J.A. Christmas Party 2008

This year's Christmas Party is being hosted by Laura Dunlap at her home on December 16th at 6 pm.

All members are invited - that means Active, Provisional, Associate and Life Members. Everyone attending just needs to bring a finger food and an ornament for the "Dirty Santa" gift exchange!

Sheila Boyd will also be presenting the top "luminaries" seller with a prize basket...just in time for Christmas!

Contact Laura Dunlap for directions to her home.

We'll see you there!

Christmas in the Park 2008 Memories

Our 23rd annual Christmas in the Park was a big success. It's such a great opportunity for the entire community to come together for a free night of family fun...and there were a lot of people out to enjoy the night!

We began the evening with a welcome from President Natalie Miller and a mini-ceremony honoring some of the kids from our "Healthy Children, Healthy Futures" project (Lauren Patterson, Jackson Dunlap, Morgan Mingle and Andy Dunn were there....our prayers are with Presley Slatton who could not attend).

Then the luminaries were lit all around the stage and the names on them were read. A big THANK YOU goes out to Miss Sheila Boyd who organized the whole luminaries project...great job Sheila!

In addition to Santa Claus, there were several other Christmas characters in attendance...they provided lots of photo opportunities and handed out candy to the kids! Thanks to member M.A. Higgs and her family for helping us out with that!

After having their picture taken with Santa Claus - kids were able to go and make frames to display them in. Junior Auxiliary members were on hand to help with this craft.

Facepainting is always a favorite for the kids and there was a line wrapped around the Regions building for most of the evening! Even without white paint (oops!) our "artists" for the evening made all of the kids happy with snowmen, crosses, Christmas trees, snowflakes and other Christmas-y things!

In addition to the Cider House, craft table and facepainting...Regions Bank provided a warm oasis out of the cold for many attendees!

The Cider House is a favorite tradition for Christmas in the Park and every year it is ran by the year's provisional members. The girls did a great job this year giving out cookies and smiles and keeping the cider flowing!

Choirs from churches and schools from all around the community as well as a few musicians and singers performed from the stage...Christmas carols and music filled the air! Thanks to everyone who provided their talents for the evening!

Here are members Brooke Totherow and Randi Fuston taking a quick hot chocolate break in between acts on the stage...

A group from Covenant Fellowship Church provided a living nativity scene to remind everyone the real reason for the season! Thanks Covenant!

This was our first year to not use Polaroid film for the free Santa Pictures...we used memory cards and color photo printers to get the photos out this year! It was hard work but the pictures turned out so great!

Thanks to everyone who came out! Thanks also to our sponsors for the event...all of the support really makes the night special!

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Christmas in the Park 2008

You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm tellin' you why...Santa Claus is comin' to town!

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Yup, Santa is coming to McMinnville TONIGHT for our 23rd annual Christmas in the Park!

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He'll be there right around 6 pm to help us light the Downtown Christmas Tree, then he'll set up shop to visit with all of the children, to find out if they've been naughty or nice, and to double check what everyone wants under the tree this year!

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Santa will also be posing for pictures with the kiddies and J.A. will be providing free prints of the pictures for everyone!

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Santa will be bringing Mrs. Claus and some of his elves along with him to the event so there will be no shortage of fun and photo opportunities for everyone!

So, come see us tonight in beautiful downtown McMinnville for a night of FREE fun for the entire family!

Click here for more information.

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MEMBERS DON'T FORGET: Bring 3 or 4 dozen cookies to Jessica for the Cider House. See the Chapter Reminders to the left for details.

Giving Thanks

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,
thank you, Lord that I can hear...for there are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep, as long as possible, my eyes closed against the morning light,
thank you, Lord that I can see... for there are many who are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
thank you, Lord that I have the strength to rise...for there are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic when socks are lost,
toast is burned, tempers are short and children are so loud,
thank you, Lord for my family...for there are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines,
and the menu is, at times, unbalanced,
thank you, Lord for the food we have...because there are so many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
thank you, Lord for the opportunity to work...for there are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
thank you, Lord..for life.
Author Unknown

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Associate member (and former chapter President) Danielle Sliger had this on her blog and I think it's a very nice reminder for us all to appreciate all the blessings we have.

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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Christmas in the Park - December 2nd

Come out and see us at Christmas in the Park. It's shaping up to be a really exciting event with several new activities planned to go along with the classic favorites!

Show up a little early to see the first ever Christmas in the Park Luminary Lighting Ceremony..I think it will end up being a new tradition for our community!

Stephanie Ward, our Coats for the Community chairperson, is planning to set up a coat giveaway booth during the event. We think this will be a good opportunity for folks that didn't make it out to the mall in October who need coats now that it has gotten colder outside.

Play Day at Jungle Jym

Here are a few pictures from our play date with some of the kids from our "Healthy Children - Healthy Futures" project and some of our members' kids too!

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The weather was great...not too hot and not too cold. It was a fun afternoon with pizza, juice boxes, facepainting, fingerpaints and lots and lots of playing! We can't wait to do something like this again very soon!

Christmas Luminaries

A Note From Sheila:

Ladies,

I'd just like to remind everyone about the Christmas Luminaries project and to encourage you all to get out there and sell them! Thank you in advance for all your hard work. I am so sorry that I wasn't able to attend October's Provisional Social due to sickness. I look forward to meeting each of our new Provisional Members soon...you're all welcome and encouraged to participate in this fundraiser!

With this project, we have the potential to raise lots of funds to help meet the needs of the children in our community that we help! And won't the luminaries look beautiful decorating downtown during Christmas in the Park?

Here are a few reminders:

• If you were not at the General Meeting in October you need to contact me to hear more about the project and pick up your Fundraising Packet ASAP (extra packets are located at Ashley's Attic in the Plaza Shopping Center).
  
• Don't forget to mark your calendars, the deadline to turn in names and money for this Fundraiser is Tuesday November 18 at our General Meeting. Please continue to work hard; it's only little over 3 weeks away.
  
• Please remember that Ashley Gillentine (co-chair of this project) and I will be contacting the businesses in the town to purchase Luminaries. We did this because we want to avoid any cross-overs where multiple members contact a single business. However, your help is welcome with selling to businesses and if you have a close connection with a local business and would like to sell to them please call me and let me know so that they will not be contacted twice!
  
• I'd like for everyone to set a goal of how many luminaries that you would like to sell and then GO FOR IT! As an incentive to sell, sell, sell...I have gotten together a little prize basket that contains some treats from several Junior Auxiliary members' businesses! The top seller in this project will be awarded the prize basket at the Christmas Party in December. This is just a little incentive to help all of us meet and exceed our goals for this fundraiser!

As always, I am here for you if you have any questions. Please feel free to call me with questions or suggestions! You may email me your up-to-date sales if you would like and and I will send out totals next week.

Have a great week and thank you all so much!

: ) Sheila Boyd

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