Christmas eve service

For the first time since we've been here, we had a Christmas eve service. As a child, we usually went to a Christmas eve service and I remember singing songs by candlelight and the choir walking down the aisle while singing. I loved the Christmas eve service this year, too. It felt familiar and nice to slow down in the middle of Christmas chaos and celebrate the birth of our savior.

To up the cuteness factor even more, the kids sang "Go tell it on the mountain" at the beginning of the service. Maggie's in the back row wearing the pink Santa hat.

Owen started off the singing by reciting scripture. He got a little nervous and it was really cute. You can hear him say that he was scared in video. The kids were so cute and as I watched them sing, I had to fight off the tears.  There were 2 of Maggie's classmates in the group singing. They don't go to our church, but come each Wednesday night to our church. Jesse does a great job with this group of kids each week. Maggie and her classmates  begged to sit together after the service and they were so cute sitting together all on our little row. They were hugging and wishing each other Merry Christmas and begging for playdates at the end of the service.

Most of the people at the service were people who don't normally attend our church. Out of the 80 people there, I probably knew 30 of them. They were mostly family members there to see the kids singing or just looking for a Christmas eve service.

I loved every part of it and singing next to Maggie as she nervously held her candle was a great way to end the service. I hope each of you had a merry Christmas eve, too.