Sizzix Triple Play Blog Hop - Week 7 - Hugs N Kisses Even if You're a Train Robber...

I know by now, ya'll expect a story...but I bet you're wondering.."What's up with the whole train robber thing?"....well...that's where the story begins.....

This is a picture of my Grandpa Campbell - probably sometime around the late 1960's early 70's standing next to the Frisco Silver Dollar Line steam engine at Silver Dollar City.  We vacationed in Branson, MO every year and the highlight of the trip for me as a little girl was to go to Silver Dollar City and ride the train and get robbed....

When I was 13 we moved to Branson. Silver Dollar City became a weekly hang out for me an all my friends....and yes...we would ride the train ....and get robbed....and ...somehow..as corny as the whole robbers skit was..and still is....I loved it....and I always wanted to be a train robber at Silver Dollar City....cuz it looked like fun......and silly ....and you could just laugh......and the tourists loved it....(just imagine the look on a  prospective employer's face when you have train robber on your list of occupations....)

My friend Charlotte and I loved it so much, we would dress up as hillbillies and pretend...and do the skit in the back yard.... HOLLAR UGLY!...the skit would start out....."Well...I may be UGLY...but ya'll paid to see me...this is a stick up! " What dorks we were back then....\

Well...my dream never came true (unless someone working at SDC right now reads this...and offers it to me....hey - I'd be up for it for a day or two....)

It's seems the apple didnt fall far from the tree.......fast forward about 20 years....I now have two kids...I'm working at Silver Dollar City selling polymer clay miniatures....and my kids Alex and Mariah LOVE LOVE LOVE the train...they're riding it nearly every day. 

Before our drive to work....it's mandatory that we have to stop at the convience store to buy candy for the train robbers.....but not just any candy....Hershy's Chocolate Kisses.....because.....Mariah thinks that one of the train robbers is cute and when he comes up to the window to rob her....she wants to give him a "kiss" instead.......

And wouldn't ya know....those little chocolate kisses melted the robber's hearts...and they became friends.  It wasn't strange that they would call me and invite Alex and Mariah  to the Robber's shack for lunch or to sit in the shack and watch them rob the trains.......Musta been a great life for a kid huh???



So the kids are grown.....but even still ...it's mandatory when we visit Silver Dollar City, we ride the train and give'm kisses....

Because everyone ya know...needs a hug and a kiss once in a while.....even if you're a train robber......


Thanks to Eileen Hull the designer of the Treat Bag Topper Sizzix bigz die for designing such  fun fun fun die shapes to work with.  As you can tell by the story...it had great memories for me...made me smile...made me appreciate how quick my kids grew up.....and without the opportunity to work with this die this week...I might not have the smile on my face now  after remembering these fun family times...

I added a little tulle....cuz It reminds me how girly girl Mariah was when she was little...she liked rufles....The XO reminds me of the Hershey's Hugs and Kisses we bought the robbers....The stringy fringe...because everything we do has strings attached...good and bad.....and the treat bag to wrap it all up in a nice little happy package...

Thanks too to my Kids, Alex and Mariah for making such great memories for a Mom to remember...(Im sure Alex wants to just die right about now......)