Christmas in Nauvoo

This year, our Ward decided to do "Christmas in Nauvoo" for our annual Christmas party, and boy was it amazing. I think that just about everybody in the ward had some part in it. The built replicas of many of the shops and each one had some thing for you to do. There was a carpentry shop where you built a small handcart, a bakery where you made gingerbread cookies, at the printing press you made a real print, there was an apothecary shop where everyone got homade soap. There was the luck Mack Smith House and you could back stitch a tea towel, a post office where everyone had a mailbox and you could send mail to each other. There was also a general store where the boys got a hat and the girls got a bonnet. They also got to make rag dolls. We had a dinner and live carolers, and area where the people could play pioneer games. Keith and I were asked to be Emma and Joseph. The evening started off with a nice dinner, then everyone strolled the town visiting the shops. Keith and I shared a short message and then the finale was a live nativity. We closed with the Primary children doing a special musical number. The evening was truly magical! The kids had an amazing time, they even slept with their bag s filled with their goodies. Because Keith and I spent the evening as Joseph and Emma we did not get a lot of pictures. Here are just a few:

Willa holding Naomi

Caleb and Eli visiting Santa. Each child got a sack of vintage marbles

Lauren sitting in the park

Inside the General store

Brother Langholf was the Chestnut Roaster, he created this mock fire and it was great.

A view of two of the store fronts, this does not do it justice at all. Inside each store it was completely decorated.

Caleb, Eli and Lauren in the Jail

The carolers

Keith and I (Joseph & Emma)