It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...the Fourth of July??

Tayta's meant-to-be-red-and-green-Christmas apron was indicative of the challenge to deck our halls, trim our tree, and bake our usual abundance of Christmas treats this year. Given our just-visiting status and our temporary home, we didn't put up a Christmas tree but instead the kids helped Grandma decorate hers. Tayta designed a two foot by two foot Christmas corner (poinsettia, candy canes, and few ornaments) for our basement apartment--and giving up even that small surface was a sacrifice.

Constrained by space, we had to simplify our baking efforts and so I instructed Tayta that she could make only gingerbread this year--gingerbread men and the pieces for the house that has become a tradition for her and Artist Son to design and make together.

Tayta's Merry Men


2010 Gingerbread House

With everything else that is going on as we transition back to Jordan, it has been nice to simplify the holiday preparations this year. As we celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, with family and friends on this side of the world, we are comforted by the reminder that where God was homeless, we are at home.

Merry Christmas to all!

"It's just like I dreamed it would be!"

The youngers have been asking to make a gingerbread house for a couple of years now. I'm not sure why we haven't done it for so many years but it probably has something to do with my activity level around the holidays. This year we planned ahead, bringing peppermints and other candies in our carry-ons when we returned from the States in September. I helped very little--with a recipe and pattern from All Recipes.com the kids did most of the work and all of the decorating themselves.

The exclamation of my dear daughter, quoted above, made what little work it was for me all worth it.

I think the plan is to break into it on New Year's Eve.