December Photo Project {2010} Day 22

A group of us recently went to the Grand Floridian Resort at Disney to watch a demonstration of creating a gingerbread house and to take in the scenery. So beautiful! I had never been to the Grand Floridian at all, let alone at Christmas, and just loved it!

Outside - I loved these deer!

Caleb, Tyler, Andrew and Corbin

In front of the tree in the lobby

The gingerbread house, with recipe - I won't be making this any time soon!

Pastry chef demonstrating her technique

All of the children

The full size house from above

The Christmas tree in the center of the lobby

A musician singing Christmas carols while the man behind her plays on a Steinway - Holly was drooling!

Christmas Tree made of gingerbread at the Contemporary Resort

After our fun at the Resorts, my family drove over to walk around Downtown Disney. It was terribly crowded, though, so we got on the water taxi and enjoyed a nice, relaxing boat ride back to Riverside (about 25-30 minute FREE ride!), then rode the 25-30 minutes back, got on another boat that took us to the other side of Downtown Disney and left! For as crowded as it was, we had a nice time on a beautiful boat ride.

Me, Holly and MaKenna on the boat - notice the bright yellow trees behind us.  Yes, we are in central Florida!  We have had so much leaf color change this year.  Does that mean an extra cold winter?  I think we are well on the way for that!

More of the trees

And still more.  The boat was moving, but you can still see the color!

Mark and Caleb trying to stay warm

Our view while waiting for the return boat

Reminds me of a northern fall!

Caleb and I on the return

We had such an enjoyable day being together and celebrating this season of hope as a family.

December Photo Project {2010} Day 21

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:  the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.  ~Burton Hillis

December Photo Project {2010} Day 17

Christmas is a necessity.  There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.
                                                                                                                                     ~Eric Sevareid

 Each year, we have the blessing of singing at a variety of places to a wide variety of people.  The first one this year was a local nursing home.  It is such a blessing to sing songs of the season and to worship with people who just want to feel loved.  I love watching the expressions of wonder on their faces, the memories passing across their eyes and the joy in their countenance as they celebrate the birth of our Savior with us.  Here are some shots of our day today.
 

Caleb and Jack, drumming

The children waiting for the next song to start

Corbin and Tyler being, well, Corbin and Tyler!

Caleb and Jack

Charlotte, Christina and Madilyn

Delaney and Abigail experimenting with bells and mini cymbals

Abigail, who did amazing with the instruments!

My snowflake MaKenna and the triangle

It truly is more blessed to give than receive! I pray that you get to experience that blessing for yourself this year.

December Photo Project {2010} Day 15

The front yard at night

December Photo Project {2010} Day 14

Expending energy by laughing may require a caloric intake that can only be properly assimilated with a Christmas Cookie. : )

Cream Cheese Walnut Cookies - the first of many to come!

A friend passed along an email to me the other day that seems appropriate here.  Have a laugh and enjoy a Christmas cookie while you're at it!

Christmas Cookie Rules...

1.  If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.  However, calories are units of heat so if you wait for them to cool, there will be no calories.

2.  If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3.  If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend.  Because your friend's first cookie is calorie free, (rule #1) yours is also.  It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4.  Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move.  This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5.  Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6.  Cookies colored red or green have very few calories.  Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter.  Make more red ones!

7.  Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8.  As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9.  Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories because the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate.  We all know how calories like to CLING!

10.  Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories.  It's a rule!

So, enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we get them only this this time of year!

December Photo Project {2010} Day 13

Christmas Candlelight Service 2010 - a few photos

Holly played the Keyboard during the youth band song "Beautiful Things" and she did an amazing job.  I am so proud, blessed and thankful!

Rory and part of the choir

Brother Urshan sang his annual, traditional White Christmas - it wouldn't be Candlelight without it!

Holly, MaKenna and Brittaney after the service

Melissa, Diane and I

Holly, MaKenna and Madilyn

I never get to take as many pictures as I would like after greeting everyone who comes that we don't often get to see, but this is a good preview of what we did get! This service at our church each year is just amazing and we are blessed to be a part of it.

December Photo Project {2010} Day 12

One scene from Christmas Candlelight - more to come!

December Photo Project {2010} Day 11

The other day we had our annual homeschool group Gingerbread House party. We met at a park and it was pretty chilly that day, but we plugged along and had a great time working on our creations and sneaking a bite or two of candy here and there!

The loot

More loot

Ready to work

Serving up grilled hot cocoa

Amber is intent!

Her finished project

Charlotte's creation

Madilyn's creation

The back of Amber's (aka, Helen's creation!)

 

Hard at work

The younger children started making "sand angels" when they finished!  Hey, Floridians have to have some fun, too!

A finished sand angel

Nina's house and garden

Holly's house

MaKenna's house - she is like an architect and spends lots of time designing, planning and building, so it is not finished yet.  Soon!

Jonathan's house - he's only in it for the candy!

Such a great time!  Do you make gingerbread houses at Christmas?