It’s been a great holiday season. Meghan and Aaron’s wedding fit perfectly between Christmas and New Years. They had a wonderful ceremony at Cottage Grove E.C. Church in Akron. After their vows, they braved chilly temperatures for a romantic horse-and-carriage ride. The newlyweds met up with guests at the renowned Glenmoor Country Club for a beautiful reception. The night was highlighted by great toasts, tasty cuisine and a lot of dancing. Aaron pulled off a great rendition of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire. There have been a lot of great singers this year.

For me, searching for a new cell phone is kind of like the dating process (from what I remember). So, here is a review of my new girlfriend – I mean iPhone.

When I heard about the iPhone release, I was skeptical. How hot could it be? Well, at first glance, rumors turned into reality. It was sexy and sleek. Okay, good looking on the outside, but what about the inside? Did it have the brains to match? I had my doubts. After all, my LG 8300 and Verizon had been good to me.

Then I started seeing the iPhone out on the town. The phone and its significant others seemed to be in great relationships. Everyone was happy. Yeah, whatever! I gave these emotionally charged relationships two or three months before they ended in costly breakups over dropped calls and communication issues. But, I was wrong. The romances were lasting, even growing. My skepticism turned into curiosity – then lust.

At a holiday party, Scott Jones of Jerry Bruno Productions introduced me to his iPhone. His spirited demonstration on how relationships with iPhones really do work was compelling. It was time to make a change. I had a long talk with my LG VX8100 that night and called Verizon the next day to talk about our prenupt ... errrr, contract terms.

The day after Christmas, I snuck to the Apple Store (the singles bar for iPhone-less people). The place was crazy. There was no time for chit-chat or debate. It was a buy-now or get-out-of-the-way situation. I left with my new iPhone.

My first evening with the iPhone went very well. I connected it to my PC and with a few clicks through iTunes we were officially dating. My number was ported from Verizon to AT&T (the iPhone’s parents), and I was making calls within 20 minutes. It took a little longer for text messages to start going through, but I completely understood. After all, it was our first night together.

Our relationship is new but strong. The iPhone does a lot more than my previous phone and does it well. Apple’s iPhone video tour sums it up. (Warning: clicking on the link might tempt you to cheat on your cell phone).

Data and web browsing performance are dependent on signal strength. I’ve been happy overall with coverage despite the fact that the iPhone uses 2G wireless technology. There are reports that Apple will be releasing an upgraded 3G-capable iPhone in mid-2008. This would strengthen an excellent, feature-filled phone.

Time will tell if my iLust will evolve into iLove. So far, it’s looking good. Gotta go, I’m getting a call from Verizon about the breakup.

On Tuesday evening, we bundled up the kids and headed to the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for a much-anticipated trip on the Polar Express. This is something that I have wanted to do for quite some time. With the kids a little older, it’s the perfect year.

Ethan and Eleanor in their pajamas and ready for the trip.

All aboard! The snow and darkness added to the magical atmosphere.

The kids kept each other warm during the train ride.

Hot, hot, hot, hot chocolate! We heard that song a few times.

The chocolate chip cookies were delicious, too.

The elves read the Polar Express and displayed scenes from the story.

The kids cleaned the windows as we approached the North Pole.

The kids and their friends watch a flurry of activity outside the train.

Santa makes a big impression on Ethan and Eleanor.

Magic sleigh bells round out a great night.