Christmas Train & Mission Inn

This year we got to enjoy the "Christmas Train" as a family. Each year metrolink decorates one of their trains and travels from station to station collecting toys, putting on a show, and passing out candy canes. We had heard about it from friends and decided to check it out. The train was really fun and especially pretty once it was totally dark! The show itself was a bit cheesy, but Hope had fun and that is all that matters!

After the show Santa handed out candycanes to all the kids. Hope isn't too sure about Santa this year...can you tell?!

I love discovering these little events that turn into fun family nights! I am all about free and family! My folks joined us for the train too! So thankful they live close now!

After the Christmas train we headed down to the Mission Inn to see the lights. My folks had never been and we figured Hope would enjoy all the decorations too! It was super crowded, but we still had fun!

Jaye and my Dad were good sports and hung out with Hope while my Mom and I waited in line for cupcakes. If you've never visited "Casey's Cupcakes", you must! The cupcakes are absolutely amazing and so worth the wait! Hope and I shared a Sassy Strawberry cupcake and took a Peanut Butter Cup one home for later! Love my little cupcake buddy!

#677. going to a Christmas show at church, together as a family...her favorite part of the show? The green guys who fight. Go figure. My favorite part? Playing in the "snow" at intermission
#678. taking Hope to the "horse show" (Medievil Times)...once again, her favorite part was the fights
#679. hearing of Jaye and Hope's adventure at Build A Bear while I was at work....she chose a Koala with Darth Vader clothes and a light saber...he is such a good Daddy
#680. Jaye carrying around Koala with a crown on it's head
#681. running 2.5 minutes straight...big deal for this non-running girl
#682. she loves her Grandpa! The past 2 days have been "Grandpa and Hope Day" and she has loved every minute of it
#683. sweet hubby who works so hard to provide for his girls
#684. the quest for new running shoes

#670. "private"swimming lessons (everyone else is on vacation so it was just us)
#671. naptimes at Grandma's house (it's been a hellacious week of naptime meltdowns)
#672. playday with friends
#673. peace about opening our home
#674. family night @ church...seeing a show and lots of pretty lights
#675. chatting with neighbors at church
#676. hardworking hubby

#662. a whole Saturday off
#663. cleaning/organizing the office...it's only taken us 1.5 years
#664. cleaning out the guest room and getting things together
#665. finally got a nap out of her
#666. working side-by-side with the hubby
#667. Christmas train and a silly aliens with light-sabers...of course that was her favorite part
#668. amazing cupcakes...so worth the wait in line
#669. time with my folks and a fun family outing

#654. tea time with my girl
#655. Wednesday nights at Fuse...so nice to be with other grown-ups
#656. cleaning and organizing with a friend...too bad it wasn't my house
#657. 3 days at the gym this week...5k here I come
#658. clean laundry...now if only it would fold itself
#659. naptime...such a battle but so nice once she finally gives in
#660. sunshine on this beautiful day
#661. yummy coffee at home

Operation Christmas Child

Back in November our church announced that they were doing Operation Christmas Child boxes and we knew we wanted to do one with Hope. Jaye and I have done them in the past and I have always loved doing this together as Jaye has the most generous and thoughtful heart. When we'd go as a couple I used to find myself gravitating towards dollar bin items, where Jaye didn't care, he wanted whatever would be best for the child receiving the box.

This year, we wanted to get Hope involved. Our friend Mary Rice Hopkins has a kid's TV show that airs on Saturday mornings. This particular Saturday we tuned in to watch and it was all about Operation Christmas Child and filling the boxes. Hope watched the show and we talked about how the boxes were to help kids all over the world and I told her that maybe we could make a special box too. When Jaye woke up that morning she told him, "Daddy, I want to put shoes in boxes". He knew what she meant.

We went shopping together, all 3 of us, and helped Hope pick things for her box. We told her we were making the box for a little girl who was 2, just like her. I don't know what she totally got it, but she did get the fact that this was not a day to get things for herself...we were picking special things to go in our box. We had a lot of fun shopping and talking about what the little girl might like. Hope picked out the toothbrush and toothpaste, she picked special princess hair clips, a princess phone, etc.
We discovered this year that if you pay for your box online then you can print out the label and they'll track where in the world your box goes. SO COOL! We printed off our label, packed up our box and Hope very proudly delivered her box to church the next morning. (the picture at the top is from Sunday morning when we were going to take our box to church) When she dropped off her box she got a special sticker and wore it proudly! I love that we can start this tradition together and begin even now to teach her what it means to help others!

Family Photos

A few weeks ago, a friend from college offered to take some pictures of the 3 of us. She enjoys taking pictures and hasn't had a chance to take pics of anyone other than her own family so we took her up on the offer and I am so happy we did! Stacey took so many amazing pictures of our little family of 3 and we all had so much fun! Here are a few of my favorites...

I am so please with our pictures and feel that she captured our family SO well! I can't wait to blow a few up and put them on the walls!!!