Christmas activities!

Last Wednesday I made three scrumptious bacon broccoli quiches.  Later in the afternoon I met Lori at Hunter's school and gave two of them to her.  I wish I had taken a picture of them.  We enjoyed ours the next day.

They evening we had our soup and bread supper at church before our midweek Advent service. 

On Thursday morning a group of ladies from church went to a nursing home to sing Christmas carols with some of the residents.  It's a tradition we started several years ago.  One of the residents is a member of our church and the mother of Debbie, one of my choir members.  We had a wonderful time!

Here's Debbie sitting beside her mom Gladys.  

I got to play a grand piano!

We had choir practice in the evening.  Our cantata is over, but we have plenty of chances to sing before the season is over. 

Saturday was a big day!  In the morning we had a rehearsal for our children's program.  A lunch of hot dogs and mac and cheese was provided afterward.  

Then in the afternoon we had our gingerbread house decorating party.  I was disappointed that Lori and the boys couldn't come because they had gone to DC for the weekend to be with friends.  At the last minute I asked Sam and Steph if they wanted to come up so the kids could participate.  But they were going to be decorating Christmas cookies at Steph's mom's house.  But even without any of my grandchildren,  our social hall was full!! 

 

Pastor Jim dressed up like Santa!  The kids had fun posing for pictures with him. 

On Sunday morning the sanctuary was buzzing with excitement.  As I sat at the piano waiting for the start of the service I took this little video.

The children led our worship with narrations and songs.  They did a really great job.  I had helped them to learn a few songs, but I was not in charge of the program.  I admit I felt the "directing bug" that morning.  All those years of directing children's programs at Manheim Christian.  Sigh.  There just isn't enough time to do all the things anymore.  

After church Dick and I went for a drive to find an inn and bakery I had learned about on Facebook.  It was 40 minutes away.  One of the owners was from Portland, so I wanted to meet him.  

It was GORGEOUS!!!

We might have gotten some of these goodies and eaten them in the car on the way home!

After we left we drove about 20 minutes down the road and stopped for coffee at a Sheetz gas station.  When I got out of the car I realized I was missing an earring.  I mentioned it to Dick.  He said, "Well someone gave an earring to the owners at the bakery that was found outside."  Yes!!  Now I remembered that too!  I called the bakery, described my earring, and they had it!  So we went back to get it.  Some of my earrings would not be worth the trip, but those were.  

By the time we got home it had started to snow lightly.  

I spent the rest of the day working on the music choices for next Sunday's service as well as our midweek service.  

In the evening I went outside to take a picture of our house.  Our little home sweet home. 

We didn't get much snow, just enough to be pretty on Monday morning.  

I was so excited to see a cardinal at the bird house!  How perfect!  Snow and a cardinal!

Another picture of our tree.

That's all for this week!