Last weekend was the annual trip to Bethlehem for the Christkindl Market on Friday and an abridged Gingerbread party. Thursday after work I picked Baylor up from school and we headed to Grandma and Buddy's to spend the night. They are closer to Bethlehem than we are so it made sense to go there for the night rather than wake up really early. The drive was fine, though it rained most of the day. Thankfully it was not freezing cold! We made our usual stops this year. I bought 6 glass candy canes which Baylor picked out the colors. I bought him a glass penquin ornament and a German ornament for the same line that I have been getting him every year we have gone. He has a nice collection of ornaments now, at least in my opinion. I bought a smoker house for a gift, some kettle corn because you cannot get that every day. We ate lunch before we took him to get a photo with Father Christmas.
Father Christmas has been coming here for 23 years and I am thankful we were able to see him again this year. He is so good with the children and him and Baylor had quite a nice, long talk. My only problem with the photo is how old he looks! Like he is 10 or something! He looks super handsome and the other photo I had printed has him and Father Christmas talking to each other.
I made him pose for photos while we were waiting for everyone to make a rest stop before leaving. He is such a goobernut when posing now but I will take what I can get.
The whole house construction thing has taken the holiday wind out of my sails this year. Thanksgiving weekend we brought down the tree and set it up. I got all the lights on it and we started on the bead garland. Baylor whacked his on and declared the whole tree beautiful as it was and he wanted no more decorations on the tree. I started to protest as I love my tree laden with ornaments and the more I thought about it, the more I was OK with it. He was happy, at least the tree was up and Santa would have some place to put the gifts. He as put some plastic and real candy canes on the tree now and I took over his small tree from last year and put a few penquin non breakable ornaments on it for some color! He likes to try to get me to give him my ornaments for his tree but I remind him that he was happy with the lights and beads. I am frankly surprised he has not just helped himself to my ornaments but he has been leaving them on my tree.
Last year the Gingerbread party was a huge affair and while I enjoyed it, enjoyed seeing all the beautiful houses and trees and giant gingerbread men, the large party had really run its course for me. I asked Heather if she would host a small party this year and she could invite some of her friends and I would invite just a few of the closest of mine. She was happy to and it worked out well at her place.
I invited Tara, Julie and Lucas but they were not able to make it due to a birthday party that same day. Julie, Amy and Cullen were able to make it and Cullen spent the whole day playing and the girls decorated their house together. Baylor made a two minute effort on one house and then played the rest of the day too.
One of Connor's school friends, Quaid, came and the boys did a house together and I sat with them and helped them out. The colaborated well but jumped from one idea before finishing or starting the last. Too bad I was always a step behind planning their last idea while they were moving one.
Of course we did the usual picture with the completed house in front of the tree.
Heather's sister Jen, brother in law Larry and niece Lexie and nephew Josh also came over. Lexi and Jen made one house and I had invited Josh to do one as well. He is a freshman and was too cool/shy for a long time but eventually they wore him down to help his sister with one. She called the shots and followed her lead.
Heather was asking me all afternoon to start my house and I was just not into it. But finally I made one with sugared nuts for stone work and candy rocks for the foundation and chimny. I used chex for the roof and made lots of icicles. All the houses turned out wonderful and I really had a good time! I think everyone did.
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