HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We had our 4th annual New Years kids party with the Holt's. We added our new friends the Green's last year and were able to have them this year as well. We had good food, fun games and lots of loud horn blowing. After so much confetti last year, the kids did snow angels in it, I opted for no confetti. Well they figured that out very soon and I was guilt ed into pulling out the confetti.

I made them do it outside this year. So they had a confetti fight, only one casualty.

We are grateful to have such great friends in our life. We miss our old ones, look forward to meeting new ones and appreciate the ones that got away. May the new year bring you happieness and enlightenment.

Carlisle Christmas

She look happy now... but when they opened the box that looked like a Wii, but was filled with books they were TICKED OFF! Tyrell snooped and found the hidden Wii. So we taught him a lesson and swaped the box. Well he had told everyone they were getting a Wii. So he looked pretty sheepish and was waiting for the kids to get mad at him. Chirstmas morning was a hit. They were very sweet and woke us up so we could watch them dump out their stockings. They were sleepy, but the magic of Christmas hasn't washed away yet. It is close, the Santa talk at school is hard to put the kybash on but we try.

They had fun decorating the tree. They did a great job! It was a lovely holiday season.

Bethelehm Revisited

Our friends told us about this reenactment of a night in Bethlehem. Think Renaissance Fair in the holy land. They have a permanent village set up and they have the craftsmen and artisans set up and they explain to all the kids how to do things. These ladies were knee ding bread and baking it in a wood powered brick oven. They gave away samples and handed them out with sage honey.
They had garment stores that they let all the people try on head scarves, the girls loved it.

They got to pet the camels, chickens, goats and see the donkey.

Then at the back side of the village they had a manger. Every 30 minutes Mary and Joseph would come through the town and try and find space at the inn.

This lady sold fabric and they had them making the fabric and rugs on site so they kids saw the looms. They also were spinning the yarn made from flax, sheep wool, camel hair, rabbit. The kids got to see all the different types of thread made.

They had the pottery makers, carvers, net menders and makers. It was much more historical and educational that i realized it would be. I thought it was cool and the kids had a great time.

They had markets and we tried to explain to the kids they didn't used to have Wal mart's. They think Wal-mart is easier. HA.

It was a great experience, on the way home we talked about how different it would have been to live then. I was hoping to create some gratitude for the things we do have in life.