Light of the World (week 569)

After months of practicing in the car, staying after church, and making mandatory Tuesday night rehearsals we finally did it! On December 10th, we delivered the Light of the World to a totally packed house at Bay Shore Church.  Our friends and family--the Hubers, Hodgsons, Armstrongs, Uncle Ron and Aunt Karen--all were able to join us for the Christmas story about the gift of Jesus to the world.  

On Saturday night, we had the United Team party at the Huber's House.  It was an amazing experience because all 12 families attended, stayed longer than the party was scheduled for, and had such a warm and grateful atmosphere.  Although it was also the first time that we were allowed to eat sugary snacks and sodas all year, it was a party filled with rounds of presentations and speeches.  The Macchias made American flags signed by all the players for everyone, the Figueroas collected money and provided gifts to all the coaches, and the Crofts made individual framed pictures for every family!  It was a great season and we were grateful for the team being truly "united".  Oh, and did I mention that we got the giant "1st Place" trophies for the second straight year?

This year Christopher was one of the three kings and sang a duet in Spanish with Elisa Hodgson; I was Joseph with just a few lines; Dylan was a number of different characters; Jackson an angel; and, Elisa a narrator.  Although I said that my role in "Daniel and the Lions Den" would be my last, I had a great time with my friends and my parents were extremely proud of all the kids.  Christopher has grown the most musically and otherwise, now signing solos and duets, and volunteering to play Silent Night in 4-part harmony on Christmas Eve!

After the show, we went to lunch and to IKEA as a family to shop for new beds for our bedrooms.  It is quite the milestone that this week we will be sleeping in our own beds and our own rooms; and, that we need to get full-size beds for the first time.  We aren't completely excited about it just yet--still a little nervous about sleeping alone--but the time has certainly come that dad can no longer lift me over his head to place me in the bunkbed above Christopher.  We tried out a lot of different beds and mattresses and got pretty excited about the prospect of decorating our own rooms with different themes and pictures.  It's going to be a big year!