Gingerbread House and Christmas Tree

I'm trying to catch up with blogging so I can 'close out 2012' and move on to 2013. I still have Christmas and a few other things to cover...

One afternoon during the 2nd week of December, Esperanza and I took a quick trip to the tree farm in Washougal to pick out our tree. I think that was the morning I put the note in the advent calendar sock that said 'decorate for Christmas'...which meant we needed a tree. We wanted a little tree this year, partly because of Ezra and me wanting the tree to be high on a table...but also to save a few bucks (big trees are spendy). 

I let Esperanza pick this short fat tree.

 The kids and I spent that evening decorating it and goofing around. 

 After all the decorations were hung up, the kids became easily entertained by me tossing the packing peanuts I use to store my ornaments in over their heads over and over and over...

Oh Christmas Tree....

 My sister Mary came over one evening during the middle of December with a bag full of goodies to make gingerbread houses with us. Instead of using a gingerbread house kit this year, we designed our own unique houses out of graham crackers, home made icing and various candies. 

 this one was Mary's

 Armando's

And mine

Don't let those faces fool you, they had their share of candy while making the houses