Christmas Letter 2012

The Christmas Shoe Tree

Last Sunday evening, our Children's Ministry at church presented a musical called "The Christmas Shoe Tree.  Gavin had a major speaking part, so I was excited to go and watch.

It was excellent!!!  I didn't realize we had so many gifted actors and singers (and rappers) among our children.  They all did such a great job!

The story is about three siblings who decide to collect shoes for Christmas to give to children who have no shoes.  They get the whole town involved and a news show decides to run a story on it.  They end up doing a whole big production on it, which wasn't what the family had in mind, but they end up getting to share Jesus with the director and others because of it.

Gavin and Paige

Gavin, Paige and Trevor

Gavin and Maddy

Samantha plays the News Reporter and Kevin is the director

Cooper Roy, Ryan Berry and Carter Anderson are the rappers

Gavin's character is sharing with Kevin, the director.

J.T.'s sister Emma was in the show, too, so he and Cael are so proud to watch Emma and Gavin.

Ava can't wait for the day she is the star of the show.  Oh wait, she already is!

Thanks to Jami Bryant and Mickie Roy and all the others who worked so hard to present this wonderful musical.

Christmas Parade!

I haven't been to the Springfield Christmas Parade in several years...probably since we entered Nativity Pageant floats in it and I either rode on the float or walked beside it passing out flyers.  But last Saturday I saw in the newspaper that it was at 2:00 pm so I called the kids and asked if I could take the grandkids.  Gavin had play practice and Ava had to take a nap, but I picked up Jadon, Haven, Jude and Cael and off we went.

We parked at the Hollywood Theater lot and walked around the square and down the street until we found a good spot where the kids could have access to all the candy that was thrown from the floats.  Cael brought his bucket.  We had to use pockets for the others.

The coca cola float went by and a guy walking with it handed Haven a can of coke.  She was very surprised and happy.

 

Jadon's highlight was the Star Wars float although he was uncharacteristically aggressive about retrieving candy thrown around him. I had to caution him about taking candy thrown right in front of our neighbors, even though I was secretly saying "Go, Jadon.".   Haven enjoyed the Miss Missouri, Miss Springfield ...Miss everbody else riding in the corvettes.  But I think the candy was really the highlight for all of them. Mine was watching the Willard Marching Band and remembering 47 years ago when I was playing my clarinet with frozen fingers and mouth, but marching proudly.

Love these fun times!!!

Mema

35 Years of Blessings

2012 marks the 35th year of Springfield's Live Nativity Pageant at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Missouri.  It also marks the last year for this beautiful portrayal of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Charles Dixon, who was given this vision by the Lord so many years ago and, along with his wife Wanda, faithfully carried out this mission for over 35 years, made the most difficult decision to end the pageant with this year.  Many of us feel like it is a good time because 1) we have had no tragedies or scandals involved with this event, 2) we are ending on a high note with record crowds and participants, 3) Charles is 80 years old and still in good health and willing to serve however the Lord leads, 4) it has left an incredible legacy for children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.

God blessed us with beautiful weather this year and we appreciated the warmth and dryness.  There have been many times of single digit temps, biting winds, snow, drizzle....ahhh, good memories!

We also saw many old friends who have participated in the past but came back this year to be a part of the last shows.  Betty Stokes, with her husband Charlie, started serving hot chocolate with the first pageant.  Charlie has since gone Home, but Betty wanted to be here for the last night.

Here's Georgeanne and Carol who have taken up the very important duties of hot chocolate and cookie distributors for the past few years

Gary and I are so blessed to have been in the pageant all 35 years.  Gary has always been a Wise Man and I have always been in the choir, although for the past few years Charles has had me don a costume and go out for the last scene and sign the last song, "Go Tell It On The Mountain."

Our children have been involved for all 35 years, as well. I have blogged about their involvement several times.  All of  the grandchildren except one have been able to play parts in the pageant.

Here are some pics from this year:

The Choir in "the trailer to your left"

Mema with Jadon, Haven and Jude




Jadon on the roof of the stable

                  Todd and Heather, Jadon, Haven and Jude

Lindsay as Mary with Cael as little Jesus

Lindsay and Ava, the traveler

Matt turning Ava to the camera

Gavin and Ava as travelers

I'm not sure the fact of this being the last pageant has really sunk in and may not until the week after Thanksgiving, 2013 when the buildings are not being set up at the fairgrounds and flyers and signs are not in the church lobby to pass out.

I just have to say how thankful I am for this very important part of our family's life.  It was never a question for us of "are we doing the pageant this year?"  It has just always been a major part of our Christmas celebration.  We have loved every minute of it, especially those milestone years when: Lucas was 3 years old and played the part of little Jesus that his mother Wendy had played when she was 3 years old in 1978.  Gavin was the angel on the roof, like his dad Matt had been when he was Gavin's age.  This year, Jadon, was the angel on the roof, like his dad Todd had been at that age.  Interestingly enough, even our children-in law have been a part of this pageant most of their lives.....Lindsay, Matt's wife,  is Charles Dixon's granddaughter and has never known a time there was not a pageant.  Heather was a teenager when she came to our church and was a part of the pageant b.t. (before Todd).  Doug has been a shepherd, disciple and even gone from car to car welcoming viewers before the show started. 

I thank the Lord for men like Charles Dixon who are so committed they keep going with a mission they know is from the Lord.  There were years we had to cancel one or two nights because of weather, or crowds were so down it seemed useless or we were scrambling to find enough actors to play all the parts.  But he never gave up.  He just kept going.  And then there were those times he heard from people who were so touched, or their family member recommitted to Christ, or those who were saved because they saw and heard the Gospel reenacted.  Thank you Charles for keeping on.  Thank you also for knowing that there is a season for everything and just because this season has ended, there is always a new season.  Can't wait to see what the Lord does next.

Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!!

Donna

Four Year Old Cael

Happy Birthday to Cael tomorrow!!  He will be 4 years old on December 3, 2012.  We got to go to his birthday party Saturday with his friends and other family members at the Fire Station!

What a fun party!   Cael and his friends played "Pin the Badge on the Fireman" while they waited for the fireman to come and take them on a tour of the facility.  Even the adults enjoyed seeing where the firemen spend their off time and hearing about their days on duty.  The kids got to sit in the fire truck and hear the alarms and sirens (with their hands on their ears).

The Fireman was explaining about the smoke alarm and Cael said, "The smoke alarm is my friend."  Matt and Lindsay said that he was afraid of it so they had to tell him that so he would not be afraid.  It was so cute when he said it to the fireman.

Then we all went back to the party room for refreshments and to let Cael open his presents.  Here is his cake that Erin made for him.

The bucket of cheetos was called "burning flames", the jar of Reese's Pieces were "burnt embers", the red licorice were "fire hoses" and the plate of "fire dogs" were all so cute...and yummy!

Cael, your enthusiasm is so contagious.  It is fun to watch you enjoying your party and your friends.  You don't want to miss anything and you make the most of every opportunity. This is a big month for you and I know you will enjoy every minute of it.  Next up....Nativity Pageant.  You have been talking about Baby Jesus for so long now....finally you will get to play the part of little Jesus again.

I love you very much,

Mema