Polar Express

We got tickets a few months ago to join our friends the Schilbs and the Mattsons to take a Polar Express train ride.  We drove about 2 hours into New Jersey to a town called Phillipsburg for the Deleware River Railroad.  We took a 2 hour train ride where we got to visit with Santa, receive bells, get hot chocolate and cookies.  It was a bit long, but all the kids really enjoyed it.  I didn't get a ton of great pictures, but here are a few! I didn't have any good ones of the Mattson girls but they were super cute in their pjs. I wish Chris and I wore ours to match!!

                                      Adela and Ryan jumping on the seats

                                                 Carly loved her bell

                                      Conductor Jacob

                                         Cady and Peter and Katie and Carly

Train Garden at the New York Botanical Gardens

We woke up early to take our first trip up to the NY Botanical Gardens Train Show.  This was by far the coolest thing I have seen while in New York. There weren't a ton of trains like I had thought, but every replica was made out of nature. The buildings were all done with stone, twigs, leaves, etc. The boys really liked the trains going around them.  Then we went into the Children's Garden for a Gingerbread Adventure where the boys got to ice cookies, crush cinnamon and make booklets. We had a great time!

 Ryan wouldn't take his thumb out of his mouth or let go of Chris hand.

Rockefeller!

The boys and I made it down to meet Chris after work to visit the tree and all its glory at night. It really is beautiful. Everytime we would pass sculptures or other trees Ryan would look up and say "wow!" So cute.

                                        These first two were the tree across the street

Christmas cookies and crafts

We have had our fair share of Christmas cookies and crafts so far this season. The hardest part is trying to keep Ryan from eating everything in site. I am pretty sure combining two sweet tooth parents=complete kids with no hope. They are, as Andrew would say, "crazy" about sweets. Here are just a few pictures.

          This is honestly how we spend the majority of our days at home. Me reading while the boys eat.