The Polar Express

Let me just begin this post by saying that last night was one of the most memorable nights of my life...I think this was because I got my first real taste of living vicariously through my child. For lack of a better word, the entire evening was magical. My little boy LOVES trains. Ever since we read the Polar Express for the first time a while back, then watched the movie, he has been in love with this classic story, (and all things train.) Up in Heber City, every year they do the Polar Express ride. They set up the Heber Creeper to look just like the actual train in the story, complete with all the characters from the movie in costume. They went the whole nine yards-from the conductor with his lantern, to the guys in chefs' hats serving hot chocolate, to the little elves, and, of course, the Big Man himself. (Santa Claus, in case you forgot.) Words can't express how cool it was to be able to keep this a secret from our little boy, and the look on his face when I pulled him out of the car and he saw this enormous train right before his eyes...it was priceless. At one point, during the 90 minute ride he thought he had lost his ticket, and that that meant they would have to throw him off the train ("It's standard procedure," for those of you that are familiar with the movie...) Upon realizing this, he burst into tears. It was the saddest/cutest thing I have ever seen. We soon found the ticket though, (phew!) and the day was saved. Anyways, it was one of the coolest things I have ever done, and well worth the money. I will let the pictures explain the rest...