Holiday Cheer

Here's a post I started and never finished.... couldn't get the verbage right. Still not my best work, but if I don't publish now, I probably wont! :P



We have enjoyed being in Utah for the Holidays. Thanksgiving with Cyndie's family was lots of fun. We also had a great "adults only" dinner with my cousins Cyndi and Rick and their respective spouses Ron and Laura. They introduced us to our new favorite Greek restaurant in SLC: Aristo's. The lamb shank was absolutely succulent!

We also had a great opportunity to hit a uniquely Utah event: The Heber Creeper Polar Express. Ok, so I don't actually know that it is uniquely Utah, but I haven't seen it anywhere else.

Each Christmas season, the Heber Valley Railroad in Heber City, UT transforms into the Polar Express, hauling its payload around the scenic Heber Valley.

It is a great event. There is a Host/Reader and several Elven Helpers. Riders are treated to steaming hot chocolate and fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies. Delicious! Aunt Becca is a reader and cousins Jana and Kate are elves. Jana and Kate were elving in our car. Becca was off that night, so she and cousins Ellie and Matt rode with us. It was great having Becca with us off so she got to fill us in on all the cool behinds the scenes 411. It was like a backstage pass at the Cirque du Soliel!

Here are some cool pics from the event:

The Christmas Man himself made the evening a total success with his cameo after we reached the north pole. That's Matt (left profile) in the foreground.
Cousin Jana (codename Sprinkles the Elf) escorted the Jolly One through our car.

Kris Kringle brought each child a Christmas bell. Upon receiving his, Dane looked at Father Christmas, and with all the sincerity he could muster, promised to always hear the ringing.

Among his proudest possessions, Dane wanted a pic of just his bell.

Cousin Kate, also an Elf, made sure Dane was in the know for bell care and such. Cousins Matt and Ellie stop for a snuggle with Papa Noel. The Elves look on in admiration.