A Trip to Bethlehem

Doesn't it look like Brice was snooping around a time machine and just popped his head up into another century! He looks like he was cut and pasted in! (hee! hee! hee!)

I am considering taking up interpretive dance.

(A few bystanders discouraged it - but I'm hooked!)

Owen is not quite sure what to think . . .

Today we took the kids to see something at Elmbrook Church called the Bethlehem Marketplace. It is a neat re-enactment of Bethlehem in the time when Christ was born. It really was a lot of fun. They have live actors (as if there is any other kind) asking questions of the kids (i.e. - "Did you come for the census on donkey or by foot?" (Buff's reply "10,000 horses") "How many goats to you have?" (Mikayla's reply "None") "Then where do you get your milk?" ("From the refrigerator!") "What??!!! Truly you are a strange child!").

They also give the kids "shekels" to spend and they can buy shiny rocks, nuts, apple slices, necklaces, etc. If you ever want to go, I highly recommend it - but they only put it on every 3 years. I am considering letting Mikayla volunteer as a participant next time around.

Carra walked in and was a bit curious. We weren't in but a few minutes and a Roman soldier came around and yelled for everyone to keep moving - sign the census and keep moving. At that point Carra was done. She looked at him so terrified that I am considering getting a Roman soldier costume for myself. I think she could be frightened into obedience. Once the whole tour was over I explained (again) that it was just a normal man dressed up. He puts on his regular clothes and goes home to his regular house and sleeps in his regular bed. "Oh" and now she is cured. Yeah, it's easy to believe when he isn't standing over you.

I later asked her what her favorite part of the tour was - and like the good Sunday School scholar and perfect p.k. that she is she said "Baby Jesus."

It was a fun day.