Christmas party

We went to our ward Christmas party last Saturday.  I almost didn't go because I was exhausted but I had been looking forward to getting a picture with Santa for a long time (not to mention eating a great dinner that I didn't have to cook or clean up.)  I have missed getting a picture with the girls and Santa for the last two years because I just kept putting it off until it was too late so this year I didn't want to miss a super easy opportunity to have them sit on Santa's lap.  The Christmas program for the dinner was simple and sweet but what really surprised me was the number of people that came.  We had about 250 people there that night.  I don't know if that's how many have shown up to our other ward Christmas parties but it was packed.  They had to set up tables in adjacent rooms because there were no spots left in the cultural hall.  It could also have felt like more people because that is one of the smallest cultural halls I have seen in a new church building.  It is less than half the size of all the other cultural halls.  Anyway, it was a great night and I am so glad we went.  The older girls did each take a turn sitting on Santa's lap to tell him what they wanted.  Then I had them get ready for the picture before we put Megan on his lap.  She didn't want to go at first but she saw that he had a candy cane so she braved the scary man to score some candy.  As long as she didn't look at him she was fine.  In fact I think she was blocking everyone out just to be on the safe side.  She thought it was worth it though because that candy cane was gone as soon as we got home.
 

Just a side note.  The kids came home with candy canes but mom and dad came home with a free 50lb bag of wheat for our food storage.  Christmas wishes really do come true.