The Nativity

The Christmas Eve program always ends with The Nativity! Scott read Luke chp 2 while the kids act it all out. Here is the whole crew gathered around the baby Jesus. The kids were actually quite reverent - especially considering the general loudness of the group up until this point!

Here are our beautiful angels - Ellie and Kyra!

The shepards - Little Thomas in pink, Jackson, and Ian. Paige was a sheep!

Somehow the Hope children represented the Holy family. Riley was a wonderful donkey and Craig played Joseph while Andi made a very cute Mary. It was precious and a wonderful way to end the evening!!

As a side note - Scott learned about the origination of Norad's tracking Santa program!! We didn't know that it was a simple newspaper misprint back in 1955 that led to the yearly tradition of military personal tracking the location of Sant on Christmas Eve. It is a cool story! So, my very obsessive husband was very obsessed with tracking Santa all day long!! When we got back to our house after the evening festivities; there was spreading of reindeer dust in the driveway, cookie and milk placing, pajama putting on, teeth brushing, etc. etc. After listening to Twas the Night Before Christmas and family prayer - we made the actual call to Norad. A very friendly man informed my children that Santa was currently in Michigan but at the rate he was moving, he would be in Idaho very soon. He advised my children to go to bed as sooon as possible. The phone conversation wasn't even done when Andi bolted up the stairs like a maniac. When I made it up after her, she was cuddled in her bed claiming to have already said her prayers - she was in a serious hurry to get to sleep!! It was so funny! Both of my little ones fell asleep remarkably fast considering what night it was!!! Merry Christmas my little family!