Best White Elephant...EVER

This is what I got at our Sunday School Christmas party. We had a white elephant exchange*, and I think I got a GREAT deal! Now, the family who gave it up didn't want it anymore (their son is 12...so not exactly getting much use at their house) and was going to give it to Goodwill. But I was very happy to get it!

I kinda hid it under my chair so no one would "steal" it during the exchange. Probably kinda cheating.

All the pieces are wooden and seem to be solid. The boys have had quite a bit of fun with them. As soon as I got them it made me think of Esther. She is doing 25 days of nativity this month. Because she has 25 nativities!!! Check it out!

(I now have 4...no desire to own 25 though!)

*If you don't know what a white elephant exchange is, it goes as following:

Take something from your house you really don't want to are not using. Some people buy stuff, but that kills the whole "recycle" end of it...unless you buy something funny like the goldfish bowl with live fish that was there last night. Funny.

Next you wrap it like you would a "good" gift and take it to the party. Everyone draws a number and that is the order you get gifts in. #1 starts by choosing and unwrapping a gift. #2 can then steal that gift from person #1 or choose their own gift. It is up to your party whether or not you want to put a limit on how many times a certain item can be stolen. If your gift is stolen you can either steal someone elses gift (but not the one that was just taken from you) or choose a new gift to open. After everyone has had a turn, the first person gets to either steal from someone or keep whatever they have. Then the game is over. I guess in a game of stealing presents, it can be forgiven that I "cheated" and hid my present so no one would "steal" from me!