Many years ago we started the tradition of making gingerbread houses just before Christmas. We have had some really good years and we have also had some really bad ones. One year everyone was sick through Christmas so we actually didn't do our houses until some time in January! However, we have always done them. For our 2012 year our cookies were not cooked hard enough - in other words, they were just moist enough that they wouldn't hold their shape and once we assembled the houses, the cookie would settle and pretty soon it would topple over. With that experience in mind, the following year (2013) we decided to do rice krispie treat houses or projects. Here is what we got...
These trains were a lot o fun to make and as you can see, well decorated! Everyone created their own version of a candy and rice krispie project. Of course the most successful ones incorporated a LOT of chocolate candy!!! ☺
For some reason I missed getting a picture of Myles, but he did one too. It is a joy to watch my children create things with different mediums. Melodee, Breanna and Naomi made a village decorating numerous houses and some of them even did trees and snow which of course was littered with chocolate candy...
We are so blessed to have the bounty that allows us to make these delectable and imaginative treats. We felt so grateful that we decided we wanted to share our bounty with friends and neighbors... so we did something akin to the 12 days of Christmas. We selected 12 families and then made treat boxes filled with Christmas baking to take to these friends and family members. We would take one box out every night to a different family on each of the 12 evenings before Christmas... It was delightful to include so many people in our Christmas celebrations and yet, even then, the sacrifice was minimal for we still had many, many cookies to enjoy through the holidays.
On one of those evening deliveries, we were invited in for a visit. While there we were told the story of the Christmas train...
This cool little train was made by one of our good friends. He told us of how when he was a boy he had a similar train and each Christmas Eve he would find his train and place it under the tree and when he awoke the next morning it would be there shining and new looking with a fresh coat of paint ready for another year of use. That meant a lot to him, and as he started making his own, he realized the amount of work that would have gone into that project in order to have his train ready by morning. Because of that experience, he has made a train for each of his sons and now grandsons. What a treasure to have a tangible reminder of the love of a father and grandfather. I LOVE the gifts like this that come from the heart. If we never gave store bought gifts, I would not miss them, for it is so easy to purchase the hearts desire whenever one would want it, but it is NOT easy to find those treasured items that are products of the heart, made with love and tenderness, personalized specifically for the receiver. What a blessing it is to be able to give a little of ones self at Christmas time. I LOVE Christmas and the peace and joy that is associated with it!!!
On one of those evening deliveries, we were invited in for a visit. While there we were told the story of the Christmas train...
This cool little train was made by one of our good friends. He told us of how when he was a boy he had a similar train and each Christmas Eve he would find his train and place it under the tree and when he awoke the next morning it would be there shining and new looking with a fresh coat of paint ready for another year of use. That meant a lot to him, and as he started making his own, he realized the amount of work that would have gone into that project in order to have his train ready by morning. Because of that experience, he has made a train for each of his sons and now grandsons. What a treasure to have a tangible reminder of the love of a father and grandfather. I LOVE the gifts like this that come from the heart. If we never gave store bought gifts, I would not miss them, for it is so easy to purchase the hearts desire whenever one would want it, but it is NOT easy to find those treasured items that are products of the heart, made with love and tenderness, personalized specifically for the receiver. What a blessing it is to be able to give a little of ones self at Christmas time. I LOVE Christmas and the peace and joy that is associated with it!!!
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