The Polar Express and Injury #2

The day Megan got her cast on we had plans to go up to Williams to ride the Grand Canyon Polar Express with some of our friends. The Galbraiths in our ward told us about it way back in February, and it sounded fun so we got tickets together with the Martin’s and Stones, our good friends from this ward who have unfortunately moved away.

It took a little more than 2 hours to get up there, and with the late start from the Dr. visit and getting the cast on, we barely made it as the train was boarding. It was SUCH a blast! It was so great seeing our friends, having all the kids get to sit by each other on the train, and getting a chance to catch up and talk and laugh. We got hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies (YUMMY!) and listened to the Polar Express book be read. We got to the "North Pole" which was all lights and a giant Santa sleigh, with him IN it waving as we passed. The train stopped, and we headed back to Williams and passed the North Pole again, but Santa wasn’t on the sleigh – he was now on the TRAIN! So, he comes by and gives all the kids a big silver bell. He was very kind, and when I said "HI SANTA!" to him, he jingled a bell, and said "Can you hear this?" and I said "Yes, of course!" and he said "I knew you could hear it…" and gave me one! (only the kids get a bell usually). It was totally sweet.

That night, as part of our package, we had dinner at Max & Thelma’s restaurant buffet. It was SO good. A nice preview to Christmas dinner. We had ham, turkey, rolls, salad, mashed potatoes and tons of other food. We got very stuffed.

Our hotel rooms at the Grand Canyon hotel (which is right next to the depot and the restaurant) were all connected. We stuck the older kids in one, they played and watched movies, the younger ones we put to bed, and us adults hung out and played "The Name Game" and talked for a while. We loved it. It was great getting to hang out with them again.

The next morning the Stones and Martin’s had to leave right after our yummy (but busy) breakfast buffet. We hung out with the Galbraiths for a while and took a look around at the gift shop and the big old steam engine.

We were goofing off taking pictures of the kids pretending to be run over by the train, which is when our injury #2 happened. Jack stood up underneath the train and cracked his head open. He cried really hard for a minute or two and then was very calm. I searched his head for a bump, but didn’t find anything. Then I saw a nice little dark red pool of blood forming (luckily we didn’t get the gushing pouring head wound you’d expect to see). I took him to the bathroom to assess the situation. It wasn’t HUGE, but it was big enough that I worried about not getting it closed up and it getting infected by all the train soot and stuff in his hair. I found a little Banner clinic in town and they superglued his head back together. All the times the nurse, Dr., or I poked and cleaned and scrubbed his head, he just twiddled his thumbs and could have cared less! What a brave boy. While I was with Jack at the Dr.'s, Mitch and Paul and the kids were walking around the little downtown Williams area. I met up with them there and we all headed home. Injuries aside, it was an awesome little trip.