Special Forces Association Christmas Party

Yesterday we drove to Dallas for really cool party for the kids! Our FRG leader forwarded us a flyer for the Special Forces Association annual Christmas party for children of deployed soldiers. I thought what the heck...we'll go check it out. If anything, it should be fun for the kids. When we RSVPd we had to tell them the children's names, ages, and gender. I thought, oh that's sweet...they'll get them a little something. Well, we got to Dick's Last Resort in Dallas (who closed down half of it's restaurant for this) and we had a blast. They weren't their typical rude selves (that is what they are known for), but they did keep us laughing! They provided us all with lunch, then Santa came to see the kids. He sat down in a big chair at the stage and then each child was called by name to come and sit on Santa's lap and receive a gift from him. Of course my kids wouldn't sit on his lap, but oh well. Sam got a 10 pack of play-doh and a really cool Mr. Potato Head play-doh kit. Madison got a plush 'horse' rocking horse that makes galloping and neighing noises. We couldn't believe they did so much for us. It really was great. The extent that they went to for the kids was unbelievable!






Of course it wouldn't be a typical Van Horn (or shall I say, a Jennifer) outing if a few things didn't go wrong though! Let's start with the fact that I packed their Christmas dresses ever-so-neatly in the back of the car so they wouldn't get messed up on the way there (after all it was a 2 hour drive), remembering to bring their hair clips, and tights, and snacks, and fruit for lunch because I knew they probably wouldn't eat much.......but in keeping with tradition, what did I forget? Their dress shoes! That is why you see my adorable children in their beautiful Christmas dresses with tights on and bows in their hair...and pink Crocs on their feet! Then, let's see what else I did...oh, let's not forget we pulled into the parking lot on fumes because I was running 10 minutes late - or was I? I wrote the time down wrong...it started at noon, not 11am! Then my adorable youngest daughter proceeded to eat a Pop-It (those things that come in a package with sawdust and you throw them on the floor and they pop) when we first got there, thinking it was candy. Fun times!