Back to Bethlehem

{12.13.13}

I am on the activities committee at church and we have been planning 

for this Christmas event for months! So many people contributed their time 

and talents and really made this night a success.

Everything turned out even better than I expected!  

Shannon Heward, my friend and neighbor, was our committee

leader and she is just the type of person you want in charge.

She thinks of everything, delegates well, cares about the little details,

and works so hard behind the scenes.  She created and printed all the

invites & signage, coordinated the props and Nativity costumes,

and basically kept tabs on everyone to make sure we were following

through on our assignments.

Well done my friend!!!

So our theme was "Back to Bethlehem" and we encouraged

everyone to dress in biblical attire.  When they came into the building

they had to sign the census and pay their taxes.

(canned food to donate to the local food pantry was the tax!)

We even had our own Roman soldiers

making sure there was no funny business!

:)

 Bethlehem style GPS 

All of the pictures I am posting were taken by my friend Jocelyn 

who should definitely start a little side photography business - 

doesn't she do a great job?

Right before the party started....facing the stage.

City of Bethlehem... 

Lots of women from church saved their cans for a

few weeks so we could use them as centerpieces.

They had holes punched in the sides and had 

a flickering candle in the center.

Our crowning jewel - the Nativity Stable and Manger.

Shannon was in contact with a man from Perry, Utah

who built this from reclaimed barn wood and let us 

borrow it for FREE!

He even came down and helped set it up and 

take it down. It was beautiful.

Almost everyone that came dressed up and it was so 

fun to see everyone and their creative "Bethlehem" 

costumes!

 Jocelyn pulls off a pretend Bethlehem

pregnancy pretty well!

Mabel was our cute little shepherd girl.

Dinner was a buffet style and it was 

GOOOOOOOOOD!

So many people signed up to bring food, and one

 of our neighbors who is a chef said he would prepare

and donate the main chicken dish, the orzo pasta

and let us use all of his chafing dishes.

So generous!

After we had eaten dinner we had our Nativity program. 

Mary and Joseph (our cute neighbors the Birds)

looked lovingly at their sweet baby Jesus

(their 3 month old Oliver)

as the narrator read from Luke 2. 

We sang several Christmas songs throughout the program 

and each of the Nativity cast did a great job playing 

their parts. 

Recognize that wise man?

The night couldn't have gone any better and it was a wonderful

reminder of the reason we celebrate this holiday - the birth

of our Savior Jesus Christ.