Holiday Happenings in SaddleBrooke

SaddleBrooke Thanksgiving Grandkids’ Days 2014 will be held November 28 and 29

The SaddleBrooke Ceramics Club is hosting a ceramics event where kids can paint a ceramic object of their choosing. The event will be held on Friday, November 28 in the Ceramics Club’s room (Quartz Room) in the HOA 2 Arts and Craft Complex. Young children between the ages of two and eight will be welcome between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. while older kids between the ages of nine and 14 can come and paint their chosen items between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. You may arrive anytime during the first 45 minutes of your child’s allotted time slot. All children must be accompanied by an adult. An old shirt or tee shirt is recommended to protect clothing, but all painting supplies will be provided by the Ceramics Club. Reservations are not necessary. For more information contact Judy at 818-3191.

Also on Friday, November 28, the SaddleBrooke Senior Softball Association will host a softball skills clinic for kids of all ages. Pre-teens should arrive at the HOA 2 Softball Field at 12:45 p.m. for registration with the clinic beginning at 1:00 p.m. Teenagers should arrive at 1:45 p.m. for registration with the clinic beginning at 2:00 p.m. Reservations are not necessary. For more information contact Ed at 818-0194.

Story Hour will be held on Saturday, November 29 in the Paloma Room (across from the Library) at the DesertView Center. Story hour for children ages two through five will be at 10:00 a.m. and for children ages six through ten at 11:00 a.m. Reservations are not necessary. For more information contact Ginny at 818-2953.

The SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association will host a play pickleball event for kids ages three through 21. The event will be held at The Preserve Pickleball Courts on Saturday, November 29 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Participants, including parents and grandparents as well as the children, must wear close-toed tennis shoes that will not leave black marks on the courts. Reservations are not necessary. For more information contact Shawne at 818-2690.

Also on Saturday, November 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the SaddleBrooke Nature Club will be hosting a wildlife exhibit at the Trailhead at Catalina State Park. The exhibit includes snakes of all kinds, Gila monsters and occasional other featured guests from our local critter community. There are exhibits of animal skins and other hands-on educational opportunities for kids of all ages. Reservations are not necessary. For more information contact Jim  at 818-3545.

SaddleBrooke Singers present ‘Ring the Bells’

The SaddleBrooke Singers invite you to their annual Holiday Concert this year entitled Ring the Bells. We are diligently rehearsing and putting the finishing touches on eighteen special songs selected especially for the season, beginning with Christmas is Coming (Let the Church Bells Ring) and wrapping up the program with Ring the Bells, a fairly new song which ends with the words, “As we ring the bells, love will fill the earth; no more war, or poverty or greed, everyone is free, free to truly be.”

Do you remember your favorite Christmas? Or Hanukkah? (There are two Hanukkah songs on the program.) It could have been one from your childhood or maybe the first you celebrated as husband and wife or a year when your children were young or maybe even a family celebration with your children and grandchildren.

There’s something about the season that brings back memories to us when we want to celebrate and remember those special days with our families, even if it’s not possible in person. And then there are the special songs, the ones we sing only at this time of year. We all have our favorites, don’t we? Our program will also give you some opportunities to sing along with us and we hope we have picked some of your favorites. You can think of it as Christmas caroling, only indoors, without having to bundle up!

We have chosen songs that we think will evoke memories in your heart of some of your favorite Christmases as well as some new songs you may not have heard but will want to hear again. Some of our favorites are Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, In the Bleak Midwinter, a Rose medley and a jazzy version of Jolly Old St. Nicholas. The altos and sopranos are singing Mister Santa (Bring Me a Dream), and the tenors and basses will sing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. We also have a quite contemporary song All I Want for Christmas is You as sung by Mariah Carey.

We hope that you can join us for this Holiday Celebration which will be held at the DesertView Theatre of Performing Arts for an evening of reflection, fun times and, of course, singing! If you have any questions please call Sam Page at 825-1047.

Our performances will be on Friday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are now on sale at the MountainView Ticket Office, by phone at 825-2818 or online at http://tickets.SaddleBrookeTwo.com/. $18 advance purchase or $20 at the door. We still remain your best entertainment bargain in town!

Community Church celebrates Christmas Eve Service

Connie Saiz

The Community Church at SaddleBrooke invites the community to join us on Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. at the DesertView Theatre to celebrate the birth of our Savior. The service will focus on our common faith and joy.

This is a wonderful way to prepare your heart for Christmas Day by gathering with and meeting new friends in the community for a night to honor God’s Christmas present to the world, Jesus Christ. The true meaning of Christmas can be found in the story of Christ’s birth in Luke 2. This special evening will remind us of the hope and salvation that the Christ Child brought to the world.

We start to celebrate the Christmas season with Advent, which is the season marking the four Sundays before Christmas, and starts this year on November 30. One of best known Advent customs is the lighting of the candles in an Advent wreath, a decorated wreath with four candles placed in the circle and a single white candle in the center. On a weekly basis, each candle will be lit focusing on the hope, love, peace and joy that the Father has provided in His Son who is represented by the center candle. After all, it is His birthday.

There will be singing of traditional carols, special music and fellowship, so come and join us on December 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the DesertView Theatre where we have been welcoming people from many faith backgrounds for 15 years in SaddleBrooke. We hope you can come because your presence will make our celebration even more special.

Please remember that each Sunday our congregation gathers for worship in the DesertView Theatre and Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. If you do not have a church home, you just might find one with us. Until then, discover more about us at www.communitychurchsaddlebrooke.com or call at 825-5394.

A Swingin’ Christmas

The holidays wouldn’t be complete without our favorite tunes being crooned by Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Andy Williams, Nat King Cole and all the legendary artists whose music truly made it The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Set in the style of a classic television Christmas Special, this concert will put you In The Mood with such Yuletide gems as Happy Holidays Baby, It’s Cold Outside, White Christmas and so many more. This show features an amazing six piece swing band plus an all star cast of vocalists including SaddleBrooke favorites Crystal Stark, Nick Gallardo and Matthew Chappel plus the wonderful Aimee Blau from Mesa. A Swingin’ Christmas is an instant holiday classic!

A Swingin’ Christmas will be at DesertView Theatre on Wednesday, December 10, 2014. Tickets are only $25 inclusive ($30 at the door).

You may purchase your tickets at the SaddleBrooke HOA 2 Administration Building, by phone at 825-2818 or online at www.dvpac.net.

Community church at SaddleBrooke 10th annual Advent Tea Celebration

Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. This year will be the tenth annual Advent Celebration presented by The Community Church at SaddleBrooke.

Please join us on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at the HOA 1 Vistas Dining Room. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. so you may enjoy all the beautiful, uniquely decorated tables and Christmas decorations. We will begin our Advent Celebration promptly at noon featuring a delightful lunch and a musical interlude by a professional flutist and a harpist. While enjoying a scrumptious dessert and tea, our Victorian Christmas Carolers will lead us in song. The cost is $15 per person. Please let us know if you are on a gluten free diet. Seating is limited.

Our guest speaker this year is SaddleBrooke’s own Darbie Baker. Her topic will be No Room in the Inn followed by Mary Did You Know sung by our own Victorian carolers, Ron and Leah Kari and Brent and Nancy Carlson. Earline Lewis, guitar, and Joanne Thomas on the piano will accompany the carolers.

This year’s tenth annual Advent Tea Celebration, presented by Community Church at SaddleBrooke, will close with the lighting of our Advent Candles to the music of Silent Night. This is a wonderful opportunity to take time out of our busy holiday schedules to relax and enjoy The Reason for the Season with friends. This will be a memorable program of special music, reflection and inspiration as we begin preparations for celebrating the birth of Christ. The Advent Celebration is open to women of all faiths.

To be a part of this special annual event, plan to sign up and pay by check (please no cash) on November 2, 9 or 16 in the church lobby. Your check, made out to Community Church SaddleBrooke, will be your registration receipt. Ask your friends to join you. Submit their checks with yours so you may all be seated together. Tables are limited to seating for eight.

The church welcomes people from all denominations and we cordially invite members and nonmembers of the church to attend the Advent Tea. The Community Church at SaddleBrooke meets every Sunday at the DesertView Performing Arts Center at 8:30 a.m. Please join us for an uplifting service focusing on God’s Word.

A classic country Christmas

Join your friends and neighbors and get set to two-step ‘round the Christmas tree as you enjoy the yuletide twang of a Classic Country Christmas! This knee slappin’ production includes perennial holiday hits made famous by Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill, Randy Travis, Loretta Lynn and more. Join Million Dollar Quartet star/national touring artist Michael Goodman and The Sweetheart of Branson Kaci Bays as they share classics like Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Hard Candy Christmas and Christmas in Dixie. You will not want to miss the wonderful evening of holiday fun!

Performance will be at DesertView Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, December 17, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are only $25 inclusive or $30 at the door.

You may purchase tickets at SaddleBrooke HOA 2 Administration Building, phone 825-2818, or go to the website http://www.dvpac.net.