Christmas Eve @ Mom's & Nativity

Re-enacting the miraculous event that happened over 2,000 years ago has become my family's tradition on Christmas Eve. When I was a girl, my Aunt Susie was in charge of getting us ready and rehearsing our parts for the Nativity. She'd wrap our heads with towels, drape our bodies with robes or sheets, and hand us our prop. We'd humbly march into Grandma & Grandpa Next Door's front room, stand precisely where Susie instructed us and said our part, or handed our prop to the Baby Jesus in the manger.

Now, my sister Kristie has taken over where Susie left off. This year we had a wonderful Christmas Eve Nativity scene. Madison was Mary; Preston was Joseph; Georgia, Abbie, and Reese were Angels; Gage, Tommy, and Jack were Wisemen; McKena was a Shepherd; and Rebecca & Mary-Gail were her sheep! (Cy was home sick - but he was queued to be Baby Jesus). Kristie had special parts for Mom who started the program off by singing Mary's Lullaby (Children's Songbook); Dadda as Samuel the Lamanite who appeared 5 years before the birth of Christ and gave signs and warnings to the multidue of people - believers and nonbelievers); Josh read from the Bible the account of Joseph and Mary having to travel to their homeland to pay taxes, and upon arrival in Bethlehem, could not find comfort in any inns; Carly, JoJo, Pam, Grandma & Grandpa Gourley as the Heavenly Choir of Angels; and I played Madison & Georgia's electric Barbie piano for accompaniment. Here we are:

Mom and the Nativity cast members

Dadda as "Samuel the Lamanite" and fellow cast members

Grandma & Grandpa Gourley amist their 12 great-grandchildren

The Wiseman hugs the Angel

2 little sheep...2 little sheep

(Daddy made their costumes in 10 minutes b/c Mommy forgot!)

Me and my precious sheep - I'd leave the 98 to find these 2...

...although they better not stray!