Opening the nativity scene, Ovrire la nativite



Judy in her element. Judy fais la decore



three little helpers, trois petites aides

On December 1st a group of us got together to decorate our church.  This is the second Christmas in our Church.  The first Christmas we had been a church for only 4 months or so. The gals had talked about it and there were some decorations put up.  This year it was more organized.  Judy got the ball rolling by setting a date and talking to some of us gals.  Then we showed up and things just came together.  On of the trees in a neighbor's yard blew over and John saved some of the branches for me after clearing it for her.  We spray painted those branches silver.  Judy purchased three prelighted trees, brought ribbon, and her expertise.  Marie purchased lights for the fig trees already there.  I think that some of the decorations came from last year too.  Karen, Judy, Marie, and Caitlyn and a slew of children got to work on decorating.  Unfortunately I couldn't stay until the end but here are a few photos from the day.  I'm hoping that next year (maybe in another building) we'll have even more people.  Maybe even having a "party" with hot cocoa, coffee and drinks, lots of goofying off and lots of fun.
Nous aidons decore l'eglise.  L'annee derniere notre eglise est seulement quatre mois alors nous n'avons pas decore l'eglise.  L'autre jour nous avons allee pour decore.  Je pris la nativite.  Mon amie Judy est un decorateur et elle pris trois arbres, des guirlandes et rubans.  Mon amie Marie pris des lumiere.  Avec beaucoups des enfants nous commence.  Apres quelles heures nous finissions.  Je n'ai pas reste pour tout, il faut que je quit tot.  J'espere que l'annee prochaine nous pouvons plus des persons et on peut avoir un fete avec le chocolate chaud, le cafe et des biscuit pour decorer.

We opened one advent day and the activity was to decorate the Christmas Tree.  I can see this becoming a tradition.  We haul our bench upstairs to our room and then haul the box with the Christmas tree inside. We are a fake Christmas tree family.  One year we had a real tree but the needles fell off.  I'm not good at watering it.  I don't like crawling under the tree.  Then the boy scouts usually pick up the trees but not the year of the real one.  Instead John hauled it around in the back of the truck meaning to drop it off but since it was so dry it blew out onto the interstate.  That was the last year for the real Christmas Tree.  The fake one is it for us.  We have a procedure.  The kids put in the platic branches as I wrap lights around them.  I think it takes over 700 lights on our tree.  After the tree is assembled and the lights are on, the decorations come out.  The kids put on the ornaments.  There are ones that they really like.  There is a bird and a bear that they hide in the branches every year.  When one finds it, then they get to hide. This goes on until Christmas.  John has the honor of putting on the star.  Then all the boxes go back into the garage.  I usually rearrange the ornaments after the kids go to bed.  Call me picky. This year we had an extra helper - Adrienne.
C'est annee nous fabriquons notre arbre de Noel.  D'abord nous commence avec les branches.  Quand nous mettons les branches sur l'arbre, je mis les lumiere.  Je mis presque 700 lumiere sur notre arbre.  Nous avons un arbre faux parcque nous sommes terrible avec un vrai arbre.  Les enfants ont mis les ornements sur l'arbre.  John a mis l'etoile tout en haute.  Et mois, je pris les photos.  Cette annee nous avons une aide, une amie de Lona - Adrienne.

For the last several years I have wrapped presents in brown paper bags.  I love the look of the packages wrapped up with string and a cute tag.  I think it's the tags that make the presents inviting.  The tags are different each year.  The packages reminds me of the song "A Few of My Favorite Things".  Some day I may look back and think how was that ever cute/pretty but so it goes with fashion.  Anyway our school desk is a mess while I create and stamp and glue but I have fun.  I got the idea for the rosette flowers and tags from Shimelle.  She has lots of crafty things on her site.   Merry Christmas

Chaque annee j'enveloppe des cadeaux avec les sac  en papier bruns.  Je pense que des cadeaux semblent beaux mais c'est les etiquettes devients joli pour les cadeaux.  Quand je vois des cadeaux en papier bruns je pense d'un chasons "Quelques des choses qui sont mes favorites" .   Alors mon bureau n'est pas arrange.  Je coupe, colle et attache des papier jusqu'a je cree un etiquette que j'aime.  C'est idea je vois a Shimelle.  Elle cree beaucoup des joli chose.  Joyeux Noel.



Isn't this color to die for.   Le couleur est tres joli.




This is the boys' contribution to yumminess.  Les garcons font ca quand nous faisons des biscuit.



chocolate pumpkin cookies, biscuit des chocolat et potiron.



boxes the girls decorated to hold their cookies,  des boites pour des biscuits



Just hear those sleigh bells jinglin', ring ting tinglin' to


Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

The snow is fallin' and friends are callin' "you-who"

Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with, you

With you



[Chorus:]

Giddy-up let's go, let's look at the show

Were ridin' in a wonderland of snow

Giddy-up it's grand, just holdin' your hand

(Just holdin' your hand, just holdin' your hand)

Were gliding along with a song of a wintery fairy land



Our cheeks are rosey and comfy cozy we're snuggled up (together)

Like two birds of a feather will be

Let's take the road before us and sing a chorus or two

Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with, you

With you



[Bridge:]

There's a Christmas party at the home of Farmer Fred

It will be the perfect ending of a perfect day

It'll nearly be like a picture print by Courier and Ives

These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives

These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives



Just hear those sleigh bells jinglin' (ring ting tinglin', ring ting tinglin')

Oh those sleigh bells jinglin' (together with you, together with you)

The snow is fallin' (and friends are calling "you-who")

Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with, you

With, with you



[Repeat Chorus]



Our cheeks are rosy and comfy cousy we're snuggled up (together)

Like two birds of a feather will be

Let's take the road before us and sing a chorus or two

Come on it's lovely weather (together, together)

Yeah it's lovely weather (together, together)

Oh it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with, you

With, with you