Florida Soapflakes Snowflakes

I had you going there for a second, didn’t I? 🙂 We’ve been doing lots of fun stuff together as a family over Christmas vacation. A couple of nights ago we traveled with some friends from our church to a nearby community to enjoy the festivities. The promised hourly snowfall delighted the kids. I myself did not care for the taste of soapflakes, but the ice cream was delicious!As we walked the path around a lake we spotted a large nativity scene. I was thrilled to see this public display recognizing Christ’s birth in such a very touristy area.The kids were fascinated with the fountain area where water randomly shoots up out of the ground. They worked up enough courage to make a few dashes across. There was one little girl who stood in the middle of the fountain and was soaked to the bone. It was a slightly cool night, so I’m surprised her parents let her do that. My kids’ mean ole’ mom would never allow such a thing! 🙂 Mickey is thinking, should I make a run for it? Not on your life, Bud!Bookworm (on the right) and her friend had a wonderful time of fellowship.Curly Girl and her friend “J” were nearly inseparable all evening. They are in the same class at school and enjoy playing together. We may have to invoke the 6-inch rule a few years down the road. 😉There were several horse and carriage teams for hire. Instead of riding in this lovely conveyance…we settled for a horse-drawn wagon to take our rather large group for a ride. These two fellows were beautiful and very well-behaved.Curly Girl and “J” were invited to ride on the front wagon seat with the driver. They had a blast sitting right behind the horses. Curly Girl was “fluttering” and giggling the whole time. Naturally they caught quite a whiff from their “rear view.” Kids are somehow equipped to enjoy the most unpleasant things with glee. I am so thankful for the opportunities the Lord gives us to make more special family memories. As the kids grow older they will forget the specifics about Christmas gifts and all the hoopla, but they will remember the times we spent together laughing and loving. And they’ll remember soapflakes.