Once in Royal David's City

Words by Cecil Alexander  1848

“She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7

Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

He came down to earth from Heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

And, through all His wondrous childhood,
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

For He is our childhood’s pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love,
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in Heav’n above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in Heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

 

We Make History

Proudly Presented

Our 9th Annual

Victorian Christmas Ball

November 28th, 2009    Mesa, Arizona

 

The Victorians certainly loved Christmas and so do we!

The joyful family of We Make History celebrated this wonderful season at our 9th annual Victorian Christmas Ball with dancing, gifts, caroling and plenty of good cheer for all!

To the Entire We Make History Family

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Small Representation of our Hundreds of Merry Christmas Revelers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valuable Links

We Make History

Send a Christmas Letter

2008 Victorian Christmas Ball

2007 Victorian Christmas Ball

2006 Victorian Christmas Ball

2005 Victorian Christmas Ball

2004 Victorian Christmas Ball

2003 Victorian Christmas Ball

Etiquette & Expectations

FAQs

House Standards

 

 

 

Christmas Greetings

Dear We Make History Family,

Another Victorian Christmas Ball - our 9th annual - has come and has thrilled us all with a proper commencement to the most joyful of all seasons, that in which we celebrate our Saviour's Birth.

What words can I use to describe this special occasion, this night of joy, this last Ball of the decade, a decade in which so much has transpired and We Make History has grown from small but determined beginnings forward in a mission that has blessed thousands and will bless untold numbers more in years to come. We aspire to aim ever higher!

Our merry throng was a large one, one of our largest of the year, and how it brought smiles to my face to observe your smiles - the smiles of the truly merry as you "cast off trouble and care" and for an evening enjoyed together - new friends and old alike - in a friendly and wholesome mix of all ages dancing, caroling, laughing and making merry together.

Oh the caroling....! Truly, one of the highlights of the year. From my vantage point I could view the tears, the looks of awe and wonder and the exhilaration of the moment written upon many beautiful faces.

Indeed, many first-timers entered the Ballroom wide-eyed and already full of wonder and within a short time found themselves to be joyful, confident and newly minted members of the Family of We Make History. Welcome to the Family! A hearty welcome indeed!

What favour is upon us that we are able to provide this unique and special gift for you! We humbly and thankfully accept God's blessings - His gifts - and pass them on to uplift others. All do the same and we shall have a truly wonderful season indeed!

Joy to the world! And joy to the family of We Make History!

A bright new year and an exciting new decade awaits us with 2010.

We Make History Arizona is gaining and growing month by month. We Make History Virginia has reached new levels this very year and we are so excited about the good things ahead. Our family-friendly, service-oriented approach has shown the great value of history in teaching us good lessons, strengthening admirable character traits and helping to further develop a heart of service and generosity. Our Civil War living history group has grown to over 200 soldiers and civilians representing both Blue & Grey in a wholesome education and service-oriented environment. Big opportunities have been given to us!

Would you please be so kind as to send us a note with your favourite memories, highlights, thanks, comments and such from the Victorian Christmas Ball? We do so enjoy reading them!

Wishing to all the We Make History Family all the joys of Christmas and a Happy New Year...

I remain...

Your humble servant - and blessed to be so...

Lord Scott

of

We Make History

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Dear Lord and Lady Scott,

The Victorian Christmas Ball was definitely one of our highlights of 2009.  It was our first We Make History event and we were welcomed most graciously, were moved by the beautiful Christmas caroling, and had the pleasure of dancing (until midnight!).  The Virginia Reel was one of our favorite dances of the night - maybe because most of the people in our group were under the age of 12 and were "lively" dancers!   I have never seen so many smiling faces together in one place.  What a purely delightful sight, and all in honor of our Savior's birth.  Thank you ever so much for all that you both did to make it such a memorable evening.  We look forward to many more We Make History events.

May you and your lovely daughters have a most blessed Christmas season, and may the We Make History family enjoy much prosperity and growth in 2010.

In Him,

Toni & Talon

Cottonwood, AZ

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The 2009 Victorian Christmas Ball was the first event of its kind that we have attended.

I wish we had been coming for years!

We enjoyed everything that was provided. Thank you for all your hard work to put on such a quality event.

Christian & Leslie W.

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My Dearest Col. And Mrs.,

I think we are all in agreement that this year's Victorian Christmas Ball was a heavenly experience, and that is no exaggeration!  If any of us lacks focus on the meaning of this season, let him or her come here and see things from the proper perspective.  Once again, it is a chance to share joy and perhaps offer it to some who feel themselves lacking in it.  I know the feeling, having been there once myself.

As Dickens notes in the closing paragraphs of "A Christmas Carol," Scrooge -- the once incorrigible miser -- was transformed into a person who "knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge."  I pray that we should all do that well... and perhaps we are doing so already.

HUZZAH!  And THANK YOU ALL!

GOD BLESS US, EVERYONE!

Your Humble Servant And Friend,
CF of Tucson

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Dear Colonel and Mrs.,

Thank you so much for all of the time and effort you spend into wonderful events such as historical battles and especially balls such as this one! This was my first ball and I cannot wait to do this again (Lord willing). It was impossible not to have a joyous time. The Christmas caroling was a particular highlight of the night, especially when the ladies sang the third verse of Silent Night alone. Oh, what an angelic sound! May you and your family have a Merry Christmas!

God Bless America!

Your humble servant,

Pvt. Jacob M.

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Dear Lord Scott and Family,

On behalf of my family, I would like to express our appreciation for such a wonderful evening this past Saturday. I'd personally like to thank you for all that is done to create opportunities for families, such as mine, to gather together and celebrate life. We enjoyed ourselves greatly and look forward to joining the We Make History festivities again soon. 

Sincerely,

Kendra C.

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Dear Lord Scott,

Saturday night I attended your Victorian Christmas Ball with the Harp family. In the past our family homeschooled and we never participated in any Proms or dances due to the secular influence in them.  So I was delighted when I was able to take my, now 23yr old daughter, to her first Ball that promised to be Christ honoring and Biblical in no age segregation.  We were not disappointed!  We found it lively, fun, but most of all innocent in the ways of the world.  Thank you so much for all the work your family puts into this ministry.  I hope to be able to come to more of We Make History Balls in the future. 

May your holidays be filled with Jesus!

Jackie N.

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Col. Scott,

    What a wonderful evening! Our second ball with We Make History once again exceeded all expectations. We decided to take our daughter Colleen to her first ball, and she had so much fun she was still going strong at midnight. She hasn't stopped talking about the candy cane dance. This will truly be a new family tradition for us to look forward to. The women singing Silent Night was beautiful, and us men didn't do so bad ourselves. For that evening we all forgot difficult things, just had fun, and immersed ourselves in a time when our Savior's birth was the real reason for celebrating with friends and family - and we do think of the members of We Make History as family. We look forward to getting to know each and every member better.

Thank you to you and your beautiful family!

YHS

Sergeant and Mrs. U. (and Colleen too!)

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Dear Lord Scott,
 
Merry Christmas! We very much enjoyed the Christmas ball! This is our favorite ball of the year. We have now completed our first year with We Make History and have started our second. I really liked going outside in the "Grand March". That was a gigantic line! The caroling was also fun. We cannot wait for next year's balls!
 
Thanks, Esther

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Dear Sir,

Thank you so much for the passes.  We really enjoyed ourselves this evening.

The R. Family of Goodyear, AZ

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Col and Mrs. - What a delightful time I had at the ball.  It was a most enjoyable experience.  What an amazingly beautiful collection of people!  Why can't the rest of life be like this.  I was surprised that so many new people favored us with their presence.  I have a strong feeling that they will be back.  My favorite part of the evening was the verse of Silent Night sung by the ladies, which you correctly asked them to repeat.  I could hear the harmony parts sung quite clearly.  It was nothing short of heavenly.

God bless you and your family, and may you have a peaceful and loving Christmas celebration with your family.

I Remain,

YMOS,

MJC

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Dear Sir,

First things first, thank you VERY much for giving us the tickets. We so enjoy all your gatherings, and hanging out with the people we have made friends with.

Awesome night. Very well done.

The music was awesome, (I’m a Bluegrass Junkie myself) and the Tucson Barn Dance music and this Christmas Ball's music and musicians were simply AWESOME!!!

The atmosphere is phenomenal. I don’t know what it is, but it’s a real step back in time. It’s such a sight for sore eyes to see ladies dressed as ladies should, and men dressed as men should. No pants-falling-off guys and no skinny-jean-skimpy-top girls.  As a young Christian, it so good to see young Men and young Ladies acting as such. I heartily enjoy your effort to make the Men step up into their places as Men, and the Ladies into their places as Ladies. Such a breath of fresh air from our pagan society, I can assure you.

“Mistress Becky” has been a wonderful help. In all those complicated dances, she can sure explain it in a way to make it so even the dimmest of the dancers (me included) can dance with ease.

The singing was a very nice addition. It really gives the whole evening a “togetherness” feeling, (if that’s a word). Makes it like we're one big family. Well, it feels that way any way, but the caroling makes it even more so.

Well. You asked for my favorite memories. Here are a few.   

That part when the ladies sang silent night, whew, gave me the chills, so incredible sounding, and I’m glad you asked for it again, it was simply fantastic.

I always enjoy it when you bawl out “CHOOOOOSE YO PAWTNAS.” It makes me want to shout “YEEHAAW!!” right back. J

I so enjoy the Virginia Reel. One of my favorite memories from the night was our group, over in the corner, reeling as fast as we could. When you said “go at your own speed” we took you literally. Most of us in that set were veterans, so we reeled as fast as we could, and by golly, was that fun.  It sure beats video games or movies or electronics or most anything modern simply out the window.

            The “pineapple dance” is another of my favorites, and the “candy-cane” version is no exception.

I look forward to attending your other balls and dances in the future, they are always a big hit, and I so enjoy being able so talk al suthern an such wid-out bein offensive ur sumtin similar. I like talking old-fashioned and I wear old-fashioned clothes all the time, so it’s so enjoyable to hang out with other people that do as well.

But like Big Chuck said, being normal is so lame. It’s so fun to do the unordinary, and the so-called “weird”, and I thank you for giving me the chance to make a difference in the lives of folks far and wide, from the Barn Dance to the AHF, I love all of it. And if I die because of lack of sleep from lots of late night dances and reenactments, I must admit, it a good way to die.

Once again, thank you so much, I hope this was helpful.

   ---David---    

Goodyear, AZ   

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His lordship is to be commended for such a grand and festive holiday event. The halls were truly decked.

Your obdt & humble, Jack

 

Please also see our “Etiquette & Expectations” page as well as our "All About Us" page.

 

www.WeMakeHistory.com