road to bethlehem 2019

every year we go as a family to the "road to bethlehem" presented by the livingston seventh day adventist church. it is absolutely one of the highlights of our christmas season. we love being able to help the children experience something that allows them to feel the true meaning of christmas. it's not about santa, or reindeer or gifts. it's about the birth of jesus christ.

i know the kids enjoy it and look forward to it (maddie used to call it mary and jesus drive when she was a little younger haha) but this pictured child was not very happy to be there this year. who knows why, but everyone else had a good time.

i love the songs, the scenes (king herods court is my favourite!) and pretty much everything about it

all the members of their church are super welcoming and never pushy about wanting to pass on their religious beliefs, which sure is handy when we have our own!

grumpo got over it after a while, but was not letting go of aunty dom for anything while he listened to the different stages of the journey. i love these two and their bond.

maddie and one of the guards. she is so outgoing and never has a problem talking to anyone she meets along the way.

this year they had this wonderful prayer tree at the end of the of the trip. i took a moment to write some family names on there. dougs dad has been unwell for a long time and has been in hospital for a few weeks, with no end in sight. i know we are all praying to the same god and i am happy for others to be praying for him along with us. ❤

afterwards the kids went off and made soldier swords in "joseph's workshop" hahaha. they had the best time making them. can't wait to see them fighting away with them. oh dear. 

maddie busily working with aunty dom on hers

joseph and his own personal workshop hahaha

thanks for a wonderful night! we will see you again next year, no doubt!

the road to bethlehem 2018

tradition reigns supreme and this year we went once again we went to the seventh day adventist church's walk through nativity "the road to bethlehem." this year, with the parsons family. i love that our kids love each other so damn much and i know they enjoyed their night out together so much!

one of my favourite scenes is always the throne room with king herod. he's always portrayed as such a villian (which of course we know he was) but i love how much the guys who play him get right into it and throw themselves into character. he also always has a bunch of harlots off to one side that just wander about flirting with the crowd and throwing out random comments. they crack me up too.

as always the scenes were set beautifully to remind our children (and us!) what christmas is all about and how important it is that we remember the birth of our saviour.

i love how much effort goes into the completely free evening. you only have to book because it is so, so popular! 

even baby alex seemed to enjoy himself and was very well behaved as he was wheeled about the place. (isn't he the cutest!)\

as we got into the final room, where we see the baby jesus laying in the manger, madeline insisted that she be able to hold alex as we watched the scene play out before us. i love how much she loves him and i was so touched by seeing this in front of me.

all too quickly it was all over and we headed back out into the real world again, past the donkey - who i adore and look for every year ♥

i noticed this prayer tree as i went past, i don't know if they have had it in previous years, but i thought it was such a beautiful idea and added a few names to it myself. i read once that as we prayer for others, unseen help rises to assist them right as we do so and i have never forgotten it. obviously i know how prayer and the lord works, but i loved how it was worded. i think loving people of other religions and their way of worshipping and praying is a really important thing. especially now at christmas time.

we finished off the night taking these nuggets to get some nuggets at the local hungry jacks. what a night. it just gets better every year, and there is no way you could keep us away... we'll be back to do it all over again next year ♥

road to bethlehem 2017

one of my favourite parts of christmas is going to the road the bethlehem at the seventh day adventist church in canning vale. we have been going for years... and now with kids, it is even more fun!

it is an amazing night, with a full live walk through nativity, acted out by members of their church. so much effort goes into it!

with my little man, waiting for the evening to begin

the angel gabriel proclaiming the birth of the saviour to the shepherds

  

seems a little obvious, but the best bit is at the end when you reach the stable and see the baby jesus lying in a manger (or sometimes being held by his parents if he happens to be awake) while angels sing of his birth. it's just so beautifully done and i love that it's available to us to be a part of!

and they came with haste, and found mary, and joseph, and the babe lying in a manger

luke 2: 16

road to bethlehem 2016

road to bethlehem (a live walk through nativity run by the seventh day adventist church in canning vale) is over for another year, and i am so glad we have made it a family tradition to attend each year. the kids (and we!) love it so much and it is so nice to do something centred on christ during this special time of year. we went with the pinker family (as we go most places...) and a new member to our crew, dominiques "friend" (i'll keep you posted if that changes haha) bryan from texas. he flew in today and so far we are all well impressed with him.

maddie is especially impressed with him, as you can see, he is tall as and is very obliging with shoulder rides.

joseph as usual found his place with uncle theron and got comfortable.

my favourite part of the night is always the last scene where we find christ laying in a manger with his parents and the stable animals. (i looooove the donkey!) this scene reminds us of the true reason for the season, that we celebrate christmas because christ was born, no matter what the world may tell us.

quick trip to maccas afterwards for some sustenance and to play with the pinkers, then home for some well deserved sleep. we love the road to bethlehem, it's one of my favourite things about christmas!

the road to bethlehem 2015

another stop in the christmas countdown is taking the kids to the annual road to bethlehem production at the seventh day adventist church in canning vale. we went last night and as always, we loved it! they have a live walk-through nativity, complete with an awesomely angry king herod, livestock (including camels and a donkey, and this year a few chickens in the marketplace and the stable) and a sweet baby who of course plays the baby jesus.

the wise men visiting king herods court

the donkey in the stable... he is always my favourite!

mark, doug and the girls raring to get started... 

we always invite our friends to come along, it is such a fun activity for kids... and such a good way to teach them the real christmas story.

this year mat, jen and baby jacob joined us too :)

and there is nothing like a good night out with your bestie without snapping a few selfies, in the bethlehem marketplace of course. haha

joseph and madeline enjoyed every minute, there is so much to see and do! we will definitely keep going each year as a family tradition, we love it!

and the countdown to christmas continues...

the road to bethlehem 2014

on monday we went to the seventh day adventist road to bethlehem for family home evening. each year the sda church in canning vale puts on a walk-through nativity for those wishing to celebrate and remember the true meaning of christmas. we went last year also and it is a wonderful experience... walking the road with guides, visiting the marketplace, the shepherds and the inn - before arriving at the manger to see the baby jesus. 

we went with a big group of friends from our ward and nearby... but when some pulled out at the last minute, we were able to quickly get hold of jared, donna and the kids who had tried unsuccessfully to book. what luck!

the road to bethlehem has become so popular in recent years, that to be able to attend, you need to book prior to arriving, or wait in a line until some of the standby tickets available for each session become available. it is free of charge, but you can book online here. they generally become available around the end of november and the three night it operates are around 15th of december.

and it is so, so worth going! there is so much effort made to ensure that the sets and actors are realistically represented. it's so wonderful to know that a church makes such an effort to keep the true meaning of christmas upheld year after year... free of charge. 

the kings harlots...

a sneaky selfie with my eldest brother

at the inn

my sweet niece emma with the nativity donkey. what a gorgeous picture!

and baby j all rugged up in mel and aitu's stroller, that neither of their girls wanted to stay in haha! very convenient for him. 

as always, hungry jacks for dinner afterwards... as it is directly across the road. winner. definitely one of our family's best christmas traditions... if you haven't been before, make sure you remember for next year! it's 100% worth it.

the road to bethlehem

on monday night, we went to the seventh day adventist road to to bethlehem for the first time for one of our december family home evenings... one of my friends goes every single year without fail and this time we decided to give it a go with some friends from church - it was amazing! (you can read more about it here - and follow their website ready to go next year!)

basically, the road to bethlehem is exactly what it's called, you book your tickets online (don't worry - it is free, but they have had so much interest the last few years that it's been necessary to allocate tickets to ensure everyone can get through) and show up to your allocated booking time, where you are met at the gate by roman soldiers. you then begin to walk the road to bethlehem - starting with mary being told that she will bear a son, josephs reaction, the three wise men commencing their journey, cesear telling of his desire to "worship" the child, the shepherds being visited by the angels... before entering the bustling marketplace and finally seeing joseph and mary in the stable with their baby and the angels singing their praises.

it was such a wonderful experience and one that really tells of the true meaning of christmas and enables the spirit to be felt strongly by those present. it's basically a live nativity and because of this, the busy, bustling, crazy preparing and present buying that is so easily associated with christmas just fades away.

i think the market place was my favourite part, there were so many children from the church dressed in robes, haggling, shouting, calling and running - it really felt as if one had just jumped back two centuries and fallen into the time of christ. they did such a wonderful job!

the marketplace, with all its bargaining and bustling...

in the final scene prior to exit, mary and joseph are proudly showing off their baby - and what an adorable baby he was! fast asleep and not even stirring even under the bright lights and the choir of angels singing for him. 

and the best bit? we were shuttled to and from the church from a local school carpark, so my pregnant feet didn't even have to walk anywhere haha. i am so totally going every year from now on... what a blessing it was to participate and watch the greatest story ever told.