On Christmas Eve, The girls and I trundled off to the
gorgeous Episcopal Church around 4pm for their
Christmas by Candlelight Service.
They have a live nativity and sing along carols--much better than I can think up at home.
Aaron, our fearless leader, was down for the count with a bad bug and couldn't join us. :(
Afterwards I decided to do a "Shepherd's Dinner" at the last minute. It was an idea my sister in-law Kristen had used with great success. So-after we got home from Church I told them to get some shepherd's gear on and meet at the kitchen table.
We ate by candlelight, which you can't see, since I had to turn lights on the take the picture. Our meal was bread, cheese, summer sausage and french onion soup. Not the most authentic meal in the world, but they loved it.
We talked about how each of us plays the role of the Angel and the Shepherd in the Christmas Story. At one point, We were in the concourses of Angels that sung that night. In the heavenly sphere we rejoiced in the knowledge that Christ was being born into the world. Now, on earth, we are the lowly shepherd. The normal mortal being, who, although ordinary, still has an important role. We are the shepherds who must spread the "good news" or gospel to all the world.
Is there anyone like Victoria Brock--I just had to throw this one in there...
Afterwards we did the typical opening of presents from each other and from the cousins.
It was a wonderful Christmas Eve!!
The memory is more important than the menu! We haven't done our Shepherds' Dinner in a couple of years because of other Christmas Eve parties, but I've decided next year we'll have it anyway, just on another night. It's a great activity.
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