Flashback Friday: Mountains + Me = Joy

I love the mountains. Mountains + me = Joy
So far that equation has yet to fail.
I do have a favorite mountain though.
I love the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Back in the 70s my grandfather bought a cabin in the Sierra
Nevada mountains of California. After he died (long before I
was born) my grandmother owned it until an uncle bought it from
her. I grew up visiting that cabin. All the time when we lived in
southern California, and every few years once we moved far
away to live in the deep South. I always called the Sequoia Nat'l Park
and Kings Canyon area "my Ithilien".
I am so happy when I get to visit those mountains. It's just so beautiful
and restful. Joyful!

This picture was taken in 2007, the year before I was married. My last
family vacation as an unmarried woman! Next summer I hope to go
with my husband and son to the cabin up there, perhaps joining
my sister, my father, and my mother. The cabin's definitely big enough.
We love to hike, to sit on the deck overlooking the lake, and obviously to
splash in the chilly mountain streams!

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Fun!

Your Help Wanted- How Should I Make it?

I grew up with nativity scenes in the house. Both at my own house and my grandma's Christmas included a nativity scene. Or two actually. My mom had a large wooden olive wood nativity set, and a smaller plastic set she'd let my sister and me play with and arrange as much as we wanted. Since moving away from home the only "nativity" set I've had here has been a small ornament on the Christmas tree I bought one year on clearance after Christmas was over. Best way to buy a Christmas tree by the way. Seriously can get them for cheap!

image from reusableart.com

Have you ever made your own nativity scene? I am seriously considering it! One that my 2 year old son could play with during the day. Question is, which one? So far these diy sets sound feasible to me.

The first set is made from yarn and pipe cleaners

The second set comes from my mom's old 1970s Better Homes & Gardens Christmas book and is made from fabric scraps and wooden spoons. You paint a face on the bowl of the spoon and cut the handles to different lengths.

The third set comes from the blog Holes in My Shiny Veneer.

Fourth idea is to dress the peg dolls you find in Hobby Lobby in scraps of fabric.

I even found a suggestion online to make a set from salt dough.

There are so many ideas and so few weeks until the beginning of advent! So which should I make? Any other ideas for a homemade nativity set? Opinions?