Church children's Christmas program

Sunday afternoon was the children's program of songs and verses at First Pres. The kids from age 5+ have been practicing on Sunday mornings with [children's director] Miss Courtney for about 6 weeks. This was Timo's first time to participate in a Christmas program in front of the church. And Mattias's first time to dress up as a shepherd! And baby Hawk, who hopefully as a shepherd will not scare away any of the sheep despite his nomenclature.

Jim and I were both smiling throughout the program because this church has unexpectedly become such a comfortable, welcoming, unassuming place for us since we started attending in the last few months. The boys are being cared for and are learning new things, particularly Timo - who had to practise some new confidence skills and get up in the front with the other kids. They performed one song on handbells and one song on 'tubes' (for lack of a proper musical term) and sung three Christmas hymns. After the handbells, Timo looked right at Jim and smiled and gave a thumbs-up. And the younger children all got to dress up as shepherds (boys) or angels (girls), thanks to a woman in the church who measured and sewed them all outfits.

Afterwards was a church potluck, with kids running around holding candy canes and adults chatting and all elbowing their way in to get one of the Baxley's chocolates from the dessert table (well, not really, but the Baxley's do have a chocolate shop in town and attend church here - and the chocolate is legitimately good).

Happy Christmas!

goofy boy who smiles at everyone!