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Today we went to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train!  It is a real train, decorated, that has a boxcar with a fold-out stage for live Christmas music, and Santa.  It travels to 130 towns across the US and Canada to raise $ for local food shelters.   It made a stop in Rochester for an hour this afternoon, and since we'd never been, we decided to give it a try.  Carter LOVED it.   He and Meg were well-prepared for the 20* (plus a brisk wind) temperatures… me, not so much.  Not many pictures of his face, as he was so fascinated by the train, the music, and the big guy himself.   We finally bailed on account of my freezing feet – a true Minnesota adventure.        

We miss you when you're gone.  

One of our more successful projects – thanks to Emma, who reminded us and set the example for us (and made sure we always had leaves and glue!)

It may be blurry, but I love it.  It was when Santa appeared at the end of the Macy's parade… I found myself waving too.  I couldn't help myself.  Christmas is magical!

Randomly, I asked the kids this week what they wanted to be when they grew up.  Here are their answers (for today, anyways…)

Zach:  Major League baseball player

Emma:  bowling alley worker

Carter:  a library guy

Made me smile.  Love these kids.

Carter is always SO excited for his turn to give the FHE lesson.  This one was about the 10 lepers (also known as the 10 leopards).  The highlight of this lesson was un-wrapping the crepe paper from the lepers when they were healed and making them all run away.  :)  

Grocery shopping is one of those jobs that I could delegate, had I the $$ to do so.  First there is the meal planning, then the list-making, then the cart-loading, then the cart un-loading, then the car loading, then the car un-loading, then the bag un-loading and putting away.  I had put off going to the store WAY too long this last time… it had been more than 2 weeks and we were out of pretty much everything that anyone would eat.  I think I said to Nate about 5 times before I left, "I hate grocery shopping!"
However, as I made the trips from the car to the house tonight, I was filled with gratitude.  An unlikely time, but I smiled as I thought the following:  

I am grateful I have money to buy all these groceries. 

I am grateful that Target had everything I needed in stock except eggs.   (that is pretty much un-heard of late at night.)

I am grateful that Meg was happy and then slept and then didn't scream when she woke up at the store.

I am grateful that it was the first night of the store's seasonal "late hours" where they stay open till 11 (it would have been seriously pushing it to get me out of there by 10 tonight.)

That everyone was snug and sleeping when I got home.  

That when I took this picture, the bags covered the un-mopped floor.  (maybe tomorrow.)

That our pantry no longer has cow contact paper on the shelves.  (Why didn't I change that 5 years ago???)

That I only forgot 2 things, and knowing that I would forget stuff that Nate pre-emptively offered to pick up anything I missed.

And, I was grateful that the wind wasn't blowing.  (There are many things I will miss about Rochester… the wind is not one of them.)

It sounds silly, but it was the most fun I've had during the final 2 stages of a grocery trip… ever.  I should give being grateful a try more often.  

 

When bibs and overalls are way more fun to play with.

     

Honestly, she was entertained for at least half an hour each time.  Funny girl.

working in the yard (the cones are a really important part of this…)

doing (really messy) "soil experiments"

trying (and mastering!) finger foods

raking up, playing in (and eating) the leaves from our oak tree (which just may fall this year before we get a bunch of snow!)

helping bake (Carter's new "thing")

having croup (and getting better)

being ninjas (why not while you do homework??)

and walking our dog.  

Life is good.

Alternately totally adorable and completely exasperating.  Sometimes minute by minute.  We have experienced the full gamut this morning, leading me to record some of my favorite Carter-isms:  

"Hug me with your lips, Mom!"

When told that Thanksgiving was next week, he says, "It's the day when no one should cry, right?"  

And when Elder Cook visited for our stake conference a few weeks ago, "I see the bald head!  I see the bald head!"  and "After the bald head talks we can go home, right?? "