Traditions

This weekend, we embarked on one of our favorite Christmas adventures, a trip to ZooLights.

A first-ever addition to the evening, we chose this year to get there via the MAX train. It was a Looooooong ride, taking over an hour to get to the zoo (after a 40 minute drive in the car!), but these two kiddos were so excited about their first "real" train ride, that it didn't seem to matter.

And besides, they were to be greeted by Rudolph...

And Hot Cocoa...

And another ride, this time on the Zoo train...


There were lots of pretty light displays to look at...



And the elephants to visit...

Followed by an exciting wait for the return MAX train home, on an underground platform, wind rushing down through the tunnel.


So much adventure in one evening made for tired bodies and brains.

When adult bodies and brains are tired, sometimes they get on the wrong train, miss train connections and end up spending unnecessary amounts of time waiting at cold night time stations so they can get headed in the proper direction... only to get off at the wrong stop and have to walk extra blocks back to the parked car.

But that's a story I would rather not tell. At least until it has sat on my brain shelf for long enough that it becomes funny. Right now, its still not that funny.

The good thing about tired KID bodies and brains is that they just get silly, and go with the flow, and enjoy jumping in puddles at cold night time stations while they wait for proper trains to arrive. And getting home two hours past bedtime... well, what kid wouldn't think that was an added bonus?

Holiday Highlights

I so enjoy being caught up in the whirlwind of the holidays each year. The festive spirit in the air, the time spent with family and friends, the making and giving of gifts. The little and big traditions that add brightness to the season.

A few favorite moments captured on film...

Drinking hot cocoa on a positively frigid night, at a packed-out Oregon Zoo bedecked in lights...


later, standing with a certain train-obsessed 4 year old, as the Zoo Train whooshed out clouds of steam around us, blew its whistle loud in our ears and chuffed away...

hearing a certain almost 2 year old exclaim, "Mama! Chrish-ish!" each and every time her eyes spotted colored lights as we went about our days...

a frosty Christmas morning, pure and crisp, remembering and reflecting on the birth of our Savior...




barely-contained joy and excitement from my two sweet children, helping me to once again see the Season new and fresh...

silly-ness and laughter on many occasions for no particular reason...


and many, many more moments and happenings that would take too long to share here in this one little blog post. I am happy to have entered the new year, and am looking forward to some exciting things that will take place, some that I know of, and others yet to be discovered. There will be hard times too, I know, but the joy and festivity of this past Season will linger, adding its spark to the other sparks from holiday seasons past.

May you live each day of this new year with a spark of remembered joy!

Zoolights

Checking out the lights


The Zoo Train


Jack and his cousin Savannah got to watch the elephants eat their dinner


Jack riding his Daddy's shoulders down the path