The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Today was our church's Children's Christmas Program. I must say, of all the churches I've ever attended THIS is the way to do a Christmas Pageant. 

Rather than trying to get a group of squirrely kids to memorize lines and perform a Christmas play our church  actually gets the Christmas program all finished by October. While the weather is still nice a few months ago we gathered all the kids together after school and took photos of them dressed up in various roles of the Christmas story. Then it gets put on a Power Point presentation and the kids get to sit next to Mom and Dad and watch themselves in the "pageant". 

I'm sharing just a few of the photos the photographer (that would be me) took. By no means am I a professional but it was sure a lot of fun! 

The innkeeper turning away Mary and Joseph. 

I just love Mary's green fingernail polish...too cute! 

The choir of angels announcing the birth to the shepherds. 

We even have a very nice sheep farmer in the area that let me hang around taking photos of his critters for our pageant. 

This year we even had a "real" Baby Jesus. Bless that mother for trusting me to thrust her little one into the hands of a bunch of 6 and 8 year olds. 

But they sure did love him. 

Our "Wise Men".

Funny side story; my maiden name is Wise and I have three brothers. One of our ministers growing up would always get a kick out of saying, "Here come the Three Wise Men" when my brothers walked in the door. I guess that makes Yip and Yap up there half a wise man :) 

Yap

Yahoo 

Yip

Our little church has had such blessings this year. We started a children's Sunday School class (which I get to teach) in the spring and the first Sunday we only had 3 children. This morning we had 12 get up to sing and share poems in front of the church. What a blessing it's been to work with all these kids. It keeps me busier, along with a few more obligations I've added this year, and I have had as much time to blog as I'd like but that's okay. I get to see all those smiling faces on Sunday mornings! 

One gentleman at our church gave me the best compliment though. He said, "Next week I'll turn 85 years old and I've attended this church since I was 15 years old. I have never seen as many kids in the church as I did today." What a wonderful blessing! It's statements like that which give me hope for the future generations. 

Photo Thursday - Kids at Play

 We are losing teeth left and right now days. But it's funnier to tease them about losing teeth because they've been fighting.

 Yahoo cooking and waiting tables.

 Yip finally stood still and let me take some pictures of him.

 Knothead - the often photographically neglected member of our family.

I don't know what my kids are going to do in twenty years when they inherit all the photos I've taken of them. If only there were digital cameras 50 years ago! I'd have so many more pictures of my parents as children.

Kansas Ice

We had freezing rain all morning Wednesday of this week. The boys came home early from school because the ice had been building up all morning. When they got home this is what we found on the trees. Ice, ice, ice.

What else to do but go out and play...and try not to fall down. It was slick! Poor Yahoo fell down on the ice as soon as she stepped off the porch. Ah! But, it was a chance for me to get out and practice with my camera. It's been a while since the kids and I had a good photo session.

 



Yip! Hold still!

Man, I can NEVER get a good picture of that boy.

Maybe it's because he never. stops. moving!

 

Yap and Yahoo, why are you eating ice off pine needles? Maybe the pine needles add a nice flavor.

I was so glad to get this photo of Yahoo because recently whenever she sees me with the camera she either hits me or runs away!

Ice sure helps create some beautiful photos and it's good because ice adds moisture in our very dry farming area out here but Spring?.....seriously....I'm ready anytime you are.

Photo of the Day - Swing on Yip