Christmas Memories

We had a wonderful holiday season and I enjoyed every minute of it! As always, we squeezed out every little minute we could, which means staying up until the wee hours of the morning and sleeping in whenever possible. Unfortunately, this can be difficult on me because I don't want to miss out on any action. I stay up late and then don't want to wake up in the morning (which is not all that unusual, I guess.) It's totally worth it, though, to have this special time with my family.

I feel such peace during this wonderful time of year. Life slows down (at least after all the shopping is done), people try to be kinder, we try to spend more time with those that matter most, and we put our troubles to the side, even if only for a time. It's amazing the happiness that comes when we focus on what matters most. This time of year, the whole world seems "right." I am so thankful for the season and the peace and hope it brings to my life.

Following are a few of our highlights caught on camera:

And others that may or may not have been:

food, family, and friends

snowboarding

Nutcracker

candlelight dinner

Daddy/daughter date - to dance performance and ice cream (Mom tagged along, too)

no snow = brown Christmas

new tradition - sharing the "light"

Tyrell's missionary farewell

no school/lessons/days off work

Maddy's own Christmas tree

late nights

Christmas Eve

Nativity pageant

new movies - Avatar, Inception, Prince of Persia, & Toy Story 3 (What would the holidays be without new videos to watch, right?)

chocolate!

good books

scented candles

no Christmas cards :(

weight sets

Just Dance 2 (Now THIS is what I've got to get pictures of! Watching people dance to the Wii game is hilarious! We had a blast and it was something everyone could do)

late mornings

And last and most importantly, celebrating the birth of our Savior and His gospel in our lives!

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night!
What is wrong with this picture?? I forgot to take pictures of my kids in their Christmas jammies this year! That makes me so sad :( How did that happen?? I think Santa needs some sleep.

Christmas Eve and a Nativity Pageant

It has become a tradition that every year, we head to Tremonton on Christmas Eve to spend it with Jeff's extended family. Since we have been married, it has been tradition to have tacos for dinner on Christmas Eve. In more recent years, we have started re-enacting the nativity scene and singing "The Nativity Song" from Primary. It's fun to see the the kids graduate from Baby Jesus to Mary or shepherds or wisemen. This year, we had no baby to play Baby Jesus so Morgan (@ 21 yrs. old) played Jesus this year. Especially fun to see, are the costumes that Grandma has rounded up throughout the year. New this year is Jake's lovely gown (check that out!) and Gwen and Thea's angel dresses, which actually used to be worn by Teri and Tina.

I think this picture captures the whole gang?? As you can see, my boys think it is funny to pull a serious face in EVERY picture. Although I'm sure the parts they are playing are obvious (ha ha):

Josh (with the mop on his head) was Samuel the Lamanite

Jake was a wiseman

Maddy was Mary

After the mayhem of all of that, we exchange gifts. Grandpa even wears a Santa hat as he and grandma pass out their gifts to the grandchildren. We can't leave without opening our new "jammies." That has been a tradition from my family since I was little. (Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture of my kids in their PJ's this year! I usually do that every Christmas morning in front of the tree. I'm so mad at myself!!) I love Christmas Eve and especially the ride home where I can picture in my mind that night in Bethlehem so long ago. I am so grateful for that and often wonder what it would have been like to be a witness to that miracle.

But I must say that my very favorite part of Christmas Eve is in the wee hours of the morning after everyone is asleep and it is just me and light Christmas music playing by the glow of the Christmas tree. Even though I am completely exhausted by this time in the season, I love this! This is such a peaceful time of reflection for me as I think of my children, our family, the year we have had, and the wonderful blessings we have in our life. For those few moments, everything seems alright in the world, knowing that my children our all snuggled in their beds (well, Josh's bed) safely. It's a time that I realize how truly blessed I am! No matter what my trials are at that point.

It makes me want to do more, be more, love more...

I think that is what the Christmas spirit is truly about.

The "Light" of Christmas...A New Christmas Tradition

As my children get older, I want so badly to give them the gift of the true spirit of Christmas. I want them to think of Christ -of his birth and more importantly, of the life he led and the example he gave us. I know that if they can capture that feeling, Christmas will be so much more meaningful and will leave lasting, heart-felt memories.

I am also learning the importance of traditions. Not only are they fun, but I think they empasize the importance of certain things and bind families together in a way that nothing else can.

It was with these goals in mind that I set off to try to make Christmas a little different this year- more about "Christ" and less about "mas" (which means more.) I'm not sure how successful I was but I do feel good about one thing we did - a special candlelight dinner. My Mom always used to make candlelight dinners for really special occasions so I had thought of doing a special Christmas dinner for several years. Well this year, I finally did it! I was also given a neat idea at our RS Enrichment Christmas dinner that I incorporated into our dinner. I sent out an invitiation to everyone inviting them to a special, candlelight dinner the Sunday before Christmas. We had ham and potatoes, which we all love. After dinner, I gave everyone a candle. We all sat in a circle with another candle sitting in the center. Each family member took a turn lighting their candle and as they did, everyone else said something nice about that person. What a powerful experience! I hope my children felt the same Spirit in that room that I did. I know things like this can be awkward at times but I was really proud of everyone for coming up with creative things to say and really putting thought and feeling into it. It's amazing how hearing just a few good things about yourself can really lift you! And I know each of us needed that (probably more than we even knew.) I believe it helped in healing hearts and binding love. I hope it's something my children remember and cherish for years to come. It is definitely a tradition I want to carry forward.