I need new business cards. Ones that say:"Animal Wrangler, Donkey Chauffeur & Camel Travel Agent"
I helped out last year with getting a pony to play the part of the donkey for our stake's live nativity. He was adorable, but not the real deal. This year when they asked if I would be in charge of{ all the animals }I sort of freaked.And balked.And said that responsibility scares me. I like the buck to stop with OTHER people, not me.
And then I said, "Wait, is this like... like... a CALLING?"
(Mormon guilt = never say no to a "calling")
There was a moment of silence on the line, then Ileana said,
"Yes."
Perfidy? Prevarication? Desperation?
I have my suspicions since no one ever set me apart. But the bottom line is that I adore our {miracle worker} Stake Relief Society President Debbi Morrison (the genie responsible for the whole nativity event), and I will do anything to make her life easier. Even if it gives me a bleeding ulcer.
{ clutching my stomach }
I need new business cards. Ones that say:
"Animal Wrangler, Donkey Chauffeur & Camel Travel Agent"
I helped out last year with getting a pony to play the part of the donkey for our stake's live nativity. He was adorable, but not the real deal. This year when they asked if I would be in charge of
I helped out last year with getting a pony to play the part of the donkey for our stake's live nativity. He was adorable, but not the real deal. This year when they asked if I would be in charge of
{ all the animals }
I sort of freaked.
And balked.
And said that responsibility scares me.
I like the buck to stop with OTHER people, not me.
And then I said, "Wait, is this like... like... a CALLING?"
(Mormon guilt = never say no to a "calling")
There was a moment of silence on the line, then Ileana said,
"Yes."
Perfidy? Prevarication? Desperation?
I have my suspicions since no one ever set me apart. But the bottom line is that I adore our {miracle worker} Stake Relief Society President Debbi Morrison (the genie responsible for the whole nativity event), and I will do anything to make her life easier.
And then I said, "Wait, is this like... like... a CALLING?"
(Mormon guilt = never say no to a "calling")
There was a moment of silence on the line, then Ileana said,
"Yes."
Perfidy? Prevarication? Desperation?
I have my suspicions since no one ever set me apart. But the bottom line is that I adore our {miracle worker} Stake Relief Society President Debbi Morrison (the genie responsible for the whole nativity event), and I will do anything to make her life easier.
Even if it gives me a bleeding ulcer.
{ clutching my stomach }
{ clutching my stomach }
What a cool missionary opportunity for our community, right? And such a great way for our families to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
"Hi! I don't know you and you don't know me but I am gonna charm your socks off and beg you to bring your barnyard animals to our nativity!" hat and started with the phone calls.
We got:
4 sheep,
(complete with an adorable little shepherdess girl named Mary and her little lamb Soda Pop... who literally followed her everywhere she went)
Bob the goat,
and a miniature donkey and his best bud, a miniature horse.
It was really hard to find a rideable donkey, however. And you know how Mary needs that lift to Bethlehem.
(Darling Kathryn as Mary... while Joseph was on a cocoa break. This is Brother Carlisle, a shepherd, filling in for the deadbeat step-dad. Just teasing, Alex... you were very gallant.)
I finally found Barney,
(I want to adopt Barney!)
(isn't he adorable??)
the mascot for Mustangs and MOHR in Dallas.
(a non-profit that matches rehabilitated mustangs with at-risk/troubled youth)
The most impressive part of our nativity just about gave me heart failure:
Nigel the camel.
He came to our nativity last year for the first time, and was a HUGE hit.
(no really, he's huge)
He is super friendly and loves kids.
However, in the past year, at the ripe old age of 14, he had the audacity to OUTGROW his trailer. His owners were in limbo between selling their old trailer and ordering a new one. We needed a trailer that was 7 feet 6 inches tall.
INSIDE height.
Everything was 7 feet 6 inches.
OUTSIDE height.
{ Oh dear. }
Several times we thought we had a ride for him.
Several times I almost peed my pants when we realized the trailer wasn't tall enough.
The last time, with the trailer we thought was a sure thing, that WASN'T
was the day before the first day of the live nativity.
I needed a paper bag to breathe into.
Molly, Nigel's "mom," just laughed.
The little people in my brain yelled,
"BREATHE, Tamara, BREATHE!"
I breathed, and everything was okay.
(Thanks Scott Short!!! You were our Christmas miracle!)
I learned (again) that when we're doing something that Heavenly Father wants us to do,
that he will help us do it if we give it our best shot.
Sing it!
♫ "I will go; I will do / the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.
I will go; I will do / the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey."♫
The live nativity happened.
Thanks be to God!
Lots of people came to see.
(my Kizi and Calvin with the great Mary Baum)
Angels fraternized with shepherds.
Tommy and Maria brought their newborn to be our Jesus.
I took deep breaths, and spent time pondering in front of the manger scene.
(including before anyone was there...)
And soaked it all in.
The boy scouts and the animals (except for Nigel and Barney) spent the night Friday night.
My frozen tush recovered from 3+ hours of exposure two nights in a row.
I learned how many barnyard animals I can fit into my 2-horse trailer.
My trailer still has sheep poop in the tack room.
My kids were troupers.
(That's the correct spelling. I promise.)
And I loved the whole thing.
nativity displays
(dang, I missed getting a photo of the boatloads of homemade cookies, hot cocoa, and milk that were served in the cultural hall)
Isaiah
Samuel the Lamanite
Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem
shepherds in the fields by night
wise men
And my early Christmas present?
First there was no newspaper coverage. So I called the news line the first day of the nativity, and a reporter came out. Then the paper was going to do a tiny blurb in the West Salem edition. Instead it went out in the main paper on the front page of the Valley Living section... on Christmas Eve.
(*sniff!*)
We got:
4 sheep,
(complete with an adorable little shepherdess girl named Mary and her little lamb Soda Pop... who literally followed her everywhere she went)
Bob the goat,
and a miniature donkey and his best bud, a miniature horse.
It was really hard to find a rideable donkey, however. And you know how Mary needs that lift to Bethlehem.
(Darling Kathryn as Mary... while Joseph was on a cocoa break. This is Brother Carlisle, a shepherd, filling in for the deadbeat step-dad. Just teasing, Alex... you were very gallant.)
I finally found Barney,
(I want to adopt Barney!)
(isn't he adorable??)
the mascot for Mustangs and MOHR in Dallas.
(a non-profit that matches rehabilitated mustangs with at-risk/troubled youth)
The most impressive part of our nativity just about gave me heart failure:
Nigel the camel.
He came to our nativity last year for the first time, and was a HUGE hit.
(no really, he's huge)
He is super friendly and loves kids.
However, in the past year, at the ripe old age of 14, he had the audacity to OUTGROW his trailer. His owners were in limbo between selling their old trailer and ordering a new one. We needed a trailer that was 7 feet 6 inches tall.
INSIDE height.
Everything was 7 feet 6 inches.
OUTSIDE height.
{ Oh dear. }
Several times we thought we had a ride for him.
Several times I almost peed my pants when we realized the trailer wasn't tall enough.
The last time, with the trailer we thought was a sure thing, that WASN'T
was the day before the first day of the live nativity.
I needed a paper bag to breathe into.
Molly, Nigel's "mom," just laughed.
The little people in my brain yelled,
"BREATHE, Tamara, BREATHE!"
I breathed, and everything was okay.
(Thanks Scott Short!!! You were our Christmas miracle!)
I learned (again) that when we're doing something that Heavenly Father wants us to do,
that he will help us do it if we give it our best shot.
Sing it!
♫ "I will go; I will do / the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey.
I will go; I will do / the thing the Lord commands.
I know the Lord provides a way; he wants me to obey."♫
The live nativity happened.
Thanks be to God!
Lots of people came to see.
(my Kizi and Calvin with the great Mary Baum)
Angels fraternized with shepherds.
Tommy and Maria brought their newborn to be our Jesus.
I took deep breaths, and spent time pondering in front of the manger scene.
(including before anyone was there...)
And soaked it all in.
The boy scouts and the animals (except for Nigel and Barney) spent the night Friday night.
My frozen tush recovered from 3+ hours of exposure two nights in a row.
I learned how many barnyard animals I can fit into my 2-horse trailer.
My trailer still has sheep poop in the tack room.
My kids were troupers.
(That's the correct spelling. I promise.)
And I loved the whole thing.
nativity displays
(dang, I missed getting a photo of the boatloads of homemade cookies, hot cocoa, and milk that were served in the cultural hall)
Isaiah
Samuel the Lamanite
Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem
shepherds in the fields by night
wise men
And my early Christmas present?
First there was no newspaper coverage. So I called the news line the first day of the nativity, and a reporter came out. Then the paper was going to do a tiny blurb in the West Salem edition. Instead it went out in the main paper on the front page of the Valley Living section... on Christmas Eve.
(*sniff!*)
West Salem church makes live nativity an annual event
About 1,400 people attend 2-night, 2-hour presentation
BY JUSTIN MUCH • STATESMAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 24, 2010
