Beautiful evening

Last night we took our family downtown to the "Echos of Christmas" program. We bundled everyone up in their warmest winter gear and headed out! I'm so glad that the weather cleared up. The slushy rain from earlier in the day would have made the evening somewhat miserable!

Pause for a few clicks of the camera before our Shepherd was ready to guide us on what promised to be a spirit filled night - a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. While we were waiting we also saw our friends the Woolston's - I took a picture of them too, but since you weren't supposed to use a flash it came out rather blurry so I'm not posting it! When our tour started we were introduced to our Shepherd who would be our guide through the evening. (Later, K became the Shepherd's helper - holding the crook - so we got to follow her!) We were told that we'd meet Samuel, Abraham and Issac. That we'd see the 3 wise men, the Inn Keeper and his wife and then Mary, Joseph and the new born Jesus. We walked quietly from scene to scene being greeted with beautiful songs at each stop. Songs that asked the question "what is my purpose here" and songs that made you believe that each character was truly on a quest to find Christ.

These are some of our favorite scenes. Shepherds, Kings, Wise Men, Camels, Angels and the Inn Keeper and his wife - they were all there! All preparing for the coming of the Savior. Each scene built upon the last and as we progressed from scene to scene, we were just as anxious to meet Mary, Joseph and the baby as the Wise Men and Shepherds were.

Alas, Mary & Joseph with the new born Christ and their donkey. I don't know how anyone could mistake the spirit at this moment. These volunteers did a beautiful job of portraying that special moment in time. They made you believe in this miracle, they captured your heart. Even my children were in awe - they sat quietly and watched, not making a peep, not touching each other, not moving a bit. As tears rolled down my face my heart was filled with the true meaning of this time of year. I'm so glad that we took time out of our day to enjoy this amazing event. I hope it will become a Christmas tradition, not only in SLC but in my family as well.