Saturday, December 15, 2007

Lights, Camera, Traxtion


I know all you Utah or former Utah people were praying, just PRAYING that some blogger would go to Temple Square at Christmas time and document the trip for you. Because THAT Christmas post has never ever been done before. Right? (Don't answer that.) Well, I'm here for you. This is your lucky day folks, your lucky day...



Last night we ventured out. We drove to Sandy, hopped on the Trax train and hopped off downtown. We wandered around for a bit, the kids staring in awe at the tall buildings. They’d never been downtown before, and were almost frightened. I think we might be raising a bunch of little hicks.

We had dinner at a little diner, where the kids took off their coats, scarves, mittens and hats and went to the bathroom approximately four hundred and fifteen times before dinner was over.

We made our way over to Temple Square, the kids ooohing and aaaahing over the horse drawn carriages and snowflake lights on the buildings. One thing I love about having cute little kids all dressed up in their winter duds and walking hand in hand down the sidewalk? Everyone smiles at you. Everyone is kind. Even on the train, at rush hour, when people were tired and on their way home from work, people smiled at us, and when my daughter started singing Christmas carols they were all sweet to her.

My son didn’t quite understand the whole concept of Temple Square – “When we at Temple Square mom?” “We’re here. It’s here.” “Where?” “Here – these lights and buildings.” “Over there?”

We stopped for hot cocoa at the Hotel Utah. Abby drank too much too fast and got sick. We sat in the bathroom for a bit while she contemplated barfing, but eventually she felt better and we headed for home. At the train stop we met a friendly drunk who insisted on singing jingle bells to our children complete with some very odd hand gestures and jumping around. My kids had no idea he was drunk as a skunk, they just thought he was a very funny Christmas caroler, and this morning they were saying, “Remember that man who sang to us? He was SO nice!”

We got onto the train and started the ride home. The kids were tired, but they held it together. But then a train up ahead on the tracks broke down, so we had to get off the train, and onto a bus.

And then back onto another train.


By this time, the kids were exhausted. “We don’t want anymore trains, Mom, just take us home.”

And so we did.

The end.

P.S. Today I start my Christmas shopping. Pray for me.

23 comments:

  1. Awesome! Sounds like a really fun time.

    Good luck on the shopping! I have faith in you. :-)

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  2. That was AWESOME! I was ROFL when you talked about the drunk bum and how your children thought we was SO nice, LOL!

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  3. It looks like a magical and exhausting time was had by all.

    Oh, and that shopping thing? Glad I'm not you!

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  4. What great pictures! You're so brave, we were going to go there last night, but it was just SO cold. (O.K., I'm a whimp)
    I thought I was the only one who hadn't started shopping yet. Today we are going to go do some "POWER SHOPPING" in between the two Christmas parties and the ballet recital our daughter is in.
    Good luck to you.
    Jill

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  5. Anonymous12:28 PM

    if there were a patron saint of Christmas shopping, I would go to the shrine right now. Too many family birthdays toppled onto Christmas as well.

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  6. Ouch. You're starting your shopping today? You have my prayers.

    Just before your comment about people smiling at your kids, I was admiring the picture of your children all in their winter duds and briefly thought about printing off the pic and trying to pass off your kids as my cute nieces or nephews so people would smile at me in association with them, but then realized that plan would never work , finished admiring your girls' scarves, and continued reading on. Everyone loves a happy kid at Christmas =)

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  7. Wow, sounds like quite a journey! But a wonderful day nonetheless.

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  8. It's funny how a good idea always turns into a lot of work with kids. And it's usually more fun in retrospect. At least, that's what happens to us.

    Once, years ago, on the way back from visiting a friend in Maryland, we stopped off at the Christmas display at the Washington, DC, area temple. I think we only had 2 little kids then. We wandered around and looked at the lights and went in and saw that movie they show (you know, the one with Jimmy Stewart in it - was he Mormon?) and bumped into a few Evangelical fundamentalists outside in the parking lot who were leaving pamphlets on all the cars explaining why the LDS'ers were going to burn in hell. Way to go on that Christmas spirit, right?

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  9. I love the lights at Temple Square. I think the picture of the lights blurred is so cool.
    I just got back from doing some shopping without the kids in tow. It was nice to do it by myself but I am exhausted from fighting crowds and lines. I hope you were able to get your shopping done and were successful.

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  10. "Remember that man who sang to us? He was SO nice!"

    That sounds exactly like something my kids would say. Bless their little hearts, it doesn't occur to them that someone would be up to something less than wholesome.

    I'm not sure this is a good thing or a bad thing....

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  11. god bless you for not making me feel lonely in my not-being-done-christmas-shopping.

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  12. Anonymous7:16 PM

    Oh my goodness girl. I hope you're doing the three presents thing? And giving everyone else gift cards...or a hug.

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  13. Anonymous8:18 PM

    Great post! I'm not a current or former Utah person (but hopefully, I'm a future Utah person!) so I love hearing about it and seeing real pictures of T.S. at Christmastime!

    Suburbancorrespondent: The movie you're thinking of is Mr. Kreugar's (sp?) Christmas but no, Jimmy Stewart wasn't a Mormon, at least as far as what I have read. :)

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  14. Awww! The innocence of children. Funny man on the train. I just wish they could keep that their whole lives. Good luck with the shopping.

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  15. Anonymous11:38 PM

    Like ships passing in the night...

    I totally looked for information on the broken down train on the local stations, but I couldn't find ANYTHING. The driver on the train said the other train had been derailed, and that was why they were doing the bus hop thingy.

    Good think 7720 is my stop.

    My brother tried to convince us that the Temple Square people only put lights in the big trees every-other-year because it is bad for the trees. Whatever....

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  16. I started yesterday, it can be done.

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  17. I am a Christmas Shopping ROCK STAR. Because I am now FINISHED. In one day. Bow before me.

    Awww, Janell, you are welcome to cyber-adopt them, tee hee

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  18. How Sweet.

    Sometimes I think that's what the harmless variety of crazy drunks are for... entertainment of small children. *chuckle*

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  19. Beautiful pictures. Super cute kids.

    Heidi

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  20. Like Maddison, I've never been to SLC or Temple Square, so I appreciated your behind the scenes investigative reportage! I'm glad the kiddos brought a smile to people's faces — actual Christmas spirit on display! Cool!

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  21. How magical. I'm sure the kidlets will tell their spouses and children one day.

    As for the shopping, I'll send you good karma.

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  22. Oh, Sue I bow and pay homage! I haven't started other than the 'it' gift. Please tell me you haven't started wrapping as my knees are hurting from bowing and I don't want to over due it. :)

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  23. Thank you, I will just show the kids the pictures and pretend we went there.

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