Christmas in the City
Every year we have had a huge two-day Christmas celebration for the high school group. Friday night is spent decorating cookies, playing games, caroling, and the ever-exciting white elephant gift exchange. Saturday we gather first thing in the morning to carol for an old folks home and deliver the cookies we decorated the night before, to families in our church. After lunch we pile into the church shuttles and head up to San Francisco. In the city we visit Pier 39, enjoy a delicious dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, shop at Union Square and take a cable car ride up to Ghirardelli Square for dessert. It is one of the favorite events of our group, and this year was no exception.
Bobby and I, several leaders and forty-or-so high school students just returned from enjoying nine hours of fun in San Francisco. This being our fourth year leading this event, I was well prepared with warm layers, wool socks, an umbrella and even those nifty self-warming pocket inserts to keep my hands warm. I think that some of the students didn’t realize just how cold it can be in San Francisco. I think Mark Twain even said “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Top that off with the fact that it rained most of the time and you can imagine that some of the complainers and whiners come out! Despite any discomforts, I think a great time was had by all.
At Pier 39, Missy, Katie and I shared a simply amazing crepe. It had Nutella spread (hazelnut-chocolate) in it and was warm and perfectly soft. Then we visited the Chocolate Heaven store and got some apple cider at the end of the pier. It was a wonderful time and by far my favorite Christmas in the City yet.
I’m really starting to feel like Christmas is just around the corner, but we are not waiting around for the 25th of December in order to celebrate. We’ve already given two gifts away and my heart can’t seem to stop singing…“There’s been born, there’s been born, a Savior! He is Christ the Lord!”