Christmas Fun

Each year at Christmastime, the main shopping area downtown, known as Orchard Road, is elaborately decorated and lit up every night. It is always fantastic to see and the pictures never do it justice. It has become a tradition to go see the lights and get ice cream. I didn't go this year as it is too hard for me to walk around that much. And Joseph didn't feel comfortable taking all 4 himself into the throngs of people, so I stayed home with Ella. And there are always crowds of people like at no other time as well. (I saw the decorations in the day though as all our doctors are on or near Orchard Road.) The kids wanted to take the metro because, believe it or not, we have never been on the metro here. We recently moved right next to a metro stop (another
good reason to come visit us) and so it is really slick to ride the metro downtown now. It takes
about 15min on the metro or by car (without traffic) to get to the heart of the city.

Another tradition is the live nativity at the church. Our stake puts together a nativity where they convert the 4th floor of our building into a journey to Bethlehem. There are guides dressed in costume to take you down lit hallways to see Isaiah and hear his prophesy, into to rooms with angels heralding Christ's birth, wise men, shepherds, King Herod, and finally into a stable with Joseph and Mary. Then the guide leads you into an active marketplace complete with people behind stalls selling meat, grains, rugs, vegetables, etc. where you receive refreshment. It is all quite elaborate with the actors, costumes and sets. Our ward was in charge of the marketplace and Joseph and Abigail helped set it up and then he and the girls had an opportunity to "sell vegetables" to the guests. We went through it as a family on Friday night and they participated Saturday night. Again, if I wasn't so huge with child, I would have also gone dressed up with the kids--I did go through it on Friday with my camping chair (because I can't stand for long). It is kind of a bummer to miss out on so much this year . . .

After the marketplace there is a room full of nativity sets from around the world. I donated 3 to display and I was told that my California beach nativity I put together years ago was the most talked about and photographed. Here it is pictured, however I changed the pieces a little when I saw it Friday. I turned baby Jesus so his head was at the top and moved Mary and Joseph closer to the manger.