Last years live nativity

Last December I, along with Dad, Kurt, Caleb, and Cody, were in live nativity that the Ioccos put on. Dad and I were Mary and Joseph and the boys were all angels. It was so much more realistic then any others I had been in in the past. The barns lean-to that served as the stable really smelled like one. The shepherds, who sat around a fire, had half a dozen sheep all penned up. Gabriel appeared to the shepherds all lit up and with a thunderclap, then there was the sudden appearance of the heavenly host behind him. The wise men came but they didn’t arrive on camels. Maybe next year. :-)
One of the goals was to make this as authentic as possible (if you can in cold, snowy Vermont!). So, one of the key factors for that was the costumes. No bathrobes and white sheets in this nativity! Everyone had to make their own costume and there was a contest for the most authentic one. Obviously, Dad and the boys couldn’t make theirs so that left me with 5 costumes to make in just a few short weeks. The angel ones were very easy. Just a basic white tunic. Mine and Dads weren’t that hard to sew, but took some planning. Trying to find the right material, pattern, etc. It was frustrating at times…as it always is when it comes to sewing. But I had a lot of fun and enjoyed the challenge. All the hard work paid off though because I won 1st place in the contest! My prize was a 8x10 framed giclee of a painting Ben Iocco was doing of a nativity. At the time he was in the process of painting it, so I finally got it yesterday and it’s awesome!

I'm not sure how clear these will come outKurtDad fooling aroundTalking with Dad before it startedThe shepherds "Gabriel" and the heavenly hostGreeting the wise men