34th Annual Live Nativity Pageant

Always the highlight of our family's Christmas season is the Live Nativity Pageant at the Fairgrounds, usually the first week of December.  I guess we love it so much, because we all participate in some way and have since it began in 1978.  I have posted a lot of my memories from when our children were in the pageant, and now I am posting about our grandchildren playing the parts that their parents played when they were their age.

We always practice on the Sunday afternoon before it begins, and this year I wanted to take some behind the scenes pictures.

Here we are waiting for Charles to give us our instructions:

God gave this vision to Charles a couple of years prior to doing it at the Fairgrounds.  One year, we did one scene on a grocery store parking lot and another year in front of a gas station garage.  Then he was able to expand to the Fairgrounds and do several scenes on this hillside.  I just love this man...his commitment to the Lord is unequaled by anyone I know.  He and Wanda were always such mentors and examples for Gary and I.  I really miss Wanda.........sigh.

It takes a LOT of people to do this and in some cases it is a reunion for those of us who have been doing it for all these years and don't see some of these people until the pageant each year.

Ready to rehearse, Cael?

Cozy has played the keyboard every year since the beginning.  Such a sacrifice...she never gets to see the performance....just a little glimpse out of the speaker's window sometimes.

Bill Galloway is one of the narrators and has been doing this for many years.  Gary Longstaff is the other narrator.

Roy controls the sound from inside the trailer and Belinda stands outside during the performance with her walkie-talkie to watch the show and cue him.

Gavin's ready to rehearse his traveler part.

Everybody's favorite.....hot chocolate.  We all look forward to the hot chocolate and cookies between shows.

Pappy's one of the Wise Men and gets to share the scene with whichever grandchild and mommy is the little boy Jesus and Mary that year.  This time it is Cael and Lindsay.

When they get big enough, the kids are allowed to be the angel on top of the manger.  This can be a pretty tough job, if there is much of a wind and it is cold.  They are such little troopers.  Jadon and Haven were these angels this year.....this picture is Haven.

Here's Mallory, Jadon and Haven waving to the crowds as they drive out after the performance.  Mallory and Jadon were travelers.

Lindsay and Cael were also travelers this time.  Our family is so multi-talented.

Hopefully we will get to do the pageant in December, 2012.  It'll be 35 years!  Thank you Charles, for a lifetime of memories and for your mission heart to share Jesus with the Springfield area.

Choir member, Donna