Making Christmas Come Alive

The little donkey on the left (a neighbor's pet) was donated for the month of December to be part of our Nativity pageant and now he is housed by the visitor's center for children to visit, and pet when they come to see the lights. There are also two sheep. All are very friendly. People used to just drive around to see the lights, but now that the sheep and donkeys are here (and cookies and apple cider in the residence) they come and visit and stay a while. Christmas is a busy time here and everyone has worked very hard to make it beautiful and special for visitors.
Elder Charchenko helped to build the stable and corrals that you see in the next picture.
The live Nativity program took place in this stable.

As many of you know our family (especially mother) has spent many hours building and improving the life-size nativity they put up every year to share with everyone. It was always a dream of mother's to have a nativity. Fourteen years ago they began with Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. They used plastic pipe and chicken wire and donated heads that were no longer used at the beauty school. Mom added beards and mustaches to make the ladies look like shepherds and Wise-men. She also used rubber Halloween masks and painted them. Each year as improvements and additions were made it has become more and more beautiful. All the children and their spouses have helped in some way or another. As many as can make it come to Pomerene the Saturday after Thanksgiving to help put up the Nativity. Each year something new was added. Then one year Mom found a beautiful Baby Jesus online and ordered it. It was FANTASTIC! I will never forget how excited she was when it came. Baby Jesus no longer looked like a doll. He looks like a real baby (as you can see by this picture).


As you gather together this Christmas season with your loved ones, we encourage you to remember the real reason we celebrate.

There is a saying that we have been hearing lately and it is very true...

"Jesus is the reason for the season."
We hope you are finding joy and remembering what is truly important! We send love and greetings. Make it the best Christmas ever!