A Mountain Meadow Christmas

The first weekend of December, we loaded up the girls, and drove up to the mountains. We arrived at a christian camp where we were given directions to our cabin. We were sharing a cabin with 3 other families. To our surprise, 2 of the 3 families just happened to be foster/adopt families, and they had all their kids with them that they had adopted through foster care! Only God could have planned something like that! The first night, after playing the decorate your daddy tree game, we spent time singing Christmas carols in the lodge with a big group of people. Here's M singing her favorite song, "Angels we have heard on high".

The next day was filled with more activities than we could count. There were Christmas crafts for kids and adults, writing a Christmas letter to a soldier, Christmas movies, Christmas stories being read to us by the fireside, zip line, meadow games, a gingerbread house decorating contest, and cookie decorating. While we were hard at work decorating our gingerbread house, we gave L some frosting and a few cookies to work with. A few minutes later, I looked over and found this. Who knows how much frosting she had eaten. In fact, it was much worse than this when I first noticed her.

I also learned that decorating a gingerbread house is much more difficult than it looks. We were about an hour into decorating ours, it was falling apart, it barely had any frosting on it, and honestly, just looked like a big mess! At that point, I happened to glance over at a friends table. Her and her husband were just finishing not only one, but TWO of the most beautiful gingerbread houses I have ever seen. Yes, they were already done with two gingerbread houses! They were cleaning up their table, and I was amazed at every minute detail they had so intricately added to their houses, down to tiny icicles hanging from the roof. (Wish I would have remembered to take picrtures of them!) Obviously they have done this many times before, and did I mention they are two very musically, and artistically talented people anyway? I have been to some of the birthday parties they have given for their children, and I am always in awe of the cakes they come up with! So, needless to say, they won the competition hands down!

Here is M on a little nature walk checking out the frozen creek behind our cabin. We took a hike back there, and ended up on a hill next to a large cross! M also got to go on the zip line since there was no snow that day. Then, that evening after going on a hay ride, and having dinner, it began to snow!!! Perfect timing. We headed over to the lodge for a Christmas movie and hot cocoa, and the next morning....

the girls put on their snowsuits and played in the snow! There was a church service, and then on to the big sledding hill!

L loves the snow, and she has no fear! She will fly down the big hill with the best of them! It was such a fun weekend, and we made lots of memories. We hope to be able to do it again next year.