Progressive Caroling

What is Progressive Caroling you ask? It is pretty fun and you should try it. In fact, 9 out of 10 families we Caroled loved it:)

First you collaborate with another really cool family { Amelangs} and you start with the Idea of just your basic Caroling to your Home Teaching families. Then you get someone that has creativity in his blood...Thank you Mike.....and walla Progressive caroling. At every house, after you finish caroling, you invite that family to go with you. We had a place that we would end up for a little warm refreshment. I was a little nervous about this and didn't think many would come, but boy was I wrong.
This was the first time in the eighteen years of caroling that we could say" Caroling is an adventure." We started out easy. The house across the street was our first family.....easy, picked up one kid.

Then we went to a family that I am not too familiar with. They live in town, so you are walking on sidewalks and pavement.The Spirit was so strong. I was in tears and so was every one else.

Then we went out to the country.....1 minute away, but worlds apart in the way of walking surfaces.......next house, picked up another kid. House #4 picked one more family and another car......4 mini vans......house # 5 and a comedy of miscommunication,{note to self; get every one's cell #'s before you start out...oh wait, there is spotty coverage so it doesn't matter} We finally, after passing each other on the dark, dark street like five times, and Skip trying to get up a steep muddy drive, decide to park on a side street and walk up the steep muddy drive. Twenty four people, kids, adults and one stroller trudge about two hundred feet up the steep muddy hill. We start to sing...nothing....no one is home....bummer. We trudge down. It is a very over cast night and is pitch black outside. We trudge down slowly, except for the two very cute giggling 4 and 5 year old girls they practically drag me down.

House #6 we pick up one more family and car. The Spirit was so strong I couldn't get through "Silent Night." Luckily there are about 24 people to sing and my cracking voice was not missed.

House #7 we pick up one more family, get fed cookies and one more car. We now truly look like a caravan of mini-vans. House #8......not home..{Jenny, I wonder if you noticed that six cars had been parked in your drive and all the foot prints on your front stoop. By the way your yard smells wonderful:)} House # 9...last house, the 34 of us singing "Silent Night" was awesome.

We then went to the Amelangs for Hot Chocolate and Wassail...yum!
And here we are.

This little guy fell asleep and who can blame him. There was about five to ten minutes between each house, plenty of time to fall asleep for a little one.

I wish we could have gone to more, but it was late and we had to stop. It was taking on a life of it's own.......next year is going to be awesome. We have great plans already.