a christmas-y weekend.

i have been really excited about this weekend.  we had some fun things planned for our little family and it did not disappoint.  we did get snowed in today, but it was a good day to be in our pj's and watch the pretty white stuff outside.

friday night, we headed to a big old historical home downtown for "santa claus for a cause", an event to raise money for the cancer center at our local hospital.  it was *frigid* and when i say "frigid", i mean sub zero temps.  seriously.  so cold.  so we didn't stay for long, but it was one of the most beautiful things i've ever been to.  a big old home, luminaries lining the driveway, pictures with santa on the front porch, homemade goodies and lots of old fashioned christmasness.  it was totally up my alley.

we went with some good friends, and everyone came over to our house after for chinese takeout, christmas movies and parents trying to visit amidst the kid-craziness.  absolutely love having our families do life together, and our kiddos make memories like these... so thankful for our friends.

saturday, we packed up and headed to portland... a few weeks ago, my sister and i bought tickets for both of our families to go to "the polar express", a ride along the ocean in an old train designed to emulate the polar express.  growing up, our mom read us this book every christmas eve, so we were super pumped!  i'll post more on this later, but here are a few photos...

the girls absolutely LOVED it!  i will never forget their little faces, and watching them sip their hot chocolate, dance up and down the aisle of the train and greet santa with hugs.  such a magical experience for them.  it's the stuff i live for as their mama; such a joy to watch them experience christmastime!  we drove home after the ride singing christmas songs on the radio, giddy with excitement that a huge snowstorm was coming.  we kind of love being snowed in.

sure enough, this morning we woke up to a fresh blanket of snow and flakes still falling from the sky.  it snowed all day long.  we drank hot chocolate, bundled up on the couch and watched "the polar express", watched football and nick&i took turns shoveling and clearing the driveway.

it was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend!  many times over the last few days i have stopped, drank in all of these precious moments, and thanked the lord for his many gifts.

so very grateful.