Inspired by our trip to the George Eastman house last week for the gingerbread house display we set out to make our own creations with our friends the Maxfields.  Mrs. Maxfield worked hard to create 7 individual salt dough houses that promptly warped.  She then made 7 individual houses out of cardboard.  She has a lot of time on her hands, I guess. 

With a tableful of candy and seven tubes of frosting we set out to destroy the family room decorate houses fit for royalty.  Then the boys decided their houses were just fine and set out to play football.  The girls were serious about using up their tubes of frosting and as many pieces of candy as possible.  It really was a lot of fun.  And it cleaned up rather quickly.   {I know some of you will have chest pains just looking at the mess!}

And Tabitha walked by her house over and over again in the evening… swiping tastes of her house, despite the fact that some of the candy was years old!  ♥

I worked day shift on Thanksgiving.  It started out W*I*L*D but THANKfully God heard my prayer and it got much better.  I enjoyed my time with my co-workers, actually.  One of the women that was there is due to have twins in two weeks.  It was exciting to see her as we both work per diem and rarely cross paths.

I came home to a full house.  Not only our resident disciples, but my mom, & my sister were here, as well as my Aunt Betty, and my cousin David from Ontario, Canada.  They came to help us celebrate our THANKfulness.  The kids were beside themselves for days waiting for their arrival.  They were full of THANKS to see them for the first time since July.

The kids are always THANKful when Uncle Dave gets out of his wheelchair and lets them wheel it around.  They were also THANKful to receive Christmas gifts.

David went back to my mom’s house for the night.  Aunt Betty slept over.  She bunked with the girls.  They were very THANKful for the sleepover.  She watched Miracle on 34th Street with us last night.

The fun started again this morning.  None of us are serious Black Friday shoppers.  But we did go out to Walmart and Kmart today.  Only a few of the kids were interested.  We got to visit and play together all day.  They were far more happy to have a second THANKSgiving dinner with our guests [minus my sister this time] and to play games and entertain our guests after dinner.]

We headed for a first time trip to the George Eastman house to see the Gingerbread house displays.
We went with some of our buddies and met some of their friends there, as well.
The kids divided into two teams – boys vs. girls – and embarked on the scavenger hunt.
Competitiveness was high; careful reading of clues was low.    Fun was had by all.

People sign up to make the houses which are then auctioned off to gain donations for the museum. 
It was pretty cool.  The house/museum itself was rather impressive. 

George Eastman’s life was quite sad, though.   When we went through his massive library early in the trip I asked the kids if they could see a Bible anywhere.  We couldn’t find one.  Later when we learned he killed himself in order to die according to his own control we were dismayed.  How sad to have so much intelligence and creativity, but not to have hope.

In these disciples’ home!

When they were little, I would assemble the tree while they napped. 
Then they were a little older and they would sit on the couch and have to sit and watch me.
Now they help me carry the stuff upstairs and have the tree put together before I can say, “Evergreen.”

It takes more than a few totes of decorations.
Look.At.The.Mess!

We used to decorate two trees.  I had enough ornaments for three.  We got rid of about a third this summer, but we still have way more than you count.   We only put up one tree this year and last year due to space issues.  And only after the ornaments were on did I realize I forgot the bell-garland I love so much.  And the gold ribbon.  But, whatever.  There is always next year.

I love some of my ornaments.  Like some.  Tolerate some. 

My favorite ornaments are stars.  They have always been my favorite shape.  I think it comes from when I was a kid and played the star of Bethlehem in a church play!  Once upon a time the overwhelming majority of my ornaments were stars.  You can still find them, but they are quickly being outnumbered.

My second favorite ornaments are the ones the kids have made.  There are tons of these.

My next favorite ornaments are the 3 dozen or so snowflakes my cousin crocheted me and the cheap-o snowflakes I bought at the dollar store.  If we could stop right there I’d be 100% glad.

But then come the Christ-centered ornaments.  I do like them a lot.  I just have a LOT.  And we make sure every last one of them are on the tree.  Did you catch that?  WE make sure.  There must be 40.

Then there are the VeggieTales ornaments and the rare cartoony ones that I have selected for their personal connections to my world.  I have always loved the Aristocats movie.  And since my daughter’s name is Marie we have a few special ones there.  Or ones we have purchased on vacations.  We have about 10 Veggie ornaments. 

Then there are the sillier ornaments.  I don’t dislike them.  I just don’t love them.  Most of them are my fault.  Each year I have picked up one per child after Christmas and would link it to something that reminded me of them that past year.  They are often silly.  The Grinch for the boys from the year we first introduced that movie.  Silly kitty ornaments for Marie.  A reindeer playing dress-up for Tabitha because she lives in dress-up clothes.  There has to be 40 of these.  At least. 

Then we have beads.  Lots and lots of beads.  [I do like those a lot, but I can hardly give them credit as ornaments.]

We didn’t stop there.  John did the outside lights while we did the indoor lights.  I think he had the more peaceful end of it, albeit the colder one.

And Stew set up the nativity.

Another day I will share some photos of the baby’s reaction and how much Tabitha enjoyed playing with her “buddies” from the last few years.

And too much fun to take pictures.
Grown-ups, kids, babies… I love it.  I love the laughter and fellowship.  I love it when friendship fills our house.  I wish our life lent itself to doing it more often.  But maybe because it is rare it is so precious.  The kids played OUTSIDE until 10PM.  Yes.  That is correct.  I love it.  Tonight I am thanking the LORD for church friends, freedom to fellowship, and food to share.
♥

At 2PM John’s mom and dad came over to watch the kids while I headed to Henrietta to meet John at a lawyer’s office to sign for the refinance that has been in the works for the last few months.   I was almost to my destination when I heard my cell phone ring.  My cell phone?  I had it with me? It was on? Wow.  It even had enough battery power to let me have a short conversation!  It was John saying his *new* van wouldn’t start.  He had had the security people at work try to jump it, but it wouldn’t start.  So, it took me 11 minutes to get TURNED around and heading in the direction of John’s work. 
I got him.
We signed our papers.
I drove him back to work while he called AAA.
And we waited for the tow truck.
Go figure.  Not only did I have my cell phone with me, I had our camera.
So… I’m blogging about it.  And trying to stay real.   This is not a big thing in the grand scheme of things.  But it is “one more thing” in a long stream of minor trials. 

God is bigger than all of this. He is my Hero.

For the last week this song has been on my mind.  It is Matthew West. 

You must, You must think I’m strong
To give me what I’m going through
Well, forgive me, forgive me if I’m wrong
But this looks like more than I can do on my own

I know I’m not strong enough to be
Everything that I’m supposed to be
I give up, I’m not strong enough
Hands of mercy, won’t You cover me?
Lord, right now I’m asking You to be
Strong enough, strong enough
For the both of us, yeah

‘Cause I’m broken, down to nothing
But I’m still holding on to the one thing
You are God and You are strong
When I am weak

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength

Matthew 6:
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

We’ve never been a family that encourages Christmas lists.  We don’t do Santa and we’ve always emphasized that if someone wants to give you a gift it is up to them what to bless you with.  Still… these disciples are human… and Marie could not resist filling up this page of her Mickey Mouse colering coloring book.

She rocks my world, don’t you know?

FYI – closes = clothes
music set = pretend CD player like Tabitha has
tickets for a show = seeing a play or musical

But the last one is the best… For Marie to ask for a loving heart is like the sky asking for blue or the grass asking for green.  She was born with the lovingest heart I know.