The Giving Manger

There are some nights when 4:00 pm-6:00 pm can be long and hard. The Alaskan Assassin isn't home from work yet and the littles are restless. Last night was one of those times.  So, I packed them in the car and put on some Christmas music and set out on an adventure to find Christmas lights.  We needed a few birthday presents for the weekend so the plan was to window shop Southampton Main street. We oohed and awed the whole way there while belting out our favorite tunes. The lights were fantastic and the sidewalks were empty, so they could run around without annoying anyone. Their favorite display was the manger in front of Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It got me thinking about the season. Our fairy and Lego advent calendars are a huge hit, but not really demonstrating the reason for the season. After scouring the internet, I found the giving manger. It is a hardcover book that explains the tradition of focusing on giving and the spirit of service. There is also a wooden manger, a bundle of straw and a baby Jesus. A piece of straw gets placed in the manger after each act of service until the manger is full and ready for baby Jesus.

 The dogs have been really enjoying the Christmas decorations as well.