Christmas Eve

A very busy week for us leading up to Christmas.  Just one of those weeks where you find yourself up on your feet from morning 'til night.  But, hey at least I WAS up on my feet with no illness...a huge point of praise!  I made 375 cookies in one day during the middle of the week for the outreach and our neighbors.  As a family we made a visit on Thursday night to one of Jonathan's close friends, who is struggling financially, to deliver a food basket to him.  After that I got my birthday dinner in at a Chinese restaurant.

Saturday we made our annual delivery of cookies and calendars to our neighbors.  Such a simple thing that requires a little advance planning, but that really says so much.  Our neighbors are always taken a back by the gesture.  One elderly woman invited us up for a coffee and we enjoyed our time with her and she more so.  She said she would always remember the gift and act of kindness.  Praying these traditions will also speak greatly to the hearts of our children as well.

We hosted our home group meeting over Christmas Eve dinner.  Then we went out for the first time since living in our fraction of town to visit the live nativity.  It is an annual event that takes place just around the corner.  We wanted to go out last year, but it got cancelled due to rain and I'm pretty sure the years previous we were sick or something.  So glad we made it this year!

It was really a fun walk through Bethlehem with various stalls throughout the street leading up to the parking lot where the kids' school is and local church.  Many of Samuel's classmates were participating in the reinactments so there were many greetings to be made along the route.

Getting a slab of freshly curned butter, that was as thick as the bread.  Loved the free samples!

Samuel and Emma with a schoolmate at the bakery

Wood cutters at the carpenter shop

The stable and manger.  Baby Jesus gets placed in the manger at midnight, followed by Mass.

Our kids and Nathan posing for a photo op

Shepherds were watching over their sheep

They even created a pond with live fish

The desert where the wiseman lived (no camels)

Warming up over the many open fires

I think I forsee a new family Christmas tradition.  Three late nights in a row and hoping the excitement for Christmas morning would not awake anyone too early...