Christmas Fun

In honor of our recent "Get a Clue" series, Jingle Bell and Snowflake were found playing a game of Clue this morning.  For the record, we think it was Mr. Green with a wrench in the conservatory.  Just saying.

Today was the next day in our series, "Humbug!"  In this second chapter, Scrooge is visited by Christmas Present, who is quite literally a Christmas present.  Mommy and Daddy worked on that costume (you can see it to the right above), and of course Mommy got all the other costumes together for the rest of the series, which look just right for this series.  It was very nice, and as extra awesomeness, Madison had a pretty important part.  The spotlight shone on her, literally, as she sat there shivering in the cold as a reminder that there are people out there that need help at Christmas time.  It was a powerful moment, and she did a great job on stage.

After KidPak, we went home for a break, but came back for a bit of scheduled fun with one last showing of "Christmas in Color."  

Here below are some of the costumes that Mommy assembled for this production, a children's Nativity scene set up during a version of "Silent Night." 

This last production of "Christmas in Color" went as hoped, with a full crowd.  People were standing room only in the back, and in the overflow, watching on our large screens.  Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy were frantically trying to dress up a last-minute replacement Santa Claus for the after party.  It was a nice evening though, one we were quick to escape from, as we didn't want to miss the final production of the First Baptist Church's "Living Christmas Tree."

We got there literally when it was starting, and didn't miss anything.  We had some seats up in the balcony, as this one was full too.  But we could see everything just fine, and this year's production was very nice.  It's obviously a lot different from the presentations at our own church, but that's what makes it a nice change of pace to go to.  We love visiting other churches at this time of year, as things are decorated so nicely and of course we're all celebrating the same thing.  The other thing not to miss is Handel's Messiah at the end, where everyone rises to hear "Hallelujah" once more.  That never gets old, actually.  With a one hundred voice choir and a full orchestra, it's a really wonderful thing to do each Christmas season.

We went home after that, and it was pretty much time for bed after reading a bit from the devotional, and a few Christmas books - and prayer, of course.  The snow is still on the ground, and the Christmas lights are everywhere on the way home.  We drove really slowly through downtown Gainesville on Green Street, as the old houses there are decorated so nicely.  It was a pleasant end to the day, and after getting home, the three of us were fast asleep in no time.