Christmas in August

On Saturday we drove into Lancaster County, PA for a little Christmas fun.... yes, we realize it is still August. For awhile now we have been wanting to check out the National Christmas Center, since we saw it a couple of years ago when we first visited PA. We had lunch at Dienners, a fantastic Amish smorgasbord buffet before we headed over to get our Christmas spirit on!

Sweet Sisters

The National Christmas Center is a museum, gift shop and life-size nativity all rolled into one. I wasn't sure if Lindsay was going to remember the nativity story, but in big sister fashion, when Maddie pointed to say, "Bebe! Bebe!" Lindsay told her matter-of-fact, "That is Baby Jesus Maddie."

As we wandered through the rooms, I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff in that place. It was a little over the top, and my head was swimming with all the things to look at.

 

Santa figurine anyone? There were literally thousands.

Daddy and his girls behind the reindeer. They made Lulu a little nervous, and we tried to tell her they weren't real, but wasn't about to pet them. LOL

Daddy and Maddie in "Santa's Workshop"

Tried out my flash..lol

 Calling all train fans... there was a huge, multi-train Christmas village display...

 Maddie saw the trains and squealed her best, "Choo Choo!"

Little girls and a big boy got a kick out of watching the trains...

 Replica of a Gimbel's department store circa 1945...

My absolute favorite part of the museum was the nativity display. They had collected hundreds  throughout the world, and it was humbling to see the gospel so many countries, languages and cultures. It was interesting to discover that nativities were created to tell the story of Jesus's birth, before literacy was commonplace. Each culture had utilized their own materials and artistic style, from the elaborately painted Russian Dolls to the beautifully hand carved wood nativities from Africa and brightly colored figurines from Peru.

 

Nativity from Wales

 

I thought the wax figures were a little creepy, but loved that the girls got to see the story "live".

 

Frankincense or Myrrh anyone?

 What a fun day to get excited about Christmas and the wonderful reason we celebrate it: Jesus!