Christmas Octave Day 7

Last night during regular pregnancy insomnia, I was particularly bothered thinking at length about the children's shoes. I made the family such a good, utilitarian shoe area in a corner of the garage. It has shelves. It has baskets. All the socks are there too. So why is it so hard to keep the children's shoes there? We arrive back, we pull into the garage, I tell everyone that they must deposit shoes and socks before they can come in. 

Yet still, shoes and socks flung around the house plague me because I can't be ever-present, I can't always be there for shoe removals. Searching for shoes and suffering tantrums because a particular shoe has gone missing--who wants more of that?

I also moved the coats into the Shoe Area on a row of hooks (to the left). And yet rogue coats find their way flung on chairs and on the floor (gasp!). How can I stop this?! It was important questions such as these that kept me awake last night.

Meanwhile, the hats, gloves, and scarves remained in the front hall closet . . . across the house from the Shoe and Coat Area. I decided in the middle of the night that this situation had to be remedied. HAD TO BE. So when I padded downstairs at 6:00 a.m., the first thing I did (even before drinking coffee) was move all the hats, gloves, and scarves into the garage.

I felt better.

Evidence that Mama takes her children with her to prenatal midwifery appointments is finding her four-year-old palpating the belly of the willing toddler, and then using a toy fishing pole as a fetoscope.

If you are unfamiliar with what a fetoscope is, see here.

For a somewhat festive New Year's Eve dinner, with Mama's very limited cooking energy, I prepared pork tenderloin (pre-marinated from the grocery store, cooked by Chris), roasted potatoes, butternut squash soup (from the deli), homemade macaroni and cheese, and green salad (from the salad bar at the grocery). I sometimes feel plagued by guilt, that I couldn't be a big family with many kids and buy all this expensive, pre-made food on difficult nights, so why should I be so LAZY as to do so now? But I try to remind (convince) myself that these are still the Early Years with no big helpers yet and that I need to take one season at a time. What a holiday will look like when we have older children will be different--in what ways I guess I shall see!

This was the second annual tradition (I am hoping to set) of celebrating New Year's Eve with chocolate fondue. Above are kids who really want to be eating their chocolate but are tolerating Mama being trigger happy with the camera.

Source of information about the Christmas Octave

December 31; the Seventh Day of the Christmas Octave, Sylvester I, Pope

Opening Prayer from the Liturgy:  “Lord, help and sustain your people by the prayers of Pope Sylvester. Guide us always in this present life and bring us to the joy that never ends.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In your Bible: Matthew 16:13-19; The Keys of the Kingdom

Catechesis: On this, the seventh day in the octave of Christmas, Holy Mother Church remembers St. Sylvester I, pope and confessor. Pope Sylvester reigned as Pontiff for 21 years, was a friend of the Emperor Constantine and endorsed the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325.  Some refer to Sylvester as the “peace Pope” as he became pope shortly after the end of  centuries of bloody persecution.  Like many of our early saints, legends have arisen around his memory:  he is said to have freed Emperor Constantine from leprosy by baptism and killed a “ferocious dragon” that was contaminating the air with his “poisonous breath.”

Activity: Have you ever stopped to think about where we would be without our Church?  What if we lacked the opportunity for reconciliation, Confirmation or Holy Communion.  What if we lacked the gift of our faith - the faith that has been passed down to us from the time of the Apostles?  What if we lacked a Supreme Pontiff and the world was ruled by the tyranny of evil, selfishness and hatred? Today, pray fervently for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and for his collaborator, William Leo, our Bishop [or whoever your local bishop is! --KTL], and pray especially today for the person - parent, grandparent, priest, religious brother or sister, catechist or friend - who first taught you your faith.

Christmas Octave Day 6

What a fun and festive sixth day of Christmas!

After Mass and brunch with friends, the children arrived home astonished to find more gifts under the tree! 'Where did they come from?!' The children's grandparents were due for a much anticipated visit this weekend, but important family duties came up that kept them in Atlanta. However, they managed to get their presents here anyway!

Mary screaming, "It's the doll! It's the doll!" For months, she has been wanting a special doll dressed in a real Poor Clares' habit as sold by our "own" Poor Clares who live in a convent attached to our parish.

She has named the doll "Sister Clare" and is sleeping with it as I type.

This train (which plays Christmas carols) got much play from John today. It resulted in some good sister-brother battles over playing with it, and that's usually a sign that they quite like something!

 

Margaret got her delightfully charming and very well-crafted, handmade quilt as each of the grandchildren have received from the grandparents. It's so wonderful!

I needed to lay down, so Chris went above and beyond the call of duty and did today's planned Christmas activity with the children in my stead: baking and decorating sugar cookies! Knowing what I can manage right now, it was a purposefully simple affair, with homemade dough I had frozen in the freezer, store-bought frosting, and store-bought sprinkles as the only design option.

Later after dinner, Chris lit a bonfire outside for the children, which always thrills them.

Source for information on the Christmas octave

December 30; the Sixth Day of the Christmas Octave, The Holy Family

Opening Prayer from the Liturgy:  “Father, help us to live as the Holy Family, united in respect and love. Bring us to the joy and peace of your eternal home. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In your Bible: Luke 2:22-40; Jesus Became Strong, Filled with Wisdom

Catechesis:  There are two pillars of our Christian society responsible for the common good and the welfare of our people. In recent years, both of these pillars have come under demonic attack:  the family and the priesthood.  A society which allows unimaginable perversions of the family to occur, most especially in the name of “tolerance” and “fairness,” is doomed to destruction.  Jesus, through his own earthly family, demonstrates the importance of the “traditional” family to the world. Thus, families must come to see the impact their influence has on society for the good of all – and rise up to this challenge. 

Activity: Today, gather the members of your family together and consecrate your family to the protection of the Holy Family:

“O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who came to enlighten the world with Your teaching and example, willed to pass the greater part of Your life humbly and in subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously take to Yourself our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to You this day. Defend us, guard us, and establish among us Your holy fear, true peace, and harmony in Christian love; in order that by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Your family all of us without exception may be able to attain to eternal happiness.

“Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and our Mother, by your kindly intercession make this, our humble offering, acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings. O Saint Joseph, most holy Guardian of Jesus and Mary, help us by your prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and you for all eternity.”

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father) Consecration by: Father Francis L. Filas, SJ

Christmas Octave Day 5

Today I achieved most of a hoped-for task: swooping through the house (while the children were absent!) to gather items for donation to Goodwill. I was able to throw away about four paper grocery sacks worth of garbage (mainly broken toys) and donated another eight sacks worth! We have yet to sort through our master closet, which should result in even less clutter. I want to be free to take care of my bunchkins, not my clutter!

In the afternoon, our special activity was to make edible garland for the birds to eat! We strung popcorn, raisins, and Craisins, at which John did well, but Mary was both afraid of using a needle and was far more interested in simply eating the birds' snacks. We enjoyed a nice conversation about saints who particularly loved animals, such as St. Martin de Porres, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Anthony of Padua.

We hung our string (I thought there would be so much more!) outdoors in hopes that birds and squirrels would come. Later I found Mary loitering by the garland and eating off it again!




Meanwhile, Margaret (21 months) had her own run-in with wildlife. Chris and I were in the kitchen when we heard blood-curdling screams coming from the den, sounding like Margaret's very life were in danger. Chris ran in and discovered her in a standoff with a bug. This little girl is very afraid of bugs. Well, apparently she mustered her courage because she smashed the bug to death with her bare hands. She has been recounting the tale all day, about how the baby (herself) was crying (here she imitates a crying sound) because of a "blue bug" on the blanket she was sharing with "bra-bra" (brother), but she smashed the bug into a blanket, it went bye-bye, and Daddy flushed it down the potty! Just now as I was putting her to bed, she had to compulsively re-tell the story to me for at least ten minutes straight, so clearly the harrowing experience made an impression on her.

Source for information on the Christmas Octave

December 29; the Fifth Day of the Christmas Octave, Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr

Opening Prayer from the Liturgy:  “Almighty God, you granted the martyr Thomas the grace to give his life for the cause of justice.  By his prayers make us willing to renounce for Christ our life in this world so that we may find it in heaven.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In your Bible: Matthew 16:24-27; Jesus calls “Follow Me.”

Catechesis: (Mark 8:36).  Pope John Paul II, before his death, cautioned us that “the confusion between good and evil” is the “most dangerous crisis which can afflict man.”  It is in this ‘affliction’ that the martyrs find their vocation. “By their eloquent and attractive example, of a life completely transfigured by the splendor of the moral truth, the martyrs… light up every period of history by reawakening its moral sense” (Veritatis Splendor 92). The man we celebrate today played a role, 835 years ago, in reawakening a sense of justice in his own world.  Thomas’s is an interesting story.  After becoming the chancellor to Henry II, he was chosen by the king to be Archbishop of Canterbury. As the story goes, Thomas went from being "a patron of play-actors and a follower of hounds" to his exalted vocation as a "shepherd of souls."  As Henry II continually restricted the liberty of the Church, the conflict between St. Thomas Becket and the king grew.  Eventually, the Archbishop of Canterbury was assassinated in his own cathedral by the “order” of the king who said, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?”. As the assassins approached St. Thomas in his Cathedral he declared, “I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and Peace.” After his murder, Thomas became instantly famous.

Activity: Today would be a good day to bring reconciliation to those with whom we are separated for the sake of unity and peace.  Thomas longed for liberty and peace to reign in the Church.  We must take care not to be the cause of separation and division.  This undoubtedly may be difficult to do, but we can at least pray for those with whom we have become estranged. The effort we put forth in our attempts to be reconciled is far less burdensome than carrying the anger and hurt and pain of  past conflicts.  Today, make an attempt at reconciliation.

Christmas Octave Day 4

No festive pictures from the fourth day of the Octave!

Chris was back home from a dash to Atlanta, I enjoyed a wonderful one hour, twenty minute prenatal visit in my own home, I actually got in a nap, and Chris took the children on errands for my sake.

Source for information on the Christmas Octave

December 28; the Fourth Day of the Christmas Octave, The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

Opening Prayer from the Liturgy:  “Father, the Holy Innocents offered you praise by the death they suffered for Christ. May our lives bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In your Bible: Matthew 2:13-18; The Story of the Holy Innocents

Catechesis: When one considers the slaughter of the children, one cannot but think of today’s modern scourge of abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and assisted suicide.  Perhaps this may sound insensitive to our modern ears, but consider the parallels:  Herod was paranoid of loosing his throne.  He was quite familiar with the prophecy of Numbers 24, “I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel… Edom shall be dispossessed.” Herod was an Edomite; and he saw the same “sign” that the Magi saw. This left him with one choice:  to “die to self” and choose to follow Christ, or to resist – to fight for control, to have things his way, to violate the rights of others in an attempt to keep his power.  And, for the same reasons, we succumb to these temptations as Herod did.  Remember the unborn and those women and men who have been deeply wounded by the curse of abortion, especially today.

Activity: Christmas is a time for children.  Perhaps today we can focus upon them once again.  Children are a sign of life and hope, of joy and innocence, of true and “unconditional” love. Spend time with a child or a young person this day.  Read to a boy or a girl, play basketball with an adolescent, go to the movies together, or, perhaps, just listen to him or her. The day need not be extravagant.  Simply making time to be with them and giving them your attention will make their day quite meaningful.

Christmas Octave Day 3

The weather was cold and beautiful this third day of the octave of Christmas.

The children rode their Strider bikes around, racing wildly and going off-road in the dirt, having a grand ol' time.

We cooked homemade gumdrops using this recipe. The cooking part--mixing and boiling--was enjoyable for the children.

Then the batches had to chill for several hours.

The procedure for removing the gumdrops from the dishes (hard work), cutting them into shapes, and rolling them in sugar was too laborious for my bunchkins ages 4 and 6: I now recommend this activity for older children! First J&M wandered away aimlessly and I let that go on until they were bickering too much with me up to my elbows in sugar, so then I gave in on the whole thing and let them play Starfall while I did the task by myself. The end result is tasty and I bet it will be even better tomorrow when the gumdrops are more dry and mature, so to speak.

In the evening, we joined two other families to view the Christmas lights display at the Charlotte racetrack. Total tally: 11 children ages 4 months to 12 years, plus two pregnant mamas. It was a fun time, if very cold (low of 30 expected tonight)!

Source for information on the Christmas Octave

December 27; the Third Day of the Christmas Octave, St. John the Apostle, Evangelist

Opening Prayer from the Liturgy:  “God our Father, you have revealed the mysteries of your Word through John the apostle. By prayer and reflection may we come to understand the wisdom he taught. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In your Bible: 1 John 1:1-4; The Word of Life

Catechesis:  Today we celebrate the memory of St. John the Evangelist who wrote a Book of the Gospel, three letters and, some hold, the Book of Revelation.  St. John, of whom it can be said knew Jesus more intimately than anyone (other than his mother), gave us lofty concepts of great theological consequence.  St. John’s writings are the source of our knowledge of Christ’s pre-existence as the Word of God, his “mission” to bring light to the world, and the sacred truth that Jesus is God made man.  The theme of St. John’s Gospel focuses on Christ’s Divinity as well as the mournful response of his own  people who, “did not accept him” (John 1:11). St. John is worthily considered the “evangelist of the divinity of Christ.”

Activity: Take time today to “study the Sacred Page.”  The Catechism of the Catholic Church “forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful . . . to learn ‘the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,’ by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures.” Then, quoting St. Jerome, the Catechism reminds us that “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (133).

Christmas Octave Day 2

Our second day of the Octave of Christmas was spent relaxing and taking deep breaths after the hustle-and-bustle, (kids) riding bikes, cleaning up the den and taking a big stack of cardboard boxes to the recycling center, reading some of our new books . . . 

. . . and playing with Pattern Play, which is a fantastic pattern game using wooden blocks. The children have asked to make patterns again and again.

Source for information on the Christmas Octave--It was very interesting to me to read that, prior to the Vatican II Council, all the following feasts were granted an the ancient Hebrew tradition of an Octave: Easter, Pentecost, Epiphany, the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul, St. Lawrence, and St. Agnes. But now seven thousand years, give or take, of tradition is tossed out.

December 26; the Second Day of the Christmas Octave, St. Stephen, First Martyr

Opening Prayer from the Liturgy:  “Lord, today we celebrate the entrance of Saint Stephen into eternal glory. He died praying for those who killed him. Help us to imitate his goodness and to love our enemies. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

In your Bible: Acts of the Apostles 6:8-10; 7:54-59; The Story of St. Stephen’s Martyrdom

Catechesis:  One wonders why the Church would celebrate the feast of a martyr on the Second Day of the Octave of Christ’s nativity.  Pope John Paul II supplied the answer:  “The Church calls the day of martyrdom a dies natalis (day of birth). Indeed, by virtue of Christ's death and Resurrection, the death of the martyr is a birth in Heaven. This is why it is so meaningful to celebrate the first martyr the day after Christmas: Jesus who was born in Bethlehem gave his life for us so that we too, reborn "from on high" through faith and Baptism, might be willing to give up our own lives for love of our brothers and sisters” (John Paul II, Angelus, Feast of St. Stephen, 2002).

Activity:  “Boxing Day” is a popular tradition in England, Germany and Holland. A practiced developed in the middle-ages whereby priests opened the parish poor box and distributed the wealth to the poor on the feast of St. Stephen.  Similarly, the laity imitated the Church’s practice and kept their own poor “boxes” throughout the year.  On the day following Christmas, the box was opened, the money tallied, and distributed to the poor. Eventually, Boxing Day became a day of giving and receiving gifts.

The poor, according to the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council is defined as “anyone in need.”  Today, find those people:  the lonely, the forgotten, the shut-in, the sick, the materially poor, the spiritually poor, and give them the gift of your presence.  Do not be cynical.  Do not underestimate the value of your presence, the love you bring and the care you give.  We live in a world where many are poor, they await you on this day.

The Nativity of Our Lord 2012

Merry Christmas! The children were rearin' and ready to race downstairs at 5:58 a.m.

Opening stockings

A very popular gift were these "spiders," which are LED lights on flexible legs that attach to things. The children usually stay up in bed reading by flashlight, so these should come in handy.

Margaret's favorite gifts of the whole day happened to be stocking stuffers: slippers and a baby doll from Target totaling less than $5.

We attended the 9:00 a.m. Mass, which was absolutely lovely, if not the exquisite sensory experience of a Midnight Mass (oh, the music!). We've tried the Midnight with the children and find that they scream a lot and don't fall asleep peacefully in the pews, then are wrecks the entire next day.

I walked in a few minutes after Chris and was searching for my family in the pews: My eyes settled on my husband at the altar rail where he was showing the children the nativity scene which, at our parish, is set out only upon arriving at Christmas day. I sat in a pew and watched them, teary at how much God has blessed me (us).

After Mass, we enjoyed a fancier-than-usual breakfast at home as cooked by Chris (thank you, hon!): bacon, amazing hash browns, bagels, and eggs. Then we began opening gifts!

Two of the top favorite gifts of the day happened to be things the children received in triplicate: They each received new mud boots and they each received little quilts I sewed for use with dollies or stuffed animals.

The dolly quilts: I've long wanted to learn how to quilt, but have not had the time to take a class. I decided on a whim one day that I could guess how a quilt might be made and give it a try on a doll's size scale. I made my first one (the butterflies, above) and made interesting mistakes, which got me understanding better how real quilts probably are constructed. The next one (blue) I made was much improved and the third was even better. Now I'm even more interested in taking a quilting class! The children dragged their quilts around all day, wrapping them on dolls, using them as prayer rugs, hiding things inside of them.

Outdoor bike-riding and afternoon naps ensued: then we enjoyed a dinner of chicken Parmesan, mashed potatoes, leftover fettuccine Alfredo, and broccoli with butter crumb sauce.

Dessert for this tired, pregnant mama was thanks to a frozen Sara Lee cheesecake with some store-bought Christmas sprinkles and whipped cream to dress it up. As one who thinks everything should be properly cooked from scratch with the purest ingredients, having to find ways to cut corners (change priorities) in order to acknowledge my own limitations is a real spiritual stretch for me. Spiritual Growth Through Sara Lee!

Christmas Eve 2012

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we were delighted to be able to attend a solemn high Mass in the traditional rite at a parish an hour north of us. The building itself was exquisitely beautiful. Chris captured the above sweet image when both girls were kneeling (moments before with hands folded in prayer) in the narthex (where Margaret had been brought for too-loud cheerful chatter).

On Christmas Eve, we spent the morning cleaning the house top to bottom, with the children as my cheerful helpers (seriously--it was great). Then in the afternoon, we decorated the Christmas tree. (Those two things alone made it a very physically challenging day for this mama--boy, am I slowing down in these final weeks!)

I did have Chris keep Margaret at bay, but I think this might have been the first year I allowed John and Mary to help me decorate. Mary lasted about half the project, but John persevered to the end and quite enjoyed it. I tried not to be too controlling, just dictating that glass ornaments went on the top half, all other material of ornaments went on the bottom half. The only two ornaments broken were broken by me.

The finished tree--with gifts to be put out after the children were asleep! This year I put out about one-third of our decorations (mainly just decorating the tree itself) to keep things simpler at the end of pregnancy.

I had some pretty tearful moments coming upon the above box with my mom's handwriting on it: "Mom + Katherine Angels." That same tattered-and-taped box has been opened every Christmas for 30 years.

.

Inside the box are stored the wooden angels commissioned in Mexico by my mom's stepmother when I was a little girl. The angels have our names on them. On this first Christmas without my mom--even in her very reduced state, bedridden, and available to me only by phone--I miss her.

In the evening, we enjoyed a simple but somewhat celebratory dinner (Christmas Eve having traditionally been day of fasting and abstinence according to the Church until the 1983 Code of Canon Law--see here). I served breaded tilapia (oh yes, from a box, said this pregnant mama), fettuccine Alfredo, and roasted asparagus ("Mama, may I have some more of those green sticks? I love them!").

We read the nativity account according to St. Luke and prayed the family Rosary by candlelight only (which is always special and awe-inspiring for the children) before hopping in the car to view the Christmas lights in our neighborhood: This was much easier and more satisfactory than our failed attempt to see McAdenville!

Three sweetpeas were in bed by 7:00, asleep shortly thereafter, while Mama and Daddy scurried about doing more preparations!

McAdenville Christmas Lights

Our second attempt to start celebrating Christmas--and I note that I am frustrated that so many "Christmas events" end on December 25 instead of beginning on the day--was a bust. I document it here perhaps to have a better experience next year!

I learned of a tiny town of 700 residents called McAdenville not 15 miles from here that is known nationally as "Christmas Town USA". We could drive there and see for free half a million lights on display. We hadn't driven to see any lights yet this season, so Mama declared Saturday night was The Night to Go. (Sunday night we already have plans, and Monday night, the last night of the two-week display, we'll be busy at home with Christmas Eve.)

Cue Gilligan's Island music for our "three-and-a-half-hour tour . . ."

We loaded the children up at 5:30 (note to self: dress them in pajamas next time), and Margaret fell promptly to sleep since she had skipped her nap that day for about the second time in her life.

The traffic jam began miles before the Exit 22 to which we were directed by this website. Don't take another exit, it said! If you take another exit, it will be wrong, all wrong, and you won't be able to see lights! Why were all those cars getting off on Exit 23 (which we reached first), we wondered? They must be very confused and they're going to miss out. (Note that upon seeing the backup on the highway is when the smart husband would have abandoned this tour and taken us home, but he very patiently kept going to my sake.)

TWO HOURS LATER of winding through the one route through the town (as locked in by orange gates and police cars), we reached where the cars were entering town from Exit 23. By boldly ignoring directions, those cars cut out two whole hours of driving through the darkened part of town without any Christmas lights at all. Note to self.

And note that, for numerous reasons, it is very difficult for an eight-month pregnant woman to sit in a car with no escape for three and a half hours. Very problematic, indeed.

At this point, even the children were asking to go home. No hype from Mama about half a million lights was worth being in the car for so long. I sat there in the passenger seat surfing on my iPhone and found the official McAdenville website that warned that many visitors sit in line all those hours only to have the lights turned off at 11:00 p.m. without ever having reached them. It was warned that drivers arrive in town before the lights are even turned on at 5:30, and preferably not on a Friday or Saturday.

As we slowly crept toward Exit/Entrance 23 and I knew it was our one escape hatch back to home for who knows how many more hours, I asked that we hop on the freeway. Note that Kind Husband was very patient and never offered an I-Told-You-So.

So, notes to self and my local friends for next year:

*   Go early in Advent or don't go at all.
*   Go on a weeknight.
*   Be there before 5:30.
*   Ignore instructions for the sheep and get off on Exit 23.

The night ended with easily transferring sleeping Margaret to bed, dressed still in her daytime clothing. But any mama knows what happens when a toddler falls asleep for the night two hours early . . . she was awake and very hungry at the crack of dawn today!

Gingerbread Lane

Ushering in our Christmas break from homeschooling, I took the children to Gingerbread Lane at a local fancy schmancy hotel. It was a free event at which there must have been thirty to forty exquisite gingerbread houses on display, made by both amateurs and professionals. For my local friends: it continues until December 24, I believe. I took photos of my favorites.

An exquisite church, lit electronically from the inside!