Christmas Happenings

Okay so the picture doesn't look as bad as the gingerbread house looks in person. It's really a sorry sight and not just the decorating which is to be expected, but the whole construction. The directions said to build it and then wait 15 minutes while the frosting dried before decorating. Well, that's nice, but you can't wait that long with little ones so excited to decorate. So we figured waiting wasn't really that important - wrong! Shortly after the kids had lined the roof with the gumballs the roof opened up and almost all the gumdrops fell inside a gaping hole. Then the back started falling in, the people were falling over. Oh what a mess!

Me trying to hold the thing together while it dried. This has got to be one of the sorriest looking gingerbread houses ever created!

And the construction begins!

Live Nativity

We took the kids to the live nativity a couple of weeks ago. Samuel loved the music and keeps asking us if we can go again. We would love to take him again, but the weather has been too cold! I also love listening to the beautiful music and watching the nativity scene acted out. Each year I try hard not to tear up as Mary comes riding in on the donkey. After having kids of my own and hating to just ride in the car near the end of pregnancy I can't imagine the journey and circumstances she endured - and probably without a complaint.

There's a story behind this picture. As we were driving to watch the nativity we told the kids where we were going and Samuel who has not been there since last year said, "Oh that's where they have the waterfall and the river that runs out of the canyon." Chuck turned to me and asked what is he talking about. I wasn't sure, but thought he was obviously confused about something so we spent the next few minutes trying to get him straightened out telling him there was no waterfall or river there. Then we pulled in and stoped at the stop sign and what do we see, but the waterfall. Samuel then said, "See mom and dad I was right - there's the waterfall!" Then we realized the "river" was the water that runs down the stairs and along the walkway. What a memory this guy has!