Adventures Both Scary and Grand

Day 2 of our Williams snowcation featured a train ride to the Grand Canyon. (A four-hour round trip train ride, for your information. Just one more thing that I would have said "no" to. Good thing Craig didn't ask.) The girls actually did really well, on the train ride and the Grand Canyon tour, despite the fact that none of them slept on the way there or back. And, considering the fact that the Grand Canyon is a scary place to bring your small children to, (doubly scary when the ground is covered in slippery snow and ice) I'd say that fact that we all got back in one piece made the trip a rousing success.

Craig and I decided that next time we'll make the trip without the kiddos, so we can enjoy the scenery instead of hyper-vigilantly keeping our eyes on all kids at all times and running various hypothetical rescue scenarios through our heads.

Enjoying someone else's hard work before the train took off.

Vanna was the only one of our kids properly equipped 

for the snow--both boots and gloves--thanks 

to the kindness of a snow-going friend.

(This is what happens when you forget 

to bring gloves for two of your kids.)

(And this is what happens when your middle 

child is made up of three-parts sunshine.)

Cozying up before the train left the station

 Bright, that's what our future is.

Love this girl. (And the binky that saved the day.)

Cheers-ing with Sprite and chocolate milk

This is the main reason the girls did so well. There was 

quite an impressive spread of fruit, juice, and yummy treats
in our train car, not to mention all the soda they could drink. 

(Which, incidentally, is a lot of soda.)

Good thing our seats were right by this huge train bathroom.

I did a lot of waiting on this fancy couch, I'll have you know.

I Heart Daddy

Have I mentioned that it took two hours to get there?

Good thing Daddy is an excellent entertainer of Bored Little Girls

And good thing this guy is an excellent entertainer 

of Bored Adults. (Unless, of course, you are 

an adult who finds Johnny Cash and Hank Williams 

covers just as boring as a two-hour train ride.)

After the train, we hopped on a bus to head over to lunch 

before we started the Grand Canyon tour

Lex ate lettuce dipped in ranch dressing for lunch.

 Only she didn't eat the lettuce.

Cherry lover

This is how the girls entertained themselves on the bus 

tour...holding on to the seat backs and swinging around 

every time the bus turned a corner...which was a lot.

Do you see where the railing ends, right to the left of me?

Did I mention that we were hyper-vigilant on this trip?

Lex doesn't know what the word "plummet" 

means, but her Mommy sure does.

So beautiful, and yet so cold.

Cheeseburger

Julia was too busy playing in the snow and pretending

 it wasn't cold to take time for this one.

We improvised with glove-socks this time. 

That's what happens when you're a slacker.

Perfect weather for a picnic

Our tour guide stopped the bus so we could take pics of this guy.

We had some time to kill after the bus tour before the train

headed back to Williams...so, we did the rational thing 

and found a warm place to hang out for a while.

This creature is made of real sheep's wool. 

Alexa would not get near it until she realized that 

it wasn't real, after which they became best friends. 

(Not a great gift idea, but a gift idea nonetheless.)

Personally, I'd rather have this guy.

The picture that never was.

Icicles of doom.

And, more of the same.

Don't you love how there's no railing at all at this part?

We sure didn't.

Grand as the Canyon was, we were all ready to 

board the train and head back. Except Lexa. 

I think she was missing her fake sheep friend.

These bandits boarded the train much to the dismay of Savanna...

...that's because Craig told her that they would kidnap 

any children who hadn't taken a nap.When she started 

to cry, it was so sad and so funny all at the same time.

But mostly funny.

On the way back, we passed back by the North Pole 

that we had visited the night before. When 

Craig told Julia, she said, "No wonder it's taking so long!"

We were happy and sleepy to be back in our cozy hotel.

Yep...happy...

and sleepy.

Polar + Express = Freezing Cold Family Fun

So Craig booked this awesome Polar Express trip without talking to me first because, in his words, I "would have said no." It's true. I would have. Which is why I am glad he did it. Lexa is old enough to have been slightly interested in what was going on, and Julia is young enough to still believe in Santa. So, it really was the perfect time to go. Also, Julia got out of school one day early for the adventure, so that was another bonus.

If you haven't figured it out by now, the whole idea of the train ride is to simulate the story, "The Polar Express." (Thankfully, the train ride does not simulate the off-putting movie of the same title, which I find incredibly, incredibly annoying.) Everyone boards the train in Williams, AZ (parents included--I guess this is where reality and fiction part ways) and we head for the North Pole. On the way, hot chocolate and cookies are served, Christmas carols are sung, and the book is read over the loud-speaker by none other than Liam Neeson. (Unfortunately it's just a recording of his voice, otherwise I'd be showing some very different pictures.) Then the train arrives at the North Pole, which the kids view through the train windows, and we head back to Williams. Santa boards the train at the North Pole, and makes his way through the cars giving all of the kids their very own jingle bells, which serve to delight the children and annoy their parents for the 45 minute ride back to the train station.

Nothing kicks off the holiday season like a magical family adventure!

Getting ready to board the train and freezin' in our boots.

Taking this whole Polar Express thing very seriously. 

Or, maybe their lips have frozen.

The Bean and I

Mr. Sneaky Pants and the younger girls

Cutie Head

Cutie Head x 2

The whole gang

Singing Christmas carols

(Cookies make us happy)

(and they make these guys cute)

Pouting

Snuggling

First glimpse of the North Pole

Santa was waving from the platform with a HUGE 

bag of presents and his head Elf, Bernard. 

(Wait, isn't that the guy from "The Santa Clause?"

Time to say goodbye and head back through the 

time-warp tunnel to Arizona, and civilization.

Chatting it up with Santa on the way back

While Lexa is not a fan of jolly old St. Nick, 

she did at least accept a jingle bell from him.

We visited this tiny village after we got off the train.

(This is the part where I was so cold I wanted to cry.

The girls, per usual, didn't seem to notice the temperature.)

Cute Daddy

Frozonsons

We wrapped up the day with an 8:00 buffet dinner. 

You guessed it...the soft-serve ice cream was the fave.

So, when will you book your trip??

Snow Way!

This December marked our first family snow trip up to freezing cold Flagstaff since we moved to Phoenix 5 years ago. I know. We like to take our time with these things. (Also, our thin Southern California blood prevents us from being in a hurry to freeze our noses off in the snow.)

This year, though, Craig booked us for the Polar Express train trip in Williams, AZ, so we were forced to venture into sub-60s temperatures. Brrr! We dropped my sister Laura off at her cozy cabin on our way to Williams and the girls got to play in the snow for a bit. (Have I mentioned that my kids have absolutely no qualms about playing in the snow even when they are not properly outfitted for it? They have been known to play all day in soggy mary-janes and no gloves without the tiniest complaint of the cold.) (I, on the other hand, have been known to wave at them from the window and loudly remind them to shut the door on their way out.)

My 2 cute snow bunnies

Poor kiddo didn't realize that there is really 

no such thing as walking "on" the snow.

Lex observing from afar

There we go, that's better.

Julia, uncomplainingly laboring to clear the massively 

snowed-in driveway with her kid-sized snow shovel.

Hold on to your beanies for more snow-ventures coming soon...