The Polar Express 2013

Our Christmas trek across Texas started Friday, December 13th with a trip to the barber for Tate!!  Yes, we skipped swim lessons as I needed to finish packing, do my hair :) and gas up the car!

After a quick lunch we were on the road to The Polar Express for our train ride to the North Pole!!

(AKA Palestine, Texas)

We had a fantastic albeit very wet, extremely cold ride to Palestine.  Tate did a great job in the car.  I had bought a couple of new sticker books (train sticker books of course) and coloring books to dole out on the car excursions this weekend.  He was thrilled with his new lap desk as well.  So much so that he colored, did stickers, listened to his Thomas train music and Liam Neeson reading 'The Polar Express.'  Not a single electronic on this leg of our journey (amazingly not on any leg of our journey).  We arrived at our hotel and he happily scampered into the lobby to play under their Christmas tree...there was a train underneath.  I was able to leave him there while I gathered our luggage as he was entranced :). 

 

Palmira and Alonzo arrived about 30 minutes later along with one of her childhood friends and her two kids.  We loaded the kids up after everyone got changed into their pjs, mamas included.  We were off to ride the Polar Express!!!  We finally arrived at the station!!

 

We had time for a few more pictures...

He was soooo very excited!!!

Then it was time to board the train!!!

Hanging out with a couple of the 'waiters'!! 

Though it was chilly and rainy the ride was fantastic!!  I had a fabulous fabulous time!!!  And Tate was over the moon with happiness.  Just pulling out of the station!

These two adore each other!

As do these two!

We drank hot cocoa and ate cookies!

 

The conductor stamped their golden tickets...

We sang Christmas carols!

Then we arrived at the North Pole!  The train car lights dimmed to black and we came upon the lights of the North Pole!!  The kids were oohing and aahing with joy and sweet wonder. 

And who was out front at the North Pole??!!  Why Santa Claus and a couple of his elves!!  Just lovely!!  After giving Mrs. Claus a quick kiss good-bye Santa boarded our train to meet the good little boys and girls along with a couple of his elves!

More Christmas carols as we were on our way back to the station!

 

Once we were back to the station, Tate and I headed onto the hotel while the others went out to eat.  Tate was more than happy to eat some dinner from home at the hotel, and Palmi brought me a salad back as Tate was sound asleep at his regular time!  Of course we had to celebrate the 13th night of Advent...

 

Saturday morning we enjoyed a yummy breakfast and then we headed off to Dallas (Grapevine to be exact) for more Christmas fun.  It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive.  Palmi and Alonzo followed us and we drove north!

We met one of my sorority sisters for a quick lunch in downtown historic Grapevine, then made our way down Main Street to the North Pole Express.  Look who we ran into on the way...

Then it was time to board the train!!!  Yes another train!!

It was a festive ride, though not nearly as impressive as the Polar Express, but the kids loved it.  And it was nice to sit back and relax after the long drive.  The elves were so sweet and very cute and the train was just gorgeous!

Then we arrived at the North Pole!

Mr. and Mrs. Claus and the elves put on a show once we arrived!

Once the show was over the kids got their Frozen Chocolate Milk and we headed back to Grapevine :).

 

 Then we were off to Angela's for the rest of the weekend!!  Tate was beside himself about seeing Olivia!!  

Decorations in the upstairs playroom!

Movie time!!

He even got Olivia to play trains with him...

Tate was worn out, but shared his 14th day of Advent book opening with his sweet friends..

Then he went straight to sleep on Olivia's 'Tangled' pillow...

We rose and shined on Sunday morning as we were off to see ICE at the Gaylord!!  We hustled the kids out the door after many hugs and kisses to Olivia and her sweet grandmommy with thanks for hosting us (Angela was out of town).  We arrived at the gorgeous Gaylord and we were all in awe.  This is just the entryway/lobby.  Of course it was full of trains!  Tate was having the time of his short life!!!

We then made our way to the ICE exhibit...8 degrees with gorgeous ice sculptures.  I was thrilled;  Tate not so much.  Less than halfway through he was complaining of how cold he was, begging for a blanket.  I stalled as long as I could, so I could enjoy some of the sculptures.  He tried the ICE slide, but wasn't quite on his coat right, so he didn't slide as easily as he should have ( I wish the people at the top organizing the riders had helped him a bit more, but he did it anyway!!)

At the very end there was a breathtakingly beautiful ice sculpture of the Nativity complete with the story of the birth of Christ being piped in (Luke 2).  Just lovely.

We fed the kids some lunch, and then it was time to head back to Houston.  Hugs and kisses abounded and we were off!!!  Tate did just as fabulous on the ride home as he had on the way up.  He held onto his new trains and sticker books and happily listened to Thomas music as well as letting me play some Keith Urban every once in a while.  

As always Tate was thrilled to be home.

We opened our 14th and 15th Lego Advent surprises...

We celebrated the 15th day of Advent that night, just the two of us, happy in our home.

What a joyous weekend we had!  I was absolutely exhausted, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat! To see my little boy enjoy himself so very much was all I had hoped motherhood would be.  His joy,  amazement and utmost belief in all things magical just fills my heart to the brim.  I just love being his mother.  Love it.  And spending the Christmas season with him just makes my heart want to burst.  I've always loved Christmas.  I've always celebrated it hugely with a decorated home, observing Advent, celebrations with friends and family, sending cards, getting a tree...all of it.  My celebration now has multiplied tenfold.

My love of my life has multiplied beyond measure.