| Christmas and New Years 2000 was a lot of fun. We had German relatives (now working in the U.S.) come to visit us, arriving very late on Christmas Eve; Ashley and I sang in the Candlelight Processional at Epcot; we hosted a wonderful Christmas Party, and we spent New Year's Eve at MGM Studios where Clark Barrios was performing with Dance Express, and Christopher's favorite group, Sister Hazel, was performing twice that evening! What a fantastic way to ring in the New Millennium! Check out the photos below and imagine the sounds, the smells, and the excitement that accompanied them. |
| Kim, Chris, Ashley, Oliver and scenes from our house at Christmas (which begins promptly at about 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Night and doesn't stop untill Epiphany!) |
Grandma, Andrew, Grinch - Christmas Tree, deer, and my Angels!
Santa - Daddy brought him home when I was a little girl.
Ashley and Chris help load gifts into our "sleigh" to take to
Church for underprivileged people.
Our Nativity set from our first Christmas together in December
1973!
BuddyRo, Ashley, Chris and Nanny - Opa, Ashley, Chris and
Oma
| Lake Mary High School Chorus sang the first night, November 24, several days during the season, including Christmas Night, and the last night on December 30.The guest narrators we performed with included Jodi Benson (voice of the Little Mermaid), Phylicia Rashad, Leeza Gibbons, Gary Sinise (Forest Gump and Apollo XIII), and my personal favorite - LaVar Burton - Jordie from Star Trek Next Generation! A very special guest came back to greet us the last night. It was so cool to see high school boys and girls joining in to sing "It's a wonderful day in the neighborhood...." as Mr. Rogers came backstage to visit with us before watching the show with all the other park guests all bundled up to brave the subfreezing temperatures. |
| If you have a copy of the new Candlelight CD with "Stille Nacht," listen for Ashley - She's on the CD with Lake Mary High School who recorded it in October of 2000! |
| Bundled up after singing, we stayed in the park to see the Epcot Millenium show. (Ollie selected and edited the video on the huge globe in the middle of the lake!) We were frozen the last night but still had fun rubbing Budda's belly for good luck and hanging out with trolls! |
| Ralf, Andrea, Fabian, Chris, Klaus, Dorothea dining at Norway on Christmas Night getting ready to brave the cold and take their seats in the American Gardens Theatre for the Candlelight Processional. |
| No it's not real snow, but it was certainly cold enough to be real! The temperatures dipped below freezing before the night was over. Christopher didn't layer as he was told, so during the countdown to New Year and the fireworks show that followed, he sat on a ledge inside one of the stores in the Park! Ashley and I danced non-stop from 7 p.m., when Clark started singing, until 1:00 a.m. when the park closed. We could hardly walk the next day, but we had a great time! |