Monday, December 23, 2013

Christmas Magic

Anyone dreaming of a white Christmas would be happy to celebrate Christmas in my neighborhood this year.  I think we now have more snow at our house than we did up north this past weekend.  Which is just as well because most of our time up north was spent inside since Joey wasn't feeling well.  Not as relaxing a weekend as we had hoped, but ah well.

Yesterday we came home to 8 inches of fresh snow and the snow continued throughout the night and into today.  When all is said and done I think we will have over a foot of snow.  

With Joey feeling much better today (although my glands are extremely swollen now) we decided to tie up some last minute Christmas loose ends.  

Today we finally got to see Santa.  It was actually quite emotional because it was the last time anyone will be able to see Santa at this location.  A spot where kids have been going to see Santa for almost 100 years. A spot that always made waiting in line a joy. The very spot where I went to see Santa when I was a kid. Mechanical animals and elves danced and played and Bruce the Spruce would tell jokes to the kids. 

In a few weeks this Santa's enchanted forest will no longer be there as the store is closing down.  Sad, indeed.  
The good news is that the enchanted forest will be moved to our city's museum and will be on display every Christmas.  Still, I'm glad that we were able to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in the enchanted forest one last time.

After our visit to Santa the kids and I decided to take advantage of the snow and we went sledding.
Up and down the kids went, again and again.  It was probably the most relaxing sledding trip I've ever had with the kids as they each were able to make their way up and down the hill by themselves.  
And it was pretty heartwarming to watch Grace's brothers help her out when she got tired climbing the hill.  Does a mama's heart good.
We stayed on the hill for a couple of hours before we'd finally tuckered ourselves out.
 After that we went home to pick up Todd and then more fun was to be had.  We drove through an awesome Christmas light display at a local park and then went to another light display after that.  Both shows were set to festive Christmas music.  It was so much fun.  After all of that the kids begged us to take them to the dollar store so that they could buy Todd and I a few Christmas presents that they had their eye.

Now we are sitting around watching a movie and eating Christmas cookies. It's been a great preChristmas day.

We are now ready to let the real celebration begin.

8 comments:

betty said...

Great pictures with the kids and Santa. I am glad that the display will be at the museum rather than being discarded. Such a magnificient history it is carrying with it, sad to see the store closing! I always enjoyed sleighing when the kids were younger. They did get tired, all that fresh air I do believe!

Merry Christmas!

betty

chrissy said...

My kids would FREAK OUT if they were able to sled with those sleds on that hill! We get a little bit of snow here, but our neighborhood is too flat to do anything fun. Love those giant sleds, too! Hope you have a merry Christmas!!

Cyndy @ Back in the Bush said...

So glad you had a great day =)
The end of 100 years of Santa is so sad! At least you have pics and memories.

Bijoux said...

Lots of good stuff going on here! I'm bummed about the store closing, though. Seems like there are only two department stores left in America! Boo!

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Anonymous said...

It's hard to see traditions end, but I'm sure you'll continue some good things in that Children's Museum!
This snow!
Sledders who can drag their own sleds uphill!
Merry Christmas!

Wisconsin Girl said...

Merry Christmas! Such fun Christmas memories. I'm just about to head outside with the girls to enjoy MORE snow as it is snowing again. What a fun white Christmas!

Hilary said...

It's heartbreaking when long standing traditions breath their last. It's good that your city recognizes that the Santa display is a worthy addition to the museum. Maybe kids will be able to line up there, every year instead.

Anita said...

Hello Kat, I'd intended to stop by long before now, but the events and activities of the season has me way behind in my blogging rounds.

Pre-Christmas was challenging for you. I'm glad you got through it and began having some fun as I see in this post!

I'm on the run, but will stop back by to read the more recent posts to see how it all went.

Cheers!

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson