Our Christmas Houses

I enjoy seeing posts about Christmas decorations, especially the ones with oldies, but goodies in them.  So I thought I would share one of our favorite decorations that we put up each year.  It's these little houses.

There's a little dog up near the church's steeple. 

These houses have been part of my Christmas since I was...oh I would say about 4 or 5.  As children we would set them up, trying to be careful to put the little Christmas lights in the houses without poking them through the paper windows.

As children, my sister and I collected and added little animals to the houses.  I don't remember where they came from, and it is totally silly to have a buffalo and a zebra in the village. However, I remember as a kid thinking it was so much fun to have the animals.  Best of all it still delights my daughter and she sets them out among the houses. (There are also monkeys, a cow, a couple dogs, and even a tailless tiger.  I don't know why it's missing a tail.)

 Each year it's set up differently, in different places. We have such a good time discussing where the hippo should live this year, or the little man with only arm. I love that it brings us together and provides us with joy.

This year we added the Abominable Snowman - yes from the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer story.  I think he fits right into to this silly village.  (See top picture - right side)

I thought we were the only ones silly enough to add "extra" to our houses, until I went to McDonald's today and saw a Christmas Village display. They had added polar bears!!  

Okay - that bear is a little too big for the houses.  But isn't it cute!  How fun is that?

Merry Christmas!

Linda