Friday, December 7, 2012

Family Field Trips: Hidden Lake Gardens for Christmas

Part of our Advent train gifts to Joshua are trips. We have one trip for every weekend related to some sort of Christmas event. Hidden Lake Gardens is a place near by we discovered this past summer. Last weekend they had their Holiday Festival.

Joshua and Sebastian had already had a long day with swim lessons and the afternoon with Mimi (my mom). So when we got there, this is what the back seat looked like.
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Once Joshua realized there were cookies and popcorn and Santa, he was ready to go, though. Sebastian hung out in his carrier with Daddy. (Which I don't think we have pictures of, regrettably. Kris was taking people out left and right with that thing.)

As good parents, we showed Joshua the cookies first, then Santa, but told him none of that until a potty break! The crafts were near the bathrooms, so we ended up starting there. Joshua (erhm, I) made a couple Christmas ornaments.





Here I'm putting paint into a clear glass ornament and shaking it around.

   











Here I'm using a cut branch to make an angel ornament. There were many stations for these - for a reindeer, for Mrs. and Mrs. Claus - but after struggling with the angel, I thought she was enough. And you can see how patient Joshua was during out (my) craft time.










There was also a bird feeder made from a pine cone, Crisco and bird seed, but it was too far away from where Kris sat with Sebastian for a good photo. It was cute, though. I haven't checked on it since we hung it up, but I suppose it made a squirrel happy.


We eventually sat with Santa, then got our bag of popcorn, listen to the Saxophone jazz band for a little bit, before heading off in search of those cookies we saw at the beginning, enjoying the lights along the way. The hills were lit by candles in painted milk jugs, arranged into wreaths, snow flakes, candy canes. It was very simple and very beautiful. I wish we'd gotten a photo of that part, too.

Off we went home. This time the boys stayed awake with the promise of food at the end of the trip, and the Christmas lights decorating businesses and houses along the way.

What will the Advent Train yield next week? Maybe not as many pictures. Lol. ;)

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