Christmas market in Manchester & HS Musical 2

I love Christmas!

I love going to see plays and musicals.

And I love bonding in friendship and knitting the relationships within our family.

With those 3 things in mind, last week we went into Manchester to see High School Musical 2 at the Opera House. My friend, Jane, and I each planned to take our two daughters who happen to be great friends and who also love HSM. I truly enjoy getting to know Jane better as we spend more and more time together. She is funny and loves to make fun of my American accent. I give it right back to her with her own British dialect. Accents here vary depending on what part of the country you're from. Jane is from a part that talks funny. LOL (Jane, I hope you read this.)

Since we were going into Manchester, we thought it would be a great opportunity to go to the German Christmas market that’s held there each year. They serve a dish that our family really likes called “raclette”. It’s a Swiss food that consists of potatoes and melted raclette cheese on top with gherkins and pickled onions on the side. I can do without the last two items and feast on the cheese and potatoes alone. But, then again, who couldn't?

Since Shawn loves the Christmas market, with his German heritage and love of sausage, he wanted me to take the boys along and meet him there. After we browsed around, had a bite to eat and some hot chocolate, all of us girls left to go see the musical that drew us to the city to begin with.

These next few photos were taken last year, but can you believe I forgot to blog about it? We bloggers will find a place to put it in eventually, and here is my opportunity... one year later. Since we are talking about blogging now, isn't it difficult when you have like 50 ideas swirling around in your mind to write about, which is overwhelming, that you decide not to write about anything at all? Is it just me, or do you do that, too?

Sorry about the blur...

Striking a pose while waiting for the tram.

Melanie and Braaten

I can see that the raclette is gone and we are sharing a pasta/potato dish.

This santa is huge and really pretty.

Shawn and his little ladies.

Cheeeese.

This is a giant "pyramid".

And now for the more current photos: here's Meg, Mel, Ames, and Bray.

They had to wait a whole 10 minutes for the show and kept saying, "How many more minutes?"

It was really a great show that even Jane and I enjoyed.