Christmas House of Ginger

One of our Advent activities is to make a gingerbread house, or 'ginger' as Aston calls it (I think he is just too lazy to finish the phrase).

I had a moment of wondering if I could bake my own gingerbread but decided it was too much work and bought a kit from Coles with everything included. Unfortunately the lollies which look nice and colourful don't taste very nice. 

I shall put more photos on Facebook for those of you who want to see it from all angles! 

Advent 2011

Last year we followed the countdown to Jesus' birthday with our new advent calendar. This year it's out again, the plan is to read a portion of the Christmas story from the bible and do a Christmasy activity each day. To fit with my disorganization and in an effort to stay flexible I've made a list of activities to chose from each day.  

So far we've just managed to add pieces to our felt nativity scene to build a stable.

Stay tuned for more advent fun!

What do you do with Christmas leftovers?

Make turkey pies!




First, cut/pull/chew most of the turkey meat off the carcass. Put the bones, some carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a big pot, cover with water, then boil with the lid on for half a day.

Strain the mixture, throw out the chunky bits and put the liquid in the fridge until you are ready to make pie.

To make pie:
Fry chopped onion in a pan, push it to one side and melt some butter, add flour and cook till light brown. Throw in some chopped turkey, ham, grated carrot, corn kernels and anything else you fancy.

Scoop the fat off the top of the cold stock from the fridge chuck it out and add the fatless stock to your mixture. Let it boil until the liquid thickens to a nice pie filling consistency. Take off the stove and cool down.

Place a sheet of pastry in a pie dish (I used frozen puff pastry). Ladle in your cooled pie filling, add a pastry lid and cook until the pastry is nice and brown!

I made 4 pies, we ate one and froze the other 3 for later. Yummy!



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Advent (Day 25) It's Christmas day!

With Nana :-)





"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)

Happy Birthday Jesus!

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Advent (Day 24)

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the
law, so that we might receive adoption as children.
(Gal 4:4-5)




The blurry thing in Aston's hand is a My First Christmas baby dog tree ornament. Grandma gave it to Aston last year.


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Advent (Day 23)

We had trouble getting a decent photo today... Here we are with Aunty Belinda



And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. (Matt 2:12)



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Advent (Day 22)

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
(Matt 2:11)





With Aunty Liz :-)

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Advent (Day 21)

Today we are at Grandma and Grandpa's!

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. (Matt 2:9-10)



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Advent (Day 20)

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem,
saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." (Matt 2:7-8)




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Advent (Day 19)

They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" (Matt 2:5-1)




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Advent (Day 18)

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
(Matt 2:3-4)



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Advent (Day 17)

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its
rising, and have come to pay him homage." (Matt 2:1-2)

Advent (Day 16)

After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)

Stuart spent ages last night checking the lights on the tree one by one to see which were blown! He replaced 10 bulbs!

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Advent (Day 15)

...and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:18-20)




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Advent (Day14)

I'm starting to realise I should have put more thought into which character goes with which verse.

Today we met a Wise Man



So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child…(Luke 2:16-17)

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Advent (Days 12 & 13)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" (Luke 2: 13-14)


When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:15)

Advent (Day 11)

Stuart got the present from the calendar today as it's his birthday :-)




But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:10-12)

There was also a shepherd boy to add to the nativity scene.



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Advent (Day10)

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:8-9)







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Advent (Day 9)

Today we have a video taken with my new iPhone4! (edited by Stuart)

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7)

Advent (Day 8)

The blurry thing in Aston's hand is Mary.

All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of
David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. (Luke 2:3-5)