Ward Christmas Party

Our ward Christmas Party was held December 3.  It was a very busy day as the Relief Society was in charge of the whole thing.  After spending the morning getting ready, going to pick up all the hams and pies at the store we got to the church about 2:30.  Don helped me get all the hams cooking and I made the green beans.  We helped get the tables and chairs all set up and the stage ready for the program.  We had the ward members bring baked potatoes, rolls and jello salad and then we bought hams and  pumpkin pies from the store.  We served the meal family style meaning each family got to sit down at their table and their food was brought to them in tin pans. No one had to line up or wait for their food or eat cold food because they had waited for so long.  It was much calmer and more reverent but it was a lot of work for those in charge.  We also kept the lights down low in the cultural hall and since there it was full of tables there wasn't lots of room for kids to run around.  Unfortunately there was plenty of room in the halls to run around.  Enough room that we found baked potato all over the hallway floor.   We had to buy all the tins for the tables which was about 75 tins.  Then we had to portion out the food into the tins and get it all out to the tables in a timely manner.  The young women did a great job decorating the tables and the room and they helped us get the food into the tins and out to the tables.  It was really busy but once the food gets out it really is nice for everyone-everyone except me running around crazy making sure every table has what they need.  After dinner and dessert was the program.  Don was Samuel the Lamanite and he read from the scriptures about Samuel's prophecy about the Savior.  We also had other ward members dressed as Joseph Smith, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Peter, the apostle, and Isaiah.  There was a narrator behind the big screen as well.  After each character shared their testimony of belief in the Savior, we watched a short Mormon Message of the First Presidency sharing their testimonies and then the Primary children sang the first verse of Jesus is Real to Me and then the congregation sang the second verse with them.  After that the Bishop had some closing remarks and then everyone cleaned up.  It was a short program entitled We Believe but it was very powerful.  Our Relief Society president, Kay Barlow, wrote it.  I was mostly in charge of the organizing, ordering and purchasing the food plus getting the stuff we were cooking ready on the day of.  Stephanie McCauley, the first counselor went to Costco for the beans and sour cream and the paper goods that we needed so that was very helpful.    Santa came to visit the kids before the party and Caleb took Kyle over to see him.  That didn't go very well!  Kyle was not too thrilled to see him.  Cayden and Caleb were so good all afternoon and helped take care of Kyle while Don and I were at the church from 2:30 on getting ready for the party.  I am grateful that my kids can help out so that Don can help me and I can do my calling. It was a good party and we had lots of compliments on it.  It only lasted until a little after 7 and then with everyone helping to clean up we were out of there before 8.  I was totally useless though on Wednesday!