Peacock Lane

This year before Christmas, we took the kids to stroll down Peacock Lane. Its an old historic neighborhood & each house is adorned with lights galore. The kids have really enjoyed seeing all the lights strung up over the holiday season so we thought this place would blow their minds with every house done up! Except for one problem, it was absolutely freezing. actually it was below freezing! K didn't want to be cozy in the stroller & proceeded to scream halfway through the stroll & there wasn't really any strolling going on because there was so many people {this due to a rare clear night in P-town!} it felt like we were on a moving walkway!

All in all, it was fun & seeing all the lights & it felt so Christmasy!

let it snow!

it began snowing around 3pm here today & didn't let up till about 9pm! {unlike what the news people said it would! of course}

C & I went out to build a baby snowman & shovel some snow with his new snow shovel! :)

from ours to yours.

wishing you & yours joy, laughter & love this holiday season

& in to the new year!

Merry Christmas!

love. the ray's.

The Pol-Ex

ALL ABOARD!

Tickets please!

We took the kids to ride on the Polar Express in Hood River. It was down right chilly! But we still wore our pj's, no Pol-Ex trip would be right without them on! Ok, so just the kids wore jammies. I didn't want to be the only adult sporting them & I was right! I definitely would have been.

On the way there we asked C if he wanted to stop & get hot chocolate before we boarded the train. In a very matter-of-fact way he replied, "No! We don't get hot chocolate at Starbucks! We get hot chocolate on the Polar Express!!!"

duh. silly question. :)

When we first arrived a freight train was blowing by and blew its whistle! There were trains coming & going! heaven for a little boy who loves trains. Except for the loud whistle part!

Next stop: the North Pole!

tickets waiting to be punched

hot chocolate! oooh, we got it!

C just found out that we don't actually get to get off at the North Pole.

super bummed :(

but then we got to meet Santa on the train! yay!

when Santa asked what he wanted for Christmas, C whispered, "a bell" just like the little boy does from the story! so cute!

Then C proceeded to interogate the big man.

"where's your sleigh? where's your reindeer? where's your elves? why are you not at the north pole right now? what are you bringing me for Christmas?!!" HAHAHA!

K just stared up.

Towards the end of the ride C desperately exclaimed that we needed to get home & get to bed quick because it was Christmas Eve & he didn't want Santa to miss our house!!!

oh, the confusion.

a huntin' we will go!

for the most perfect Christmas tree!

Each day for WEEKS C would ask {with excited anticipation}, "mom, is today the day we go get our tree?!"

then the day finally came & it was FREEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZING. seriously. it didn't get above 30 degrees! But we had fun nonetheless. we even found the perfect {seriously perfect, the correct tree branch spacing, wonderfully proportional from the base to the top! my dad even tried to steal it from us!}

Thank you Grey family for a wonderful tree hunt & beautiful tree!

Lola & sissy

hmmm, which one?

found it!

the chain saw is too loud!

sweet sibling moment :)

my favorite photo

mmm yummy cookies complete with green lips!

she found a friend

{he even stole a bite of her cookie & she kept on eating it! hahaha!}

horses!

jack frost nipping on the ground!

cookie!

us 2009! :)

its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

the past week, we put up lights on the house, & lights on the playhouse!

i love {love!} this time of year!!!

C being silly!

we {rj} got the lights up before it got too cold!

daddy & his helper!

decorating the tiny christmas tree in the playhouse