HA! Nah I was a about 5 months into parenthood and about two months into our new hood. My husband and I had decided to give church a try, the church of his childhood. We sat behind another couple new to Raleigh from Utah with a son just two months older than Boogiebear at our first visit. We started taking lessons from some truly spectacular missionaries. A year later I am still going to that church and we are now neighbors with several Utahan transplants!
One event that helped open our hearts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was our stake center's Community Christmas Celebration. I was introduced to the word 'creche' and Boogiebear heard his first Christmas concert. As I loitered in the Life of Christ room last year, I remember thinking, "I gotta get in on this." Some artwork by Robert Falcucci particularly touched my soul. Or rather, slugged it and tugged at it. We missed the live nativity but did get to see the hundreds of creche displays softly and warmly lit that December night. Needless to say, we felt a pull while viewing all the artistic expressions centered around the life of Christ and heeded that impression to much affirmation.
A year later, I was invited by my neighbor to accompany her to a meeting about this year's activities. I eagerly volunteered for the Life of Christ room and have spent the past four days working alongside many others hour after hour to bring this celebration to fruition. Besides learning how to hang many different frames from wires and bracing stubborn quad arrangements with random rod-like objects found in the trash can (thanks Nancy!), I also learned what it must feel like to be a missionary after a successful 'tracking' or whatever. One of the master artists working on design and display came with me shopping the last night of set up to find a few last minute supplies. After failing to find what was needed at two stores, we drove over to Michael's. Now, there was this dude I assumed was a creeper since we kept crossing paths at each store. He was easy enough to identify in his black suit among all the poinsettias and Christmas decorations at the stores. Wouldn't ya know he was behind us in line at the cash register in Michaels?? Simultaneously upon noticing that I felt the strong urge to act a lil' crazy and invite that cashier to the Community Christmas Celebration. I tried to casually 'pitch' it to her as she gazed at our purchases with not an ounce of interest. Just as my hopes started to dip a bit, that fella in the suit piped up.
"Actually, can I have that information? I just moved to Raleigh and I've been looking for a church. I mean I don't even have a couch to call my own yet...but what was the address again?"
My accomplice and I tried not to act like the 'crazy mormon' prototype despite the convergent forces upon us HA! I'm not sure if we played it off but I gave the young man the low down and wrote down the address and my name on a card he supplied. We gathered our bags and nearly skipped out of the store, high-fiving in the car while gushing.
"Did you see?..."
"How WEIRD WAS THAT??"
"That was so cool, dude!"
Dorks.
So it's been a wonderful start to December! The chilly weather is trying to prevail and my LED lights, while not as glowy and warm as traditional lights, cast a festive glow over my crafting/dining table. I'm looking forward to hunting down a tree and decorating it. I received a call from my brother-in-law and can feel the love all the way from Virginia. Can't wait to see everyone over the holidays! Mostly, it has been purely joyful to see Boogiebear in a permanent toddler state of wonder. T-minus 23 days till I can finally stop staring at all the toys in the closet. I can hardly stand it and have almost disintegrated in the face of temptation so far...
So, folks, if you are in our neck of the woods, I recommend that you wander over to our Community Christmas Celebration. There is artwork to behold, a children's room to explore, nativities over which to marvel, and choirs and orchestras to hear.
You had me at Hello...I loved your descriptions! You did awesome with the Life of Christ room.
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Such an awesome event, and the Life of Christ room was absolutely beautiful. Well done, my friend.
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