The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Our church Christmas party was a big night for Gunnar.  He voluntarily visited Santa Claus, albeit from a safe distance.

He also participated in an impromptu nativity. All of the children who wanted to participate were invited to go backstage to put the whole thing together while everyone else sang  Christmas carols. Then the costumed children came out on stage as our bishop read the story of Christ's birth from Luke 2.  The usual parts were assigned and the remaining boys were cast as shepherds and the girls as angels. Adah and Maggie came onstage with the Heavenly Host, and then Gunnar came out with the shepherds, and said, loud enough for most of the audience to hear, "Look, Daddy, don't I look handsome?"

Gunnar's the second kid to the left of the manger, the one staring straight up, rather than looking on the Christ child in the manger.

Apparently Gunnar was not being very cooperative with the "wardrobe department" of the production and didn't want to wear a costume.  They finally convinced him to wear a small sash around his neck and told him that he would look very handsome--hence his announcement.  It made me think of that classic play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever where things just don't go quite right.
Holly obviously loved her big brother's performance.

Post Script: Adah also visited Santa Claus, but the only photo I got was fuzzy. Maggie declined a face-to-face with Mr. Kringle. The photos I tried to get of Adah and Maggie in the pageant were also unsuccessful, wise men or other angels blocked their faces. So, because of the photographic evidence I had, this post became more about Gunnar than the whole family's experience at our ward party, but we were all there and enjoyed celebrating the season with each other and our friends.