We had such a fun weekend in Branson, on our traditional trip to Silver Dollar City for the Christmas festival. It happened to fall on my birthday weekend this year, and what a great way to spend my special day! Russ and Oliver like SDC, but they LOVE Osceola, and I'm pretty sure the trip to Branson is just an excuse to eat too much cheese along the way.
We got there around 9:30 and had the place to ourselves! As we were pulling out, there were two tour buses pulling in; talk about good timing!
We made it! It was a beautiful sunshine-y day! (We will excuse squinty eyes when it means that the December day is that perfect.)
I loved how the foliage was still so beautiful in December. Look at those crimson trees!
We made it into the park and got our traditional sleigh picture in front of the huge Christmas on Main Street.
We listened to the carolers as we waited for the gates to be opened for the rest of the park. . .
. . . and then we made a bee-line for Outlaw Run, the boys' favorite ride. We were the first people to ride for the day, and we got several rides in before I convinced the boys that we should move on to something else. The boys have waited for over an hour to ride this ride during the spring/summer months, so when there's no line at all, you can bet they want to take full advantage of the opportunity!
Next we rode the Barn Swing a few times. I just love Russ' expression on this ride as it flies so high over the park!
Then we had to find a ride for the girls, and Fire in the Hole was nearby. The last time we were here, Evelyn wanted nothing to do with the rides, but this time was a whole different story! This girl LOVED her first roller coaster!
We found a couple of photo-ops, the "Mistletoe Moment" and the adorable gingerbread people. (Oliver wasn't thrilled about being the gingerbread GIRL, but he was a good sport about it anyway.)
I admired some of the gorgeous decorations as we made our way to the Fireman's Landing area of the park. This park is definitely stunning after dark with it's 5 million + lights, but it's certainly pretty during the day as well.
This is probably my girls' favorite ride; it's a real tummy-tickler with its ups and downs. I love how Oliver is trying so hard NOT to smile.
Finally a smile broke through!
The highlight of Oliver's whole day was when he was told that he was too tall to ride one of the kiddie rides with Evelyn. He got a huge grin on his face and said, "Let's go to Wildfire!" This boy has been waiting FOREVER to hit that 52" mark, meaning he can ride everything in the park, including the best rollercoaster, Wildfire. It didn't disappoint!
We had to hit the Jingle Bell Junction so each child could choose their 2016 ornament. This place is so fun!
We found some winners! (Calvin and Violet found theirs, too, but I missed getting their picture somehow.)
What a sweet gingerbread house!
Next up on our agenda was seeing some spectacular shows. We've always seen Frosty, but this year they introduced a new show called "Tinker Jr's Toy Shop" and my kids loved it!
See all those kids on stage? You'll find 3 of my 4 kids up there, but the 4th one still wants nothing to do with mascots of any kind, including 10 foot tall talking trees. The others had a great time being part of the show, and Evie had a great time on her Daddy's lap.
Next was my favorite show, the Living Nativity. This show -- and story-- truly never gets old. It's the greatest story ever told, and the best part is that it's true! What a amazing truth that God actually took on human form and was born as a helpless baby to save us all. This show is such a great reminder of this fact.
Next we found our way to train depot. There's the Sing-Along Christmas train!
We got perfect seats on the train, and as always, the lights all around the park were breathtaking. The train itself was covered in lights and we rode through a fun lighted tunnel.
The best part of the train ride is when we stop to listen to Grandpa tell the Christmas story, straight out of the book of Luke.
We took in some more of the beautiful lights as we walked around the park (did I mention there are 5 million?!?).
It's unbelievable how they wrap the trees so completely in lights that you can hardly see any bark showing through!
The centerpiece of it all is the HUGE Christmas on Main Street whose lights dance to the music. It's truly a glorious show and I could watch it all day long!
The beautiful light parade was next. Even the people were lit up!
The final float was a beautiful stained glass of the Christ-child in the manger.
My birthday cake for the day was a delicious funnel cake! Violet was a big fan of the funnel cake, and we probably should have gotten two.
We finished up our evening listening to some amazing piano playing and appreciating all of the beauty surrounding us.
Calvin found a Santa on our way out of the park, and I love how even the parking lots are so beautifully lit.
Russ did a great job finding us a HUGE hotel room for the night. Plenty of room for our crazy crew in this place!
I had such a wonderful birthday with my family, and I feel so blessed to be born during the most wonderful time of the year! Nothing can put me in the Christmas spirit like Silver Dollar City!
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