Christmas Train 2009

Last night we engaged in one of our treasured family traditions: we spent the evening out at Dry Gulch, U.S.A. at The Christmas Train! The Christmas Train is quite an experience... Dry Gulch is a little faux western town (cowboy stuff) and at Christmas they outline all of the buildings with lights (beautiful!) and have Santa and the whole nine yards. They also have a real steam train that looks like one from an old west town, and you can ride it and hear the story of the birth of Jesus. It's SO much fun, and we've done it every year with Mikey (except for a few years when the Christmas Train inexplicably was not open).

It's a long drive to Dry Gulch... it's Northeast of Pryor, about an hour or an hour and a half from Tulsa. It's generally a good 5 degrees or more colder than it is in Tulsa, too; when we got there the thermometer in our car said 25 degrees (when we left afterward, it said 22!) And it seems like when our night comes every year, it's always REALLY cold, and usually windy enough that the wind-chill takes "freezing your spurs off" to a whole new level. But last night we were well-bundled and well-layered, and there was uncharacteristically little breeze this time, so we were pretty comfortable for most of the evening... maybe a few slightly chilled fingers and toes, but other than that, no complaints.

We got some chili/beef stew/corn dogs and had some dinner (my friend Joy was working the register... hi Joy!) then we went out to enjoy Dry Gulch. Hannah got to see a campfire for what I believe is the first time, she got to ride a pony, and she and Mikey got to hang out with the Jolly Red Guy himself, and we all rode the train, which Hannah LOVED! My favorite conversation of the evening with Hannah: "What are you looking at, Hannah?" "Dat!" "What, the train?" "The CHOO-choo train!" (Not that other inferior kind of train that they have elsewhere, I guess!)

The train ride goes right through the woods, but as you ride there is a soundtrack telling the story of God creating the world, the fall of Man, the coming of Jesus in the Christmas story, and then continuing on to Jesus' death and resurrection. There are beautiful paintings along the side of the train tracks that go along with each part of the story. When Hannah saw the picture of the angels at Jesus' birth, she said "I like dat!!" She also really liked the huge train-drives-through diorama of creation (which is just some big balls of something under blacklights, but it is kind of pretty) and as always, Hannah LOVED the part with the baby Jesus! At several points along the ride (the Nativity, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection) the scenes are live, with actors and everything (there were live sheep with the shepherds coming to see Jesus!) It's a great opportunity to let kids experience the Gospel in a different way, in a very fun setting.

This year we did something we don't remember ever doing before... we stayed until they came on the speaker and announced that they were closing things for the evening! On the way home, Mikey chattered about what he had learned and some things God had been speaking to his heart, and then Cathy talked about what she was thinking, and then when she was done, Hannah babbled some baby-talk for a while! I think everybody had a GREAT time. I woke up this morning content and peaceful, but a little sore... you try doing 30-40 reps with a 30-pound 2-year-old over a three-hour period and see how YOU feel in the morning. :)

The thumbnails to the left are to some of the pictures we took; you can find the whole batch on this flickr page!