Christmas List

1. Christmas was great this year, as usual. It always goes by much too quickly, and I'm left thinking, "Now what?". Until the kids go back to school, I'm afraid the answer is, NOTHING - I don't have any motivation to do anything at all. But once they go back, and we're back into our routine, I'll get up and be a productive member of society again:)

2. One of my friends did a cookie exchange - I love those. I, of course, had to make gingerbread men, and I made some "kissies" (as JT fondly calls them). This is a small sample of the results of our exchange, complete with some MARVELous sugar cookies, hehehe:)

Unfortunately, this is also the result of our cookie exchange.

I love the making part, but not so much the cleaning up after part.

3. Continuing our tradition, we made two new ornaments for our tree this year. Beaded Candy Canes

And Clothespin Reindeer

4. And speaking of our tree, we got a new one this year. I like it

I'm tempted to leave it up longer than is socially acceptable.

5. The kids posing for another tradition - picture with the Stockings on Christmas morning.

6. We have accidently started another Christmas tradition - I'm not even sure when or how it got started. Our Christmas dinner/lunch is really more like a holiday party buffet (as opposed to a traditional sit-down meal like we have at Thanksgiving), and we snack on it all day long. We have a turkey and cheesy potatoes, homemade bread, a shrimp ring, a meat and cheese tray with crackers, seven layer dip, spinach artichoke dip, and pico de gallo with chips, and other various finger foods and desserts. It works for us.

7. Alex got Mr. Potato Head for Christmas (his new obsessions are Toy Story 1, 2, and 3). He came up with this creation using the orange he got in his Christmas stocking.

I can't help but think he got the idea from Toy Story 3.

8. Madelyn had requested EVERYTHING Barbie for Christmas. Although she got a few Barbie things, she did not get the wished-for Barbie car. However, Cora got a small car for her Polly Pockets, and when Madelyn saw her open it up, she said, "Hey, that's what I ordered." She wasn't upset about it, but was just making an observation. It has us laughing for awhile.

9. We got a beautiful snowfall a couple of days after Christmas. The kids have loved playing in it.

Even though the snow makes me want to hybernate for the winter, cuddled up in a cozy blanket sipping hot cocoa, I HAVE to take the kids out in it for awhile. I remember having so much fun playing in the snow as a kid, going sledding with my Dad - I just can't rob them of that:)

10. I've been watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, and I'm so thankful for their messages. If you haven't seen it already, you should. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

If We Emulated Santa Claus...

A couple of years ago I did this post on Santa Claus. I really do love the tradition of Santa Claus. Not the commercialized version, which pretty much replaces a Christ-centered Christmas with a winter holiday all about getting stuff - I don't think that's what Santa Claus was ever supposed to be about. I love this quote from James E. Faust (from the First Presidency Christmas devotional in 1998):



"No one can measure the effect of an unselfish act of kindness. By small, simple things great things do indeed come to pass. Of course, gifts given and gifts received make Christmas special. For many children Christmas Eve is a very long night as they look forward with eager anticipation to the gifts Santa brings, which is why children love Santa Claus. Let me share what someone once said about Santa Claus: First of all, he's a joyous individual... Next, Santa Claus is interested in making others happy. He increases the happy moments in the life of everyone he meets. He loves his work: he gets fun out of his job. He is childlike, simple, humble, sincere, and forgiving. Finally, he is a giver. His philosophy is to give himself away in service. He is a friend to everyone. He smiles. Perhaps you and I could attain greater happiness if we emulated Santa Claus a little more, for his way is the way of the infant Jesus."



I like this image of Santa because, for me, it puts everything about Christmas into the proper perspective.

Last year Cora was old enough, and ready to learn the truth about Santa Claus. This is what I told her. Santa Claus WAS a real person, who lived a long, long time ago. He was a very good man, and tried to live a Christ-like life. One of the things he was known for was his generosity. He loved to give gifts to others, especially to those in need. People loved him very much. When he died, people wanted to keep his spirit alive, and continue to give they way that he had given to others. To do this, they themselves "became" Santa Claus, passing on the tradition from generation to generation. When you are old enough to learn about Santa Claus, then you take on the responsibility of keeping his spirit alive too, and YOU become Santa Claus (Cora now helps us stuff the Christmas stockings from Santa to the other kids). We do this at Christmas time because it helps us remember the greatest gift of all - our Savior. Part of the tradition of Santa Claus is the magic involved with everything he does. The magic of Christmas is also real. The magic is a feeling of excitement, wonder, peace, and love - Christ-like Love. This magical feeling increases as we "emulate Santa Claus", and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.



At our house Santa only fills the stockings (with an occasional larger gift to be shared) - everything else is from family (when asked why some kids get more presents, or more expensive presents from Santa, we tell our kids that Santa can't afford to make those kinds of presents, and some parents give Santa some extra money to get special gifts;)).



Anyway, this year we told our kids that we would still be getting stockings from Santa, but that instead of doing family presents we wanted to spend that money to help someone else. We had zero complaints about that, and I set out to find some way that we could give, and that the kids could be involved in the process. The other day my friend Kimberly showed me a gift catalogue from Save the Children. You can click on the picture below to take you to the link.


I really liked this because of the variety of ways to donate, the flexibility of the amount you could donate, and how perfect it was for letting my children be involved. So for our Family Home evening we went to the website together and browsed the catalogue. We took time to explain each item to the kids and how much of an impact it could make on someone's life. We told the kids they each had a certain amount of money with which they could purchase gifts for children in need. The gifts range from hygiene kits, to education, to farm animals, etc. You can buy a goat or sheep for $40:) My kids were very excited about the gifts they chose, and I'm so glad we did this.



I'm posting this, not to toot my own horn, but just because it taught me a lesson. I LOVE giving my children presents, just as much as the next parent. And yes, my kids love getting presents. But their joy and happiness on Christmas day, and during the season, is not directly correlated with how many presents they get - that is, they will not be more happy with more presents, or less happy with less presents. I think children really do understand the true meaning of Christmas, and that many times they emulate Sant Claus even better than we do as adults....we just have to give them the opportunity.

2010 Christmas Card

For the second year in a row I am doing a digital Christmas card. For years I always said I would send out Christmas cards, but NEVER did. There was so much guilt:) Last year I decided to just make it easier on myself and send one out via e-mail. It's been an especially crazy holiday season this year, so I'm making it easy on myself again. Here is our card (click on it to enlarge, if necessary)
Next year I would REALLY like to get out an actual Christmas card via snail mail - those really are the best. But for now, this will have to do. We love you all, and wish you a very joyous Christmas season!

Grateful - Take Two

Funerals are really hard, and really wonderful. It's amazing that they can be both of these things. It is only possible because of the knowledge that death is not the end, and we will be with our loved ones again. I'm grateful that when we lose someone, it can actually bring us closer to each other and to God.

I'm so grateful that I was able to go to Utah for my brother-in-law's funeral. This is a picture of my sister Lorraine and her husband Shane.

They have three small children, and I am grateful that I was able to spend so much time with them. I'm grateful that I was able to help my sister clean and organize her house. We even got to celebrate both of our birthdays together. We also got to be there for family Christmas parties. I'm soooooo grateful for my family.

I am grateful that I was able to spend a short amount of time with friends while I was there. My best friend Juli flew in for a couple of days from North Carolina, and we "got the band back together".

I'm grateful that she would even THINK about doing that, let alone actually doing it. I hadn't see her in about 5 years. Why didn't I have a camera when we went to lunch? And also, Why didn't I have a camera when I went to see her sister Katie and meet my new friend Mary? It's possible that I had my camera with me, and just forgot to get it out. That's even lamer then forgetting to bring the camera. I am grateful to know that there will be opportunities in the future to take pictures with these lovely ladies - oh yes, there will be:)

I'm grateful that people give me stuff. Like good books (thanks Mary), and mint chocolate truffles (thanks Amy and Nate), and this (thanks Katie).

I'm grateful for the Christmas season. I'm grateful that we were able to go to Temple Square and see the lights.

It doesn't matter how many times you go, it's still magical. That's the great thing about Christmas - the magic.

This is our whole family, minus my mom and youngest sister Rebekah, and with the addition of the girl in the upper left-hand corner.

I'm grateful when people are willing to take your family picture, and take it several times because children are moving around, not looking at the camera, blinking, and pulling weird faces.
I'm grateful for laughing, and laughing, and laughing. This is my sister Rebekah - she makes me laugh (she's going to love me for posting these pictures).

Most of all, I am grateful for this man.

He is my hero for taking our 4 children - all by himself - on a plane to Seattle, and then driving -through white-out, blizzard conditions - to Utah, so he could be with me for the funeral, and then babysitting those 4 children - by himself - for several days so that I could help my sister with her house and spend a little time with my friends. These were not easy things, but he did them, and I owe him big time. I am also grateful that he is so good looking:)

So much to be grateful for.