Our visit to Bethlehem

This is one of our favorite Christmas traditions.

I think this is our third or fourth visit.

We used to go to a drive through nativity story.

This is waaay better. :^)

I know it's blurry. There were soldiers on horseback

too, but they are seriously in character, and I was kind of afraid

to take their pic - those Romans were mean!

looking down one side of "Bethlehem"

The tour guide stopped at different boothes asking

about the Messiah that rumor said had been born there.

Lepers

Shepherds

The magi - they had camels too.

Rosie was seriously wanting to go to the real Bethlehem

and see the real baby. We explained why that wasn't possible,

but she was still put out that it wasn't a real baby,

despite the fact that we were freezing to death!

It ended with a walk past the cross and the empty tomb,

and the risen Christ - oh, and free hot chocolate

and a fresh baked cookie