Polar Express Christmas Party

There's no greater gift than friendship.~~Santa Claus in the movie The Polar Express

We hosted friends on Saturday evening for what now seems to be our annual Polar Express Christmas Party.

There was one major hiccup with the event this year though...I was out of town most of last week leaving us Friday evening and Saturday morning to prepare goodies, clean the house, mow the yard and set up the projector and equipment. Jeff took care of the outdoor stuff and I took care of the indoor preparation and baking. Needless to say, I was ready to collapse by the time that the guests started arriving. For those who don't remember, Jeff sets up our 9 foot inflatable movie screen in our backyard along with the sound system and we play the movie Polar Express.

We had a great turn out but the weather was a bit colder this year than last year. We had a fire going outside in the fire pit and in the fireplace inside. We had home made hot chocolate and egg nog to drink; as well as apple cider. I had a variety of sweets to eat: chocolate dipped pretzels, cookies, fudge, brownies, gingerbread, and gingerbread man cookies.

Some people sat outside and watched part or all of the movie. Others visited inside with us.

Jeff dressed up as Santa this year. He didn't stay in the suit for long though as the kids ganged up on him. It was the first time I ever recall seeing Santa sprinting from a flock of kids. It was hilarious watching that big fake belly flopping up and down as he ran from the children.

I also snapped a few photos of some of our guests and have posted those here.

We had a great time visiting with everyone although I have to admit we were exhausted when it was over. The last person didn't leave until 11:30 pm. I found Rachel and Anna asleep on the sofas in the living room.

One last thought from Santa in the Polar Express: "Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart."

Sunday

Today, I brought Rachel, Anna, and our niece, Mary, to see the Disney on Ice show in Macon. I nearly fell asleep on a couple of occasions during the show which is unlike me. When we arrived at home around 3:30, I told Jeff that I desperately needed a nap. I literally collapsed in the bed and slept for the next 1.5 hours. I could've slept the rest of the day if Jeff had not awakened me.

For added fun, this coming week I will have one last business trip to Washington D.C. I'm tired of travel and being on the road. I've been waiting for things to slow down at work for the holidays but it never happened. Now, I'm burned out and looking forward to Christmas Day. Actually, Jeff and I are both burned out...just for different reasons. I'm burned out from being on the road, the long work hours, and work stress. Jeff is burned out from being a single parent so often the past few months while I've been away for business travel. The girls are going with Harold and Gail to West Virginia after Christmas and Jeff and I will be all alone for a week. We need some time to recover from work and all of the holiday activities.

I received our Christmas cards that I ordered....now I just need to figure out when I'm going to have time to address them and get them in the mail. Christmas cards may go out late this year......