2024

Looking at this year's train I'm sure it's a dead give away where we went this year!
A family always has a bit of a bucket list of where they would like to travel and what they would like to see. More so the parents as they are always flipping the bill for the adventure and the kids come along whether they have interest or not.
Mona and I have always wanted to go to San Fransisco as a couple but we thought "let's take the whole family!" We managed to squeeze in every touristy thing there is to do in San Fran and riding the classic cable cars was one of them. When thinking up this year's train car idea the design wrote itself, I'll recreate one of the cable cars we rode!
You'll notice on the top side of the car the sign that reads "Service & 25th Sts". Normally these signs read the major routes the cable car is travelling in San Fran but i substituted the names to remind us that this year Mona was given the Service award for 25 years working in Government. It was a big deal! Mona and I were invited to Victoria to have this huge classy dinner at Govenment house with the big wigs of BC government. I am super proud of her!
There is a sign on the side of the train car that reads "T.I.C. presents The Addams Family". Oliver, once again, has landed a role in Langley's Theatre in the Country's version of The Addams Family. He plays Lucas the neighbour!
As you will notice Mrs.Claus is sitting on the bench and Santa hanging on the outside but you'll have to look closely at Santa's tourist t-shirt which reads ALCATRAZ. This once again gives a nod to our trip but in this case going to Alcatraz was cooler than it had been before. I had been two times as a kid with my parents but this time I was "Alcatraz nerding out" with one of the Rangers and she took just the four of us on a private tour to show us things the general public doesn't get to see like the top of the jailcell blocks and shows us the actual hole cut in the ceiling where the three inmates escaped way back in the day. I thought it was very cool!
On the back step leading onto the cable car you'll see a little hamster. That little hamster is Oliver's new pet Louie.
On the rear on the train you'll see an small skinny sign that reads "DANLEFEBVRECREATIONS.COM" this is to signify this is the year I final got my act together and created my own website.
Around back side of the cable car you will see a belt tied around one of the window frames. This is to show that Charlie is flying up the belt charts in Karate and has now achieved his blue belt! He's doing so great at it!
Also around the back side is a sign that reads "Powered by the Ollie Bay Regional Area Cable Engagement System" or Ollie B.R.A.C.E.S. for short. Yes that's right Oliver got his braces this year and hopefully that puts a bit of a slow down for all the sticky candy he consumes a day. I'm sure he won't let that slow him down!
You'll notice the two rear entrances and exits to the cable car there are security gates. Well those gates are made to resemble fence pickets which after such a long time we managed to get our 30+ year fence replaced. Most of it had been laying on the ground for the past two years.
Inside the cable car, sitting on the bench, is a badminton racket and Volleyball. Oliver joined both these teams at school this year which made us very happy as he hasn't typically liked to gravitate towards playing sports or excercise or move for that matter! Just joking!!
And lastly, which made it onto the train in only the last few days is the friendship bracelet that reads "Merry Swiftmas". Yes, Taylor Swift came to Vancouver and knocked everyone over like a tidal wave. Our house was buzzing with Taylor Swift even before her tickets went on sale the year prior. Unfortunately we were not able to get tickets. At the last moment at 5:00 pm (show starts at 7:00pm) on the second to last show of her monsterous tour we couldn't stand to see the disappointment in our sons's eyes, after trying so hard to win tickets or entering every tickmaster ticket queue to be shut out time after time, we pulled the trigger and bought second hand tickets at an unreasonable price. But you only live once and it will be something Oliver will remember for the rest of his life. We even had some relatives and good friends trying to win or purchase tickets on our behalf just so Oliver could go. They too were unsuccessful but we appreciated thier efforts!  I'll never forget his face when Mona and I told him. It was all worth it! Oliver made a mountain of friendship bracelets to trade with all her other obsessed fans. He even made our dog Maisie two!
That's 2024 and thanks for following along everyone! I'm excited about next years train car as I already know what I'm going to do.