"The Activity Scene"

That's what my four-year-old kept calling the Nativity Scene today as we talked about setting it up and then unpacked it and set it up together. I kept correcting her but to no avail. But hey...there was some really great activity in that little corner of the world that first Christmas night. So we're just going to go with it... :)I actually have stronger memories of setting up the nativity scene as a child than I do of decorating the tree, although we did both each year. There was something so magical about pulling each bundle out of the box, unwrapping the newspaper and finding out which character would emerge. I was NUTS about setting up and re-setting up the scene...thinking about different ways the animals could sit or switching the magi and the shepherds to opposite sides of the creche.

We definitely enjoyed setting our nativity up today...even Andrew!

As I looked through the camera lens at this shot, the foreshadowing that this photo can represent gave me serious chills.

"Lo He lay his glory by, born that men no more may die; born to save the sons of earth;

born to give them second birth..."

My nativity scene is so special to me. The figurines are by Willow Tree and I have several of the "family" themed ones that I keep around during the rest of the year. But at Christmas I bring this set out. James gave me part of it, my mother gave me other parts of it and my mother-in-law gave me other parts, until I finally had the whole thing. The creche is actually really special, too, although not made by Willow Tree. James found it on a website and ordered it partly because of how beautiful it is but also because of how they are made. This was several years ago before either of us was familiar with the term "altered art." :) But the artist who makes these makes each one by hand, out of discarded scrap wood, giving it a new life, making something beautiful out of something wanton and (I like to think!) helping it become what it was always meant to be. Such an apt word picture for the season, I think!

Here's the kids' "activity scene" that Rachel and Andrew played with for a good half hour. Rachel asked me to take a photo of it. :) I love how the cow has edged Joseph out to the edge of the scene!

Hope you and your family are enjoying these first few days of the holiday season, too.

Hugs,

Cheryl