We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  This past week we hosted our annual Christmas Live Nativity for our friends, family and neighbors.  This has been our family tradition for many years.  Our first nativity my husband had said it is just for our immediate family.  The week before the nativity as we prepared our costumes and our manger scene with hay and wood for a rustic scene and a manger.  That is when it started to grow.  My husband came in and said, “I invited some of my brothers and their families.” It didn’t seem right to keep it small for just our family.  It felt good to spread the Christmas cheer.  Soon we had friends & neighbors invited.

Merry Christmas to all

This years Live Nativity. Minus 12 degrees is a little cold for a nativity. The kids were awesome and performed so well.

Our first nativity

The night of the event it was quite a sight.  We lived in a small farm-house.  The scene was put up in the front yard.  My front yard was full of people.  The living room and kitchen was full of people waiting for a towel, sheet or anything I could find to create a costume for any of the kids that would like to join in.  We had little shepherds and angels everywhere.  Our kids were all dressed up as Joseph, Mary, wise men.  We had Gus the donkey, a few sheep from the neighbors and a calf.  My daughter played Christmas music on her flute.  The air was crisp and cold and the flute rang beautifully through the still night air.  A neighbor read the Christmas Story from the bible and the kids entered the scene as he read.  It was beautiful.  Afterwards everyone sat quietly and just looked at The Live Nativity.  It was so moving.

Afterwards we visited for a little while.  One of our neighbors said, “We need to do this again next year, but we should have soup.”  That is when we added the bon fires, soup and anything else they wanted to bring and share.

This year the goats thought it was to cold for a nativity. Grandma Cookie is getting old and didn’t participate this year.

Every year is a little bit different.  When you work with kids and animals nothing will ever be the same twice.  But every year it is special and loved by all.

This year it was -12 degrees when we started.  We didn’t think we would have many people there, but we had well over 60.  Everyone was cold and huddled around the 4 bon fires to stay warm.  Some went inside of our shop where there was a fire in the wood stove.  I would like to thank my friend Rhonda for sharing her pictures with me.  She does an awesome job!

Steam coming off of the crock pots full of soup.

Despite the cold it was enjoyed by all.

I hope this Christmas Season you will take the time to pause and remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas.  It isn’t the lights, presents, toys, and parties that makes Christmas.  It is the love we feel for one another.  It is the gift we have been given by a loving Heavenly Father, the birth of his son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is the reason we celebrate this Christmas Season.

We would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Feel free to share with others. Maybe it will help them get into the Christmas Spirit.

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