Advent by Candlelight...

Last Sunday was the Advent by Candlelight event that our women's ministry department holds every year. I hosted a table about 10+ years ago when it was much smaller than it is today. Back then, we hosted it in the Chapel of our church and had about 150 ladies attend. Now, we are up to about 600 ladies and it is held off-site at a local banquet hall.

I felt a nudge to host a table again this year, and had certain people in mind that I felt I should invite. It kind of got all discombobulated several times over, but it turned out to be a nice night. Each table host was to bring in an advent wreath with candles. My friend Janet told me not to worry, she had everything I would ever need and she would make my wreath for me.

Whew! What a relief! Especially since it was dealer day at the antique mall the same day!! She even offered to set it all up for me so I could concentrate on loading stuff into my booth-how nice was that?!? A couple days before the event, she let me know that she had to work and couldn't set up, but she found someone else to do it for me-how nice is that?!?!

I had no idea what it was going to look like! I was a little nervous that she might have forgotten and that I'd get there and my table would be the only one without a wreath or candles. I was able to get there around 2, and was very happy to see my table all ready to go!

I even had some time to get home and put my feet up before I had to be back at 3:00. The banquet hall is only 2 miles from my house-how nice is that?!? Everyone that had agreed to come showed up except for one. I didn't find out she wasn't coming until 3:30-too late to invite anyone else since it started at 4. I was bummed that I still had to pay for the spot even though no one was there.

One friend left right after the meal, just before the program started...one friend left 1/4 of the way in, and the rest stayed until the end. Of the 9 that came, 4 were family, so of course, they would stay til the end-right? It was a nice night...despite some glitches!

We lit our candles too soon...and we only had 3 candles and not 4-oops! It was really, really hot in there!

Here are some shots of a bunch of tables that night...

 These first two shots are of my table...didn't she do a great job?!?

It was interesting to see all of the different "takes" on an Advent wreath. Did you see the one with the wasp catcher?