My Most Prized Possession

My most prized possession: mom and dad’s manger & nativty scene they have had FOREVER! Our mom had the original ceramic pieces hand painted by a friend and our dad built & stained this stable for them. About 10 years ago or so, our parents said if us kids wanted to get them anything for Christmas...get an extra animal to keep baby Jesus warm. Well this is the resultant show-stopping menagerie that, at last count in 2018 when this was displayed last, included close to 200 animals. I needed to get creative on how to display them all this year! Our mom always said that the animals should all be facing baby Jesus and the lambs be closest to Him to give him extra comfort. Our dad brought Jesus into our lives and would always teach us to pray. This truly is the most special thing I own and I hope the animal collection keeps growing! It is always a neat & fun challenge to search & find new species to add to the group. Although I did not display this last year, the first Christmas without either parent, I did buy myself a White Buffalo because they are a sign of hope and an indication of good times to come. And that is my hope for anyone reading this: it’s a scary time in the world right now and feel a great big (socially distanced) hug coming your way. 🤍💛💜🙏🕊