This is our second year at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. The kids are loving Sunday School and choir. This year our choir director planned out a rather fun and musical 30 min program called ONCE UPON A STARRY NIGHT. This is the first year all 5 of our kids are involved in a program. We had 3 stars, a shepherd and a wise man with a solo. In fact, all but Echo had speaking parts as well! So much of our December and a bit of November was spent with lots of practicing. 

The girls both wore their special Christmas dresses. This is the second time wearing these as we dressed up in our best for Santa earlier in the month (that picture to follow as well). Miss Echo was especially proud of her blue dress and star! 

I was very proud of Trinity. She used learning her lines as a way to improve her writing and for the first time ever was willing to stand at the front of the church AND say something into a microphone! 

Emanuel was a wonderful shepherd though his headgear did not make it down the aisle for the procession in. 

Gavin was a wonderful star and helped Trinity along with her lines.

Zander was loud and clear and sang beautifully! 

We even had guests come! Not only Nana and Baba but Renee, Nathan and Evan! Talk about exciting. Being able to share our pageant with friends was great fun. We go to Evan’s musical night on Tuesday which just happens to be at the huge Catholic church literally down the street a bit from here! 

All in all an adorable concert with the kids so proud of themselves. We ended it with bags of goodies… all sorts of traditional Christmas treats!

Quite the wonderful morning! A much loved Advent tradition.

Waiting and stitching before service. We had to come there by 9:30 for the 10:45 service as usual so they could do a run through.

Ken even SHAVED for the event (the day before but still… not bad!).

Trinity with a couple friends.

Ready for the procession in.

The babies are so adorable!

3 Wise Men… Persons… Wise Persons.

Singing

There was an adorable lost sheep solo too… Baa-bara had a song to sing.

Singing around Baby Jesus.

Our littlest star… she even sang some of the words!!!

And again…

It was a joy to be able to wear again the June wedding guest dress this time with the red crinoline underneath!

I promise that TOMORROW there will be Sunday School pageant video but today you have to suffer through pictures and some Lisa babble. Anyway…

Today was the Christmas pageant and it went marvellously! First off Trinity chose NOT to go up… she did, however, sit in the very front pew with her Grandpa Mike. Gavin was a terrific Joseph who eventually got bored… Zander sang his little heart out at the very TOP of his lungs AND waved at everyone (wish I had gotten a picture of that!) and Emanuel shushed with the best of them! We were all VERY proud!

Hugs from Grandpa

With Emanuel's friend

We had our luncheon at the church first where the kids had a blast sitting at a different table and meeting other parishioners. Some of our family came to enjoy the event as well! Cousin Veronika with her Adam and her folks (my Aunty Lorraine and Uncle Ken) were right on time, and then Grandma and Grandpa Mike! YAY! Echo was wide awake in her Christmas finery. She wore Trinity’s first Christmas dress… it is closer to fitting… sort of! 

With headband

With cousin

Echo spent some of the program crawling around and entertaining some of the people at the ends of the pews… she really does enjoy the sanctuary… sound echos (ha ha) AND lots of crawl room! 

Floor time

After we enjoyed the pageantry it was time to say good bye to some of the relatives and then head back to home where Grandma and Grandpa Mike came and hung out for a while. They brought a special gift – a magic key for Santa for him to get into our place on Christmas Eve (after all we have a chimney but it is blocked off and the couch in front of it!). 

Key

Trinity was not interested in being an angel… she saw the 3 Kings’ crowns and wanted to be a PRINCESS! Her teacher was so sweet… took her to the craft supplies and made her a shiny pipecleaner crown! Which she wore ALL DAY! So if you ask her, she was NOT an angel – she was a PRINCESS!

Pre-crown cutie

It was finally time for Chris and Chris to open their present… they seemed to like everything! And now I can share my picture of my very first wing holding owls! 

Opening presents

Together in love

Now I have a new deadline – I want to have ALL my gifts done by Wednesday so I can truly enjoy the final countdown to Christmas. I have almost done it with a short list of items to be completed. And for our Advent video… who doesn’t love the Muppets???

My family!