IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!! I love Christmas...I love the entire Christmas season!!!! This weeks Friday's FIVE is Five of my favorite 'Christmas Season' activities...The fun things that help to build the anticipation for the Blessed Day of Christmas!
1. One of my favorite things about the Holiday Season... is the Walkway of Lights in our hometown of Marion... I miss the Riverwalk - and the Walkway of Lights. When we lived on Spencer and on Nelson in Marion - the Walkway was within walking distance...and I loved walking that Riverwalk. It was especially enchanting during the holiday season when the lights were lit - and the gift shop was open.... a cup of Cappuccino at the gift shop would warm you up for the walk back home.
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2. Christmas Eve and Advent Services at church.... I love to sing the traditional hymns and participate in Christmas worship services. My home church, First United Methodist Church in Marion always had a Christmas eve service... and the entire advent season was a festival. We rehearsed Christmas programs, Bell Choir and Chancel Choir songs... There was always so much going on. Bruce and I are now attending Center United Methodist Church, a very small church in Silver Lake - and with a congregation of just 20, there isn't the Pomp that was always present at First United Methodist Church during advent - but there is no less reverence... Advent is advent... big or small, it is a time to prepare - to celebrate the birth of Christ.
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3. Saylors Christmas Eve Eve Party is a wonderful tradition... I have been attending this party for many, many years - and am now thrilled to be a part of the family - to attend this party with Bruce as my husband. Because we live out of town, this is an exciting party for us - because we often get to see friends and family that we don't see very often. It is a true holiday homecoming for us.
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4. Holiday celebrations with neighbors and friends ... Now that this is our home, after nearly seven years - we have established deep friendships in this community. I love the celebrations we have with each other. We share many festive dinners with Allen and Esther - we often get together with Janet and Steve, we recently had dinner with Johnsons, Pattersons and Schlemmers and enjoyed a wonderful holiday dessert at Schlemmers home in Wabash....
Pattersons host an annual party on the Sunday before Christmas. It is a nice time to celebrate with friends so close to us - that also have families that aren't so near....
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5. Children's Christmas Programs always bring tears to my eyes. I can remember my own children in Sunday School Christmas programs. I remember one year - Betsy didn't like her costume so she just pulled up her little lady bug costume and exposed her leotards... She was sooo funny. Katie LOVED wearing her sparkley/Crystal-ly 'fire-fly' costume... "ANGELS AND LAMBS...LADY BUGS AND FIREFLIES told everybody in sight...that Jesus was born in Bethlehem... on the Christmas night!" School programs with children singing "I'm getting Nuttin' for Christmas" and "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" bring smiles to my face.
My mother was such a wonderful grandmother to my children and she would always attend these school programs with me. Tyler is now in CSA (Community School of the Arts) and will be performing in his second CSA Holiday program this year. There is truly something magical about Christmas in a childs eye.
MERRY BLISSEN ALL BODIES!!!!
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