Ward Christmas Party

I'm on the Activities Committee.

I haven't done too much to help out just yet - mostly shown up when & where told to.

We have a wonderful leader, and she wisely decided that we should all share the work load by having each of us lead an Activity.

I got Christmas.

We decided this back in September, and it didn't seem like a big deal at the time.

Fast forward to mid-November, and here's what I started to look like:

OK, I shouldn't complain. It all went quite smoothly. We planned a family-style dinner, a photo-taking area, a service project, and ended with singing, storytelling, and a brief slideshow for entertainment.

I farmed out responsibilities, and took on the food and some of the decor.

With the help of a WONDERFUL food committee, we had a delicious meal of Artichoke dip + tortilla chips, ham, roast turkey, corn, tossed green salad, and rolls. Dessert was a potluck, and the Ward came through with two tables groaning with delicious treats. I've never had to plan or prepare food for 140 people, but with some strategic planning and helping hands, it was smooth sailing.

The decor was a little touch and go, but it all came together at the end.

As I told a friend, in my experience with different meetings and events, there isn't much that either a few phone calls or a little money can't fix. We didn't have to resort to either.


The entertainment was really nice. We created a little area in front of the stage that looked like a living room - couch, chairs, rug, lamp, fireplace, Christmas tree. The children gathered around a 'grandma & grandpa' who read a few stories, ending with the Nativity story from Luke. On the stage above we set up a barn backdrop with a manger, and had Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and a few shepherds to create a live-action tableau of the beautiful story. We ended with a slideshow set to the song Mary Did You Know? There were a few technical difficulties during the set up, but all was resolved by show time.

It was a pleasant evening for all, with a few (minor) lessons learned. But I am still glad the Christmas Party only comes once a year. It may be another 12 months before I can even think about cooking a ham or a turkey. But I'll take seconds on that artichoke dip.