All Aboard the Polar Express!

Last Saturday, Nicholas finally kicked his cold to the curb, so our family was able to go on the Polar Express train that Make-A-Wish Oregon organized. The kids were super excited to see a real train and kept saying, "Choo-Choo!" They also thought it was pretty cool that mommy & daddy let them wear their pajamas in public. 

We entered the train station and were happy to see Santa Claus was there. The kids were really shy, but at least Ella didn't cry and run away. 

Nicholas and Ella got beautiful golden train tickets to hold onto while we waited to board. Nicholas said it made him feel very special. 

While we were waiting in the train station, the wondering hobo came and said hello. He made Nicholas laugh every time we saw him on the train. 

 Pretty soon it was time to board the train. The conductor yelled, "All Aboard!" and we went to find our seats. Make-A-Wish was very generous and gave us a lot of space. We had a total of ten seats for just the four of us. It was great because Nicholas could lay down comfortably and when Ella started getting restless, she could wander between both sets of seats. 

 Amanda, the very sweet Make-A-Wish coordinator, snapped this family photo of us before we departed for the North Pole. 

 The train windows were a bit foggy and dirty so this photo isn't the best, but Hood River truly is such a beautiful, serene place. 

Ella was a dancing queen! She loved all the Christmas carols we heard. 

 Santa entered the train when we reached the North Pole and he handed out silver bells to each of the children. The kids thought that was pretty great. 

 Here is a short video of Nicholas and Ella. They both really loved this experience and we are so grateful to Make-A-Wish for inviting us to this fun family event!!