Merry Christmas

We Christmas has come and gone already this year. It did not seem much like Christmas this year and I found it difficult to get into the Christmas spirit but I did very much enjoy seeing the kids light up Christmas morning. The boys were both able to go to Polar Express this year. Will went with a friend from school and Christopher went with Nana and Charity. Christopher tracked Santa through the day. The boys were way excited and could not contain themselves. Aubree was quite emotional about most of her gifts and Ginny was a typical teenage girl. She wanted her sleep. We continued our tradition of booby trapping the house, using 130 bells this year in balloons.The idea is if the kids can get through with out waking us up, then the can open gifts. If they wake us up, then we get to decide when they are allowed to open gifts. It seems that the children really enjoy the concept. We kept Christmas gifts simple this year and did not go overboard. After unwrapping gifts, I began to take down interior decor (because we left for Texas the next morning), Jake made homemade cocoa, and the children enjoyed playing with their gifts. This year fell on a Sunday, so we were fortunate to go to church, partake of the sacrament, and sing carols together. After sacrament meeting, we came home and prepared to go to Jackson for dinner. It was delicious! It was different without Papaw this year but we enjoyed ourselves. After getting home about 9:00pm, we decided to go ahead and head to Texas, so we left the house about 10:00pm. We have enjoyed seeing family and being together.

Happy Birthday Jake

Nine years ago today, Jake and I were blessed with our first boy. He was a black haired little chunk. His personality keeps growing. Some of his favorites are: Papa, pizza, sweets, soda, baseball, tanks, helicopters, video games, and Utah football. He definitely keeps us on his toes but we would not have it any other way.

I believe-

Do I really believe in a virgin birth? In a perfect human? A Savior for ALL people? Do I believe in angels and heaven and an afterlife? Do I really believe that miracles still happen and God still speaks to us? Do I believe in prophecy and the language of tongues? Do I truly believe in a being that created us all in his own image, a being that is all loving and benevolent, kind and good? In fact and in truth, I do. But I also believe in humankind. I believe that same God created us for far greater things than we are accomplishing. I believe that He made us and this world and set it on its course and whispered into our very souls, "As I have loved you, love one another. Take care of each other in my place. I won't be with you in body so you BE my body. Love the fatherless, love the widows, love the orphans, love your neighbor, be fierce in your protection of children, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the downtrodden, give asylum to those who are seeking refuge, visit the prisoners, forgive seven times seventy and then forgive again, don't judge every little thing, but if you must judge, judge righteously. But above all, love one another, as I have loved you." Faith in something you have no proof in perhaps seems silly or even a little crazy but my faith makes me who I am. My faith in the Baby Jesus and most especially the man He grew to become helps me to be more loving and forgiving, more in want of change, change for our world, for myself and for my family. My faith makes me more tolerant, it makes me want to be the woman I was meant to be. And with that faith you must continue to hear the bell. I love the analogy of still being able to hear the bells of Christmas when you grow up from the children's book The Polar Express. When we were children we ALL heard the bells or the magic of Christmas but as we get older somehow we lose the magic of believing. Believing is the only thing that makes life magical and fun and worth getting up every morning for. Do I still believe in Santa Claus? Heck yes! I believe in everything he represents. I believe in giving until you have nothing left to give, in making children smile and I believe in things that seem impossible being possible. I believe in his symbol of Christmas, that it truly is better to give than receive. That is why I know down to my very core that there are things greater than ourselves, ideas, thoughts and a loving creator that didn't leave us alone. He sent His son to save us all. He came in the meridian of time to save each one of us and He would have done it if there were just one of us. How dearly I love and appreciate His sweet sacrifice on my behalf, and yours, and my children's. I love the thought of that precious little baby boy born in the City of David in the most humble of circumstances, born into a troubled world to bring it peace. I love it's simplicity, it's grandeur and it's perfect form. So, do I believe? Yes. Yes. One hundred thousand times, yes. I believe. Merry Christmas dearest friends and family. May you keep and hold the magic of Christmas in your heart this weekend and may It give you peace and love forever.❤️

December already

Somehow December has snuck upon me and I neglected to do my Thanksgiving post. We are so technology dependent in this day that when my phone kept closing the app, I did not get on the computer to blog about thanksgiving. This year we drove to James and Cathys for dinner (James is my dads brother). Grandmother Christine was also there so dad was appreciative that we drove up. Sandra and Rebekah were not able to come so they went black Friday shopping. Christopher has asked for a "hatching egg" (hatchimal) for Christmas and they were able to get the nearly impossible toy for us. Seth was visiting from Idaho so we enjoyed having him stay with us a couple of days. School let out for the Christmas holiday on Friday (12/16), so we are looking forward to spending time together. I have been a little discouraged that I will not receive a Christmas or birthday card this year from my Papaw but I decided to send out cards this year to help brighten my days. I read a talk by Elder Jeffrey R Holland recently called "Christmas Comfort" that helped comfort. Basically it explains that we love good, so we hurt good too. I read the talk twice and reflected on how I am glad that I had the opportunity to love him and my mamaw, they set the bar high for grandparents. I am grateful for a living Heavenly Father that most likely suffered watching his son suffer for me that I can have the opportunity to live again and be a forever family. Oh Will advanced to Bear in cub scouts.