Polar Express - Irmo Style

For about a year now, our Relief Society President, my sweet friend Kelly, has wanted to do something different for our ward Christmas Party. She got some push back from people who wanted something more traditional, but she kept up her enthusiasm and actually made it happen. And I have to say - it was the best ward Christmas party ever! We had an enormous turn out and everyone was crazy about the party. It was a huge success!

I was in charge of the paper stuff. I got lucky and found a website that had templates so I didn't have to recreate anything. Normally, I prefer making my own, but these were perfect so I was grateful to snag them. These were the invitations.

When guests arrived, they were greeted by Bishop Johnson and his wife. 

The Johnsons gave each child a ticket to ride the Polar Express.

We then followed the train tracks into the cultural hall. (Aren't the Edwards the cutest couple?? I love these people!)

The Polar Express was at the back of the room (notice the real light) and tables were set for breakfast. I didn't get a very good picture of the snowflakes, but they were three dimensional and were made by the youth in the ward.

The Young Men's president made the engine.

The activity day girls and the scouts helped make the table top Christmas trees with folded up magazines. They looked amazing.

We had a hot chocolate bar where you could put all kinds of goodies in your hot chocolate. We had fancy cups with cardboard holders. 

Our good friends the Baltzeggars joined us. We love doing things with them.

Baylie and Isabella have been in the same class at school almost every year.

Jalen was excited to ride the train. (Although he wanted it to actually move.)

Another picture of some of my favorite people.

After a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy cooked by the priesthood brethren and served by the young women, Sister McKee invited us to listen to a story.

The train conductor invited the children to board the Polar Express. They had to have their tickets! 

The elves greeted children as they boarded.

The elves gave each child a bell with this tag on it.

The children boarded the train and headed for the North Pole. You can't really see the windows, but they were pictures drawn by children of what they thought they would see if they looked out the window of the Polar Express.

Jalen and Jackson all aboard.

Isabella and Baylie.

As the children rode the train, they ran into lots of fascinating characters. First we had ballerinas - Clara dancing with her nutcracker. (It helps when the RS counselor owns one of the best dance companies in the country. She had all the costumes and we had additional dancing girls that I didn't get a picture of.)

Then we had two dancing bears (the aforesaid incredible Kelly and her husband Franck).

Then we had a visit from Frosty the Snowman!

Next followed Elsa, Olaf and Anna.

And last of all, Santa made an appearance!

He went on board the train and told the children that the real purpose of Christmas was to remember Jesus. He asked the children to sing Away in a Manger with him.

Afterwards, the kids got to sit on Santa's lap.

Santa gave each child an ornament. If you shake it around, there are fun things hidden inside.

It was such a perfect party and so different from the dinners we usually have. The children were fully engaged and appreciated the message in a way that doesn't usually happen. This party will be pretty hard to top.

Inside Out

Here's the story of my knees in pictures.

As a reminder, here are my before-surgery MRIs.

And here are the pictures they took of the inside of my knee. (I think I labeled everything correctly.)

Here is my knee with the stitches.

And stitches out!

Physical therapy was hard today! At least I get to go to this beautiful facility.

I'll try and take pictures tomorrow of the actual things I do in therapy. They look so easy, but are sooo hard! I came home today and slept for a couple hours straight!

12/7 - Therapy Update

The hospital where I had surgery and where I have therapy is only a couple of years old. The therapy area is even newer and is state of the art. It's a fantastic facility.

I start my therapy with this machine. I push down for 10 minutes. I can't do much. At first after 10 minutes it would say I hadn't taken any steps, but today it said I had taken 19 steps! Woo hoo. So embarrassing to be able to do so little.

This was a new exercise today. I had to step forward and back, first with one foot in front and then with the other in front. Then I had to go side to side. It was so hard and it hurt!

Then I had to step up onto a two inch block of wood. I think it was mostly hard because mentally I was afraid to take the step.

I didn't have to do this one today, but last time I had to lift my foot from one side to the other of it and then face it and lift my foot forward and back. It looks so easy, but was so hard to do. Crazy! 

Then I lay on my back with my knees on this roller and have to lift my heel off the ground. It's not too hard, but I can't lift it far.

But then they change it to a smaller roller and it is really hard for me to lift my heel off that one.

The easiest one I didn't take a picture of. It's where I just sit on the edge of the table and let my leg hang and then lift it up. That one isn't so hard to do.

The hardest one is where I lay on my back and push my knee down towards the table. Then a towel is placed under my foot and I have to do it again. Getting my leg straight hurts.

But by far my least favorite part is when the physical therapist measures my knee to see how far it will bend. THIS HURTS!!! I've been at 90 degrees, but today I got to 95. That's pretty good for only a week and a half since surgery.

I'm looking forward to the day when all of this is behind me and I can just walk and swim like before.