Christmas Eve 2013
For the first time ever, we got to share Christmas Eve with our current home church family. It was such a blessing!!!
Earlier in the day, we went to the mall - not b/c we needed anything, but precisely b/c we *DIDN'T* and we could enjoy the bustling spirit w/o the stress of needing to accomplish anything! :-D Annelise was pulled to be a hair model as we walked around! This curling iron was great - the curls set in literally 3 seconds and lasted overnight! ...But no, I did not succumb & buy it. :-P (& yes, they did her whole head! Thankful for a special FREE Christmas Eve hair do!)
I sang for both of our candlelight services at 6 & 7:30 PM. JB & the kids dropped me off at church before, and they came to the 7:30, so we could all ride home together. :-) Each service was 45 minutes (perfect length for entire families being together ;-)) with 3 songs ("O Come All Ye Faithful", "O Come O Come Emmanuel", & "Joy to the World"),
After church, the kids set out chocolate-covered cherry cookies, hung their stockings, and went to bed fairly easily!
Excited for the morning...
Edited to add: Annelise's Santa letter was *THE* BEST!!!
Earlier in the day, we went to the mall - not b/c we needed anything, but precisely b/c we *DIDN'T* and we could enjoy the bustling spirit w/o the stress of needing to accomplish anything! :-D Annelise was pulled to be a hair model as we walked around! This curling iron was great - the curls set in literally 3 seconds and lasted overnight! ...But no, I did not succumb & buy it. :-P (& yes, they did her whole head! Thankful for a special FREE Christmas Eve hair do!)
I sang for both of our candlelight services at 6 & 7:30 PM. JB & the kids dropped me off at church before, and they came to the 7:30, so we could all ride home together. :-) Each service was 45 minutes (perfect length for entire families being together ;-)) with 3 songs ("O Come All Ye Faithful", "O Come O Come Emmanuel", & "Joy to the World"),
[I *love* that I can hear Annelise singing with the congregation on this! :-D]
a short video about our Advent charity that the offering went to (Mercy House Kenya), "O Holy Night", and a 5-minute message from the pastor before we closed singing "Silent Night" while the entire congregation lit candles by sharing each other's flame. It was breathtaking. I honestly got misty up onstage singing, "Round yon virgin, mother and child" while looking out and seeing sweet moms helping their wide-eyed kids, and then seeing my own children... ♥
After church, the kids set out chocolate-covered cherry cookies, hung their stockings, and went to bed fairly easily!
Excited for the morning...
Edited to add: Annelise's Santa letter was *THE* BEST!!!
Loved hearing you sing in the video! Glad you and your family had a merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying that, Tracey!!! :-)
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