Petit Jean State Park - Arkansas

Christkindlmarket Chicago

This past weekend, we happened across Christkindlmarket. It's the largest traditional German holiday market outside of Germany. They had German food, drinks, ornaments and steins.

Santa Proof

The "mystery" of Santa has been a big topic at our house.

The girls have been researching and asking lots of questions about PROOF that Santa is real.


I actually think that I HEARD Santa putting gifts out when I was five. But I was too scared to take a look - for fear that I'd be seen and he would not "deliver".


GA told me that she had a friend that stayed up to wait for Santa one Christmas Eve. He closed his eyes for just TWO minutes - and when he opened them - there were PRESENTS under the tree.


She had another friend that actually SAW a reindeer outside her window...

AND there was reindeer poop in her yard!

Gingerbread Lane

We ended up with an extra gingerbread house because of a Brownie project. The girls did their houses completely without my direction. That being said, I think I'm going to have to get into the action next year and do my own. - It's too tempting. We used the stuff that came in the kit. Next year I want to add my own selection of candy to the mix.

Decorated

Puzzled

We did this Chicago puzzle over the Thanksgiving break.

(1,000 pieces)

We'll tackle San Francisco over Christmas!

Tall & Skinny (tree)

At the risk of sounding like Scrooge, I'll openly admit that my husband and I did not put up a Christmas tree for probably the first seven years of our marriage. We always went home to be with our families for the holidays - it wasn't worth the trouble. I did, however, usually decorate a little outside.


Once our eldest was old enough to enjoy the tree (two) - we finally put one up. Despite being treeless all those years, I'd acquired quite a nice collection of ornaments. The first year we decorated, I tried to let the girls participate but there were too many ornament casualties. So it was then, that I'd dug out a bag of Mardi Gras beads that I'd had packed away from our years of living in Louisiana. I also invested in some cheap plastic ornaments. And thus, our tradition started... For now, I hang the lights and let the girls do the rest - unassisted without my direction.


The players... "unbreakable" /cheap ornaments

Mardi Gras beads

Up close...

Our tall and skinny tree.