One of our favorite Christmas movies, The Polar Express, came to life for the kids, and they were thrilled! A few weeks ago, some friends of ours were planning on going to the Heber City Railroad where they have a special ride each Christmas called The North Pole Express. I had put this experience on our Utah Bucket List when we first moved here, so I was excited to check this off my list!
We told the girls that they could wear their pajamas and they would be joining some of their friends on this amazing train ride. They were so excited for this and could not wait till we got to the train station. They chattered away happily in the back of the car as we drove almost an hour to get to the destination. When we got there, elves greeted us at the entrance to the carriage/compartment where we were supposed to be. As we boarded the train, the girls spotted their friends all sitting in one row. And, they were off for the ride of their lives!
The first thing all the girls wanted to know was if they were going to get hot chocolate! 🙂 And, guess what, they did get hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie to enjoy the ride as the elves came out and performed for them. Their little eyes were filled with wonderment and magic, and it made it so worth it to give them this experience!
Although this post seems like it is geared more towards how much fun this was for the kids, the adults had a grand time as well! It was so fun to go with Kelsey, Keri, and Michaele and their families! While the adults visited, the elves were out in full force, teaching the kids ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ complete with actions. Elvis made a cameo appearance, and there was also a lot of fun, Christmas music being blasted as we rode along some lovely Utah scenery.
As the kids sang and danced, they were instructed to hurry to the windows and look out for a special guest. It was fun to see and feel their excitement as they looked and searched for a few minutes, and then they saw THE NORTH POLE! (Insert Tom Hank’s voice here.) And, Santa was waving to them! Grace was worried that we had left him behind, and Emmie didn’t want to take off her mask because she didn’t want to get Santa sick. Adorable!
But, not to worry, Santa DID make it on the train and came to say hello! The kids were beside themselves with excitement and awe, and Santa was amazing! He loved the children, and he brought them each a beautiful little bell, so they could jingle it every time they thought they didn’t believe in him anymore, to see if they could still hear it ring. Grace and Audrey were thrilled and loved every minute of being close to him. Audrey kept giving him high fives, Grace hugged him and just wanted to follow him around, and Matthew kept saying to me, “Shhheee, Momeee, it’s Santaa!” He got really shy when Santa stopped by to shake his hand, but he didn’t cry and accepted the gift from him, and even said ‘Thank you!’.
There was a whole lot of jingling after Santa left, and the girls were all quite taken up with their own personal Polar Express Bell! This was one of the memories they will always have, and so will we, actually. Spending time with our friends, doing things that create memories with each other, feeling the spirit and excitement and magic of Christmas – this is what it is all about!
