Arlington Stake Nativity Festival

Our stake, the Arlington Washington Stake, has been planning and working on putting together a Nativity Festival, for the past year. The results have been spectacular, to say the least. There were over 550 Nativity sets donated, or loaned, countless white lights and Christmas trees, hundreds and hundreds of cookies, hundreds of poinsettias, photographs and paintings, and the hours and hours of personal time of hundreds of people.

The event ran from December 8 through December 11, finishing off with our annual stake Christmas Concert, of which I am in charge.

The Relief Society room was transformed into the "Life of Christ" room, with paintings, artifacts, photographs and other things depicting things in the life of the Savior. It was breathtaking.....and that is an understatement.

They built a "empty tomb" to depict the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which was the central focus as you walked into the room. The music "This is the Christ" was playing, which added total reverance to the exhibit.

Me, holding Taylor, talking with Rita Mauldin, of Darrington.

There was a children's room, where they could make crafts, get their pictures taken and play with different Nativity sets.

My mother loaned us her olive wood Nativity set from Israel. (pictured below)

Preston had fun running around looking at everything.....there was SO much to see, it was hard to take it all in.

This is one from Greece.





This one was carved by Ted Rumsey (below), a member of our ward, from a Cyprus tree. He just carved this last month. He got the wood from a tree when he went to the southern part of the United States to help with the cleanup from a hurricane.

There was also a "live" Nativity.....people took turns in 45 minute shifts.

Ron, standing in front of some of the displays.

Jenni and I performed two nights of the Festival, playing violin duets, and then we each took a night playing piano solos as well.



Me, during my turn playing Christmas Piano Solos.

Grandpa came to the Fesitval and watched Preston and Taylor, while Jenni and I perfomed. Will came straight from work, and then helped to watch the boys.

I am the Stake Music Chairman, so I'm in charge of the Christmas Concert. I direct the choir, plan the program, play in the string ensemble, write the narration, type the program and anything else that needs doing.

Members of our stake really look forward to the concert every year.....and this year we have started a new tradition.....that of the Nativity Festival. There were many people who volunteered to help with everything, so many hands made light work. I think that it will be a very long standing tradition in our stake too. Merry Christmas!