We were asked to play Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus in the Choir Christmas program this year. I was a little bit nervous about doing it, but what a special "once in a lifetime" thing to be able to do this with our baby boy! Brian and I played Mary and Joseph for the first time when we were about 16 years old at WHBC. It was much more fun this time, with our own real baby Jesus! Brian joked that at 17 lbs, Jonah was the biggest baby Jesus anybody has ever seen! This picture that Doug Brush took is now one of my all time favorite pictures. It will be part of my Christmas decorations from now on. Jonah was a very good baby Jesus. He started fussing backstage, right before it was our turn, but he didn't cry while we were out there. When I laid him on the hay, he looked up at me with this panicked look, like, "What are you doing to me?!" I couldn't stand to leave him in that scratchy stuff for too long. We were onstage for "Silent Night" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem."
When I look at my son, and think about how much I love him, I do wonder what Mary must have been thinking and feeling, knowing that her baby boy was the Son of God. What an overwhelming feeling that must have been! I am so thankful for that baby in a manger, whom God sent so that we could have eternal life. What a precious miracle, and the greatest gift we could ever receive! This was by far my favorite Christmas memory of the year.
Here are a few backstage pictures, while we were waiting for our turn. Grandma and Grandpa Baldwin and Ammy Raber helped with the girls during the service. When it was over, the girls were fascinated and thought it was so funny that Daddy was wearing a dress and had a mustache and beard! He was very glad to take that beard and mustache off, because apparently it itched pretty bad.
Baby Jesus is a good eater! Look at that tummy!
Here is Daddy being silly...I don't think he's going to be growing a beard or mustache anytime soon. I like him just the way he is! The funny thing is that several people came up to me after church and asked, "Was that Brian up there with you?" They really did not recognize him at all!
After the service, we had a Belize Missions lunch and Jonah slept the entire time. Being baby Jesus is hard work, you know!
A few weeks later, we made the cover of the Channel! 
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