!! It was the cutest thing ever. We loaded up on the train which was filled with christmas lights and rode slowly to the "North Pole" while they served hot chocolate and cookies and read The Polar Express out loud to the kids. Aaron spent the first 10 minutes with his face pressed up to the window. We arrived at The North Pole and they had houses lit up and "elves" dancing around. And then Santa appeared. He boarded the train and on the way back to the station visited each and every child and gave them a bell. It was a truly magical night that the kids will never forget!
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we suffered a great loss with the death of David's grandfather. Norman was an incredible man and a wonderful great-grandfather to the kids. He was David's only surviving grandpa and since I've never had one, he was mine too. It was heartbreaking. We know without a single doubt that he is in heaven now and in no more pain, which is so very comforting. Dave's grandma-Margie, is doing very well and we are so thankful we have her in our lives.
This picture makes me sad and is so precious at the same time.
Well...that pretty much wraps up our holidays. I expect you won't hear from me again until Easter/Aaron's birthday but hey-I might just surprise you. Hope you are all good and had a wonderful holiday season!
Oh Oh! I have to leave you with one more thing. A short clip. A glimpse in to my life. Which I am learning to enjoy every day of. Apparently this kind of thing ends at some point. Very important to remember.
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