On Thursday, Ian & Bonner built their first gingerbread house :-)
Just getting started...
Working together ...
And the finished product ... Kids did pretty good for their first try!
Friday afternoon, we headed to the mountains to embark on our first train ride to the North Pole - aboard the Polar Express, of course. As you can see, there was plenty of snow in the mountains - made for a tricky drive up to our friend's house; thank goodness for 4-wheel drive!
Kids weren't real interested in "the sand" (that's what they called the snow) - they wanted to curl up fireside instead - after a snack, of course :-)
I cannot believe it, but I left my camera at the house when we left out Friday night for our train ride.... so I couldn't really capture our trip aboard the Polar Express near as much as I would have liked. The train went out of Bryson City, NC, and lasted about an hour. They had a museum at the depot with big train tracks and several trains running all about. Ian & Bonner preferred this little train table, though, more than anything!
As you can see, they are in their pajamas! That's because in the book, the little boy boards the train in his pj's - of course, we had to go right along to make for an incredible adventure! You read the book on your way to the "North Pole" where there were several houses lit up quite brightly. And, at the North Pole, Santa boarded the train and made his rounds... and of course, everyone received a bell, the first gift of Christmas, as it's described in the book! Ian and Bonner enjoyed the red & green Rice Krispy treat, too :-) These are the only pictures I have on my phone - maybe Stewart has some better ones; I'll have to see!
It was ssssoooo much fun! Kids had a blast! We just hung out with our friends in the mountains yesterday - they have 6-year-old twin girls and then a little girl that's a month younger than Ian & Bonner ... everyone got along quite nicely and it was a great weekend away.
On our way home today, we stopped at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC, to catch a glimpse of the Gingerbread Houses - and these are not just your typical gingerbread houses ... they are magnificent - I think that all parts have to be edible. Maybe Ian & Bonner can hone their gingerbread-house-making skills over the next few years and submit an entry :-)
Ian saw this "gingerbread house" and said, "That's Ian & Bonner on the tractor!" Just too cute!
This was one of my favorites - a completely edible church ...
With Mary, Joseph, & Baby Jesus included! So sweet!
Ian is such a little ham - he saw some other people sitting next to one of these Christmas trees having their picture taken so he asked if he could "sit on the bench for a picture" ... notice how he leaned in to the tree. Maybe I should check on some modeling opportunities :-) Ha!!!
I also wanted to give everyone an update on Ms. Marti, Stewart's mom. She has undergone numerous scans and tests over the past several weeks and so far, as an answer to prayers, everything has come back clear! It's actually quite remarkable and definitely a Christmas miracle for the family! She has a CT Scan on Tuesday of this week to get a look at the tumor a few weeks post-op. And, then on Wednesday, she will go to Emory to meet with an oncologist there and to discuss her treatment (options). The hope is that since it seems the cancer is contained only in the remnants of the brain tumor, radiation could be used without any chemo. We'll keep you posted; but, please know that your prayers are greatly appreciated!!! They have sustained the family over the past several weeks; and, we are so thankful that God has answered your prayers! It has made this holiday season so special already!
This week will be very busy as we get ready for Christmas! As I scurry around trying to get everything done at the last minute, I pray that I will be able to take a deep breath and remember the true reason for the season! Without the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I would not be able to live life with such confidence that no matter what happens day-to-day, I have eternal life! He came for each of us and I pray, especially during this CHRISTmas season, that all of those that I know and love, love Him as much as I do! I often wonder what was really going through Mary's mind during that first night ... I look at my children and am often overwhelmed by the sheer responsibility of raising Godly people that can give back ... I can only imagine what she was thinking! Thank God, though, that she was up to the task and took her responsibility so greatly!
Merry Christmas to everyone and know that He came for you!
Love,
Jennifer
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