Christmas Decorations

There is a house in the neighborhood I grew up in (Shepard Park in Washington, DC) that has had a festival of lights for at least thirty years. I remember my parents taking me to see it every few nights each year starting in 1975. It may have been up before then. Last night I drove down from Wheaton to see it again with the boys while Sandi and Phoebe were at Mass celebrating the Immaculate Conception. They loved it and we returned again after picking the girls up. The whole way home Michael asked for us to go shopping for lights for our house.

Well no lights yet but we did receive our new Nativity set yesterday. Sandi and I started setting it up after the kids went to bed. We tried to spotlight it but didn't have much success. We did attract some passing finches - perhaps crossbills - flying in the night overhead as we shined the spotlight up in the sky to avoid annoying the neighbors. I would like to think their chirping was a nod of approval from above. Here is a photo of what we've accomplished so far, complete with God's touch of snow from last night: