Another thing I enjoy is family traditions. Our grandkids all enjoy making gingerbread houses. Everyone from the smallest grand to their mamas, college boys included, enjoy squirting icing everywhere, wasting many dollars worth of candy and then blowing the houses up with Christmas fireworks. What better fun is there than blowing junk all over Nonnie and Bop's woods with much smoke, noise and flying peppermints?
Thanksgiving eve we made these 10 houses and here they are displayed on the stairs. Aren't they cute?
The smiling face below is our next to the oldest grand, a UK student, who blew the rest of us all out of the water with his 3 story structure and about 20 pounds of candy. His house (castle) is always the biggest and the best. I do believe he ate the most candy also.
After the icing and candy was scraped off the back porch, the Thanksgiving turkey reduced to the last serving of leftovers, and the daughters all returned to their homes with the grands in tow, Johnny spent an afternoon pulling out all my storage boxes full of Christmas decorations. This entire week was spent in decorating and reminiscing over the ornaments we have made over the years and those collected from all the places we have visited. The main tree is no longer able to hold all of them and have spilled over to additional smaller trees. The aging angel on top of the tree is over 35 years old and was a special gift from an old gentleman, Mr. George, that just loved our girls. She has wings that are somewhat yellowed now and her hair is a bit matted, but that just makes her more loved.
This year when we were in Senora, Arizona, I saw a tree in the Christmas Shop which was made out of the blossom stalk of a yukka type desert plant. It had really pretty, really expensive handmade ornaments on it and I knew I just had to have a tree like that. Now we won't talk too much about how I got it, but we managed to dismantle a five foot bloom stalk to a size that would fit in a space no bigger than a bread box and whisked it away from that desert back to Mississippi. After pondering the situation for several weeks, Johnny was able to perform surgery and it looks as good as new. I do so like it with the base wrapped in burlap with a plaid ribbon. Now the ornaments are my next project.
Over 30 years ago Johnny and I made this 15 piece ceramic nativity set and it has become a much loved Christmas tradition. Fifteen years ago I made the creche out of some old sticks, vines and wood scraps to complete the set. The kids and grands still enjoy this set more than Johnny and I do.
I'm ready for the Crossgates Baptist Church presentation "Fear Not" next weekend. The music will be worshipful and moving and the worship will be real. Another great tradition - worshiping the Lord through a Christmas musical.
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