Amish School Christmas Program...

What a special treat we had today!

Our Amish neighbors invited us to their childrens' school Christmas program this afternoon.  This is the second time we've been able to attend...but this time at a different school.  There are Amish schools every few miles in our area, and we see the children walking to and from school every morning and afternoon. The school that is closest to our house is full, so some of the neighbor children ride the public school bus to another one about a mile away, and that is where we went today.

I wish so badly that I could have taken pictures inside...the children were so very cute...the boys wore black hats, bow ties and of course their suspenders for one of their funny songs, and even though we couldn't understand it (it was sung in PA Dutch) it was hilarious!  The little girls would come out and recite their poems as quickly as they could, often turning and walking off stage as they finished their lines.  The singing was nice...one of the children would start singing a verse and the others would follow.

Every available space was filled and the windows began to inch open as the hour went on.  Even though it's below freezing outside, if you pile over 100 people in a one room school, it gets a bit warm!

This is the progam they gave us...

This is the schoolhouse as we drove in the lane.  The van parked there is an Amish taxi, probably bringing several families who didn't want to hitch up their teams...or maybe Grandparents who didn't live close...

Yes, we see them every day, but there's something beautiful about Amish buggies in the snow.  The team is tied to the back stop that they use when they play baseball at recess...

This wagon brought the students from another school to the program.  We saw them go by as we were getting ready to go...

It was a privilege to be invited, and we are so glad we went.  The innocence of little children, and the sense of community is something to be held close.