O Holy Night

So, we went to a live Nativity last night and it as SO cool! And cold. Really really cold!

My Mom's stake and 4 other non-denomonational churches put it together and it was just amazing. There were 2 Roman guards in full armor and helmets at the entrance, next to 2 big bonfires. We went down a steep gravel path, lined with candles and torches, to a common area that looked like Bethlehem City. People draped in robes, were carrying baskets of different kinds of breads that you could eat. More were "working" in tents that had cups of hot cider that you could drink and there were more bonfires going. We walked up another path and saw a man holding a camel, and people could go up and actually pet it. We followed a large group of people down a long windy path and came to a clearing where there was a stable built in the center. Shepherds with sheep were standing on the hills by a fire. Wisemen knelt on the hay beside the stable, looking in to see Joseph watching as Mary rocked her week old newborn, and then laid him in a manger full of hay. The baby was wrapped in many layers and on top was a sheepskin blanket - it was absolutely breathtaking. Pretty much silent except for people whispering to their kids about the story. A donkey stood quietly in the stable, and Gerritt took Max up to pet it. I was suprised at how quiet a scene like that could make a 2 year old like mine! I think just about everyone had tears in their eyes as they watched Mary and Joseph lovingly care for the tiny baby Jesus.


























Really a fun, Christmas-y night for us! Oh, and don't worry - I left Hudson home with Tom because it was just too freezing to take him. I had long underwear under Max's jeans, 2 shirts, and a sweater under his coat! It was bitter cold, but totally worth it!