Sunny and Cold on Christmas Eve Day in Williamsburg Colonial Village!

We began our day walking in from the Visitor's Center as the busses weren't running yet.  Lovely walk! Boy, these sheep certainly do need their heavy wool coats today!  It's freezing...actually just about that right now...but it a gorgeous day with a wonderful Carolina blue sky and we are bundled in our layers and ready for adventure!

 And what is it you did young lady!!

 A Christmas Eve morning runner...burrrrr!

 A quick stop by Bruton Parish Church to see when we needed to be at the 8:30 service to get a seat and then a walk down to the Craft House shop to see if the rumors of 1/2 off Christmas Sale were true...no signs yet.  Will check elsewhere.  What a great idea for decorating our bottle!

 But we needed to go back to the Great Hopes Plantation for A Holiday Wish.  This program explored some of the black communities holiday traditions and how the holiday affected the slaves living on a rural plantation.  This character was outstanding discussing her Christmas wish.

Gretchen and I then headed back on the bus...after checking out the sale at the Visitor's Center...and did a tour of the Palace.  It was nicely decorated and this Duo was there to entertain us as we concluded the tour.

While we were doing that, John returned to the Tucker House for a visit with Alexander Purdie, the printer in town.  Wonderful, as always.  Gretchen and I walked down to the bakery to grab a quick snack and then met John and headed to our 12 Days of Christmas program at the Art Museum.

We had no idea what this would be...but we never imagined it would be this...three vaudeville type characters lead us through the 12 Days of Christmas with audience participation.  These were the representatives for the first 7 days...the gentleman kneeling by the pail has seven plastic swans that he would swirl around for his turn.  They added individuals for the 8 maids a milking - 8 ladies with small buckets pretending to milk a cow etc through the 12.  It was hysterical!!

Then they did a crazy rendition of The Night Before Christmas... 

 and one final skit that had us all rolling in the aisles.  

What a delight!!

We then stopped for a quick lunch in the Museum Cafe.  This huge Christmas tree was right in the center of the Cafe.  Wonderful handmade decorations!  

A stop at the Williamsburg Lodge for an ice

sculpture demo and to check out their decorations.

Just a small Gingerbread Village.

On to the Williamsburg Inn and this was my favorite of all!

A definite for our mantle next year!!

But, these guys were pretty cool too!

On to Raleigh Tavern and A Revolutionary Holiday.  Beyond the Ballroom Doors was a presentation by those who lived and worked beyond the ballroom doors with stories,

 new perspectives on the war and hopes for the future

 from the black community viewpoint.  

We then took the bus back to the visitor's center and did a little shopping at the shop there (the rumors were true!) and then headed back to the hotel.  Grabbed a cookie from the box at the Registration desk and headed upstairs to change clothes for church.  Dressed in a lot of layers, we headed back to the car to find a Wendy's.  But, before we got there we passed by a Friendly's - well, we never pass up a Friendly's Ice Cream opportunity so in we went...had a quick dinner and finished it off with a Happy Endings Sundae.  Ohhhh sooooo good!!  Then off to the elements to wait in line outside Bruton Parish Church for the 8:30 service.  Brutally cold and windy but not for too long and in we went.  Gretchen sat down in one of the downstairs boxes and couldn't see a thing and said let's go to the balcony so up the stairs we go to the back balcony to the back row and we have a glorious view of it all.  Great call Gretchen!!  It was a wonderful service and we headed back to the hotel...grabbed a couple more cookies from the box at the desk (they were really good) and hit the hay.  Great day!!