To the North Pole

It's a magical time when all the stars align, schedules are cleared, and we whisk away for a brief moment in time to celebrate so many miracles.  Two weeks ago, we did just that.  Andy had an idea and my job was to get all the grandparents to clear the weekend and we journeyed, not too far away, but away to celebrate Addy's birth and Sarah's first Christmas.  He had found a Polar Express train ride to take our children on and wanted both grandparents together.

We began with a Christmas Parade in a quaint town that had over 100 carriages of horses marching along the parade route.  The weather was a remarkably, balmy 50 and that's a heatwave for Ohio country in December.

Of course, a sunny afternoon isn't complete without a trip to the park.

Finally, we had someone to take a picture of our entire family together.

Later that evening, our family had dinner together.  Fresh pizza dough was brought out for the kids to mold and keep occupied while we waited.  I looked and marveled at what this past year had brought us.

As Sarah worked her magic around the table from one grandparent to another, my heart was filled with emotion.  So much gratefulness and thankfulness and blessings. Our family's support, love, and prayers provided us the foundation to give Sarah a family and her first ever Christmas.  We are so very blessed and she is daily teaching us to live in the moment.

Our adventure the next day led us to The Polar Express, which in turn broke down and we had to walk to the North Pole.  But, it's the memories, the moments, and the togetherness that matters.  And we took pictures with our minds, hearts, and cameras to remember this special time.

I am so very thankful for our family.  A memory our kids will cherish.  

Merry Christmas!