Bethlehem!

So, we went to Bethlehem tonight! Well... sort of. :) There's a local church that puts on a Bethlehem-themed Christmas festival every year for two nights, and we decided to go this year. And it was really neat! The church itself is situated on a large, rambling property along the creek, and it was set up with all sorts of kid-friendly activities in different areas. One area had a well-stocked petting zoo, another area offered llama rides (the lines were too long, but Nikos enjoyed looking at them!), and other sections offered crafts for kids, face painting, carnival games, a puppet show, etc. You get the idea! It was incredibly kid-friendly, and a lot of fun!

Anyway, it was getting close to bedtime, and the kids were a little on the tired side, but they enjoyed looking at the animals and watching a puppet show put on by some of the congregation members. At the end of the show, which was about the symbolism of a candy cane (shaped like a "J" for Jesus), they passed candy canes out to everyone and told them to hold them high in the air. As we walked back to the car, Nikos rode on Gus' shoulders holding his candy cane in the air because "Ernie" told him to. Really, that was NOT the puppet character's name... but I guess he did bear a striking resemblance to another puppet we know and love, hehe!

At any rate, here are a few quick pics from our little adventure. I barely had the chance to even pull my camera out, but this will have to do!