Thanksgiving Break - Part 2

Friday morning, we had the wonderful opportunity of attending the sealing of our niece Brodi to my brother BJ and his wife Shannon in the Mesa, AZ temple. We were so glad we could be there.

BJ, Brodi, Sam, and Shannon. Quick note about Brodi, she is such a curious little girl and will literally get into anything. I think it was on Wednesday that Brodi somehow ended up alone underneath the Christmas tree with a lot of presents, all to herself. I think you know where this is going. She opened nearly all of them up until someone showed up and caught her! Such a funny girl! It was great getting to know her and seeing how Sam has grown up over the past year.

After the sealing and open house, we loaded the car and headed up to Williams, AZ (near flagstaff). We had an 8:00 pm train to catch to the North Pole! The Polar Express train to be exact. I had never read the book or seen the movie, but I really want to now that I have experienced it first-hand. There wasn't a lot of snow up there yet, but it sure was cold (coming from CA at least).

It was about a 25 minute ride to the North Pole (thanks to the time warp tunnel). We were served hot chocolate and cookies (for the record, the hot chocolate wasn't quite the right temperature).

Gotta love Brodi's face. Jeff and Ethan waving hello. The kids loved the train ride.

Sadie and Madie were buddies on the train.

Madie had a lot of fun with Nana, Papa, and Ethan.

I don't know if anyone was as excited for the train ride as Sam. He has been obsessed with trains since before he could really speak! He didn't look as excited as I thought as he would be, but I according to BJ and Shannon he soaks in the experience and will talk about it for weeks afterwards.

Madie was given a silver bell from Santa! She was much happier than her first encounter with Santa. A day before, she actually got to sit on his lap at Bass Pro Shop. Let me just say, her face was priceless. Immediate emotional meltdown.

Madie started to get tired at the end, and decided to suck on the bell with Nana.

Williams is exactly one hour away from the south entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. Neither of us had ever seen the Grand Canyon, but we also didn't know the next time we would be this close to it. So off we went and we were so glad we did!

None of these pictures really do it justice, nor have I seen any pictures that really have. This is just one of those places you need to see with your own eyes. It was spectacular. No words to describe how vast it was. You just have to see it.

I wish we could have spent more time here. It would be great to spend 2-3 days hiking, camping, and exploring. Unfortunately, we only spend 20 minutes in the park. Maybe we can do a family reunion there at some point?

Madie loves spending time outdoors. No matter how cold it bites or how windy it blows, she is always glad to be outside.