Christmas Jar

I found myself restless tonight and unable to sleep. I lay staring at the ceiling and reviewing the events of the last year. It seems like a lifetime has transpired over these last 12 months. I reflected on cherished and sweet memories of falling in love, dusting off hidden ambitions, saying goodbye to dear ones, facing challenges you felt were beyond yourself and embracing new kindred spirits soon to become lifelong friends. Finally, after accepting I was never going to fall asleep, I brushed off a dusty copy of Christmas Jars by Jason Wright and started reading. It is now the weary hours of the morning and I have finished the book. For the first time this Christmas Season I have felt the pangs of the true spirit of Christmas. The book reminded me of Christmas miracles. Not just Christmas miracles, but the miracles of everyday life. It was not like I forgot, but rather perhaps lost hope in miracles. Sad since I have witnessed so many this year. I was mostly disappointed in myself for losing hope in the greates of all miracles. The healing power of the atonement. I marvel at a Father's love for His children and the sacrifice of His Son. Christ was born, lived and died that others might live. Not just to bring to pass immortality or the resurrection, but that I might "live" now in this very moment.

In my scripture study tonight I noticed a passage that had never caught my eye before. It is in Jacob 2:8. Jacob is addressing the people for the first time since his brother Nephi's death. Really, what would you say? He admonishes that they, the people of Nephi, have come to hear, "... the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul." The word was given to heal the soul. He lived to heal us. Today. Now. This very minute. I have a merciful Father and through His sacrifice of love I am healed, can become clean and whole again. So, in the quiet of this morning, I rejoice. I rejoice in my King, the Prince of Peace and my heart is full. "Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel... Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought, Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls (Alma 26:16. 20)." It has brought to mind the words of a famous Christmas hymn that struck me in Sunday's meetings as never before. They were the words from O' Holy Night, "... long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth. A thrill of hope. A weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees. Oh hear the angel voices. Oh, night, divine. O night divine." We are no longer a world that need lay in sin and error pining. He did appear and a soul felt it's worth. Mine. I have reason for rejoicing. I love Christmas and finally I have felt it. Perhaps now I can rest a bit. :)

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

O' Christmas Tree! O' Christmas Tree!

Tonight I had the fantastic pleasure of participating or rather watching a small town Christmas tradition in Farmington, Utah. They have been sharing this tradition with the folks of Farmington, friends and family for 40 years. They perform a live Nativity the first Monday of December every year. They act out the King James version of the Christmas story intermitent with carols. The play takes place in a small barn off the beaten path on Main Street here in Farmington. It was a beautiful beginning to this years Holiday Season.

Decorating my tree is another treasured part of my Holiday. Cheers to my grandmother who helped me develop a love for Christmas and Christmas trees. My grandma has my favorite tree of all time. All of her children and grandchildren have given her a doll from wherever they served missions in all corners of the earth and she uses them to decorate her Christmas tree. You could spend hours talking with her about the dolls and where they are from. She passed away this year and I won't have the joy of seeing her tree this year, but I always have the memories.

So, now that I have my tree up..... Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Thanks grandma.

Ginger "Snap"

What happens when you pack a room full of kids with a pile of candy and gingerbread on the table?

FUN!!

Or you snap and go just plain crazy

As part of our Thanksgiving tradition we make gingerbread houses and although we were short a few grandkids this year, we had a great time. It always ends up being more work than we anticipate, but we still manage to have a good time. I actually had time to make a house this year. I opted to make a log cabin. It turned out kind of cute considering it was my first gingerbread house.

Camera one...... We're all finished...

Camera two.....

Did you see what's missing besides Nathan's mammoth bicep?

Maybe you should ask Kyle? What you got there Kyle?

You guessed it....... Kyle sneakily sneaked a marshmallow off Jennifer's gingerbread house.

Way to go Kyle! Those Bott jeans run deep. Real deep. He knows how to get the good stuff.

Why Turkey?

I heard on the radio today that the turkey was once considered for the national symbol for America. No offense Ben Franklin, but I am sure glad they chose the bald eagle.

With the feast of good things upon us I have spent some time reflecting on the last year and the good things I am thankful for and some of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

• Family
  
• Forgiveness
  
• Friendship
  
• Life
• The Thanksgiving Day Parade
• Love
  
• Stuffing
• Mercy
• Cutting down Christmas Trees
• Going through the Pre Service Teacher Training course
• Nacho Mama
• Christmas music
• My Mother's strength
  
• Prayer
• Hope
• Kindness
• Gingerbread Houses

As I have reflected over the past year I have come to realize that mine is a life of great blessing. This year has brought many uncharted territory for me and I have moved forward with faith, praying I was making the right choices. Some of those choices brought difficulties and growth, challenges and happiness. It truly has been a time of great joy and some of my deepest of sorrow. I have lost loved ones and close friends have lost loved ones, I chased some dreams and lost some dreams, but in it all I have been blessed to see the hand of the Lord in my life. I have not been left comfortless. In reading President Uchtdorf's talk The Infinite Power of Hope again yesterday I found reassurance that,

"The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptations, and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light...

We learn to cultivate hope the same way we learn to walk, one step at a time. As we study the scriptures, speak with our Heavenly Father daily, commit to keep the commandments of God, like the Word of Wisdom, and to pay a full tithing, we attain hope. We grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,” as we more perfectly live the gospel.

There may be times when we must make a courageous decision to hope even when everything around us contradicts this hope. Like Father Abraham, we will “against hope [believe] in hope.” Or, as one writer expressed, “in the depth of winter, [we find] within [us] an invincible summer.”

So, this year I am most thankful for hope.

WALL OF FAME - WALL OF SHAME

Holy war! Holy Cow!

Every year we have an office pick on who will win the "Big Game", UTAH or BYU and every year the trash talking gets a little bigger and a little better.

or

I say...

"Who's on the Coug's side. Who? Now is the time to show. I ask it fearlessly. Who's on the Cougs side. Who? We wage no common war, cope with no common foe. The enemy's awake; who's on the Coug's side? Who.... Oooo?"

I AM!!!

GO COUGARS!!!

Top 5 Costume Picks

5 - Mike & Julie Chidester as John McCain & Sarah Palin
4 - Jolene Kremin as "Bonnie" of Bonnie & Clyde... nice gun
3 - Dave Carlson as The Happy Painter on KBYU... love the wig man.
2 - Mandy Christensen as A Goth... it just didn't sit right. Creepy! Really creepy!
1 - Beth Webster as Doll in a box... just plain genius.

"I'm Fifty!"

Halloween always poses a good excuse to be crazy, scarey or psycho and get away with it. This year I struggled with what costume to wear because for me, if it isn't clever it isn't worth it. I was going to go as the crazy tooth fairy, but I couldn't find a white tu-tu, so I settled for Red Riding Hood because that is all I could come up with at the last second. Now... let's be honest how unclever is Red Riding Hood and it is one of those costumes that girls wear that they can still look cute, but be dressed up. Not my style. I really wanted to be Richard Simmons, but I couldn't figure out how to do it modestly and then I found the best red jump suit at the DI and I had it! Sally O'Malley from Saturday Night Live. Not a single person knew who I was, but it was a fun costume because there was some acting involved. Her famous monologue and dance routine is.....

"I'm fifty! Five. O. And I can kick.... stretch.... kick! I'm fifty!"

There is some kicking, stretching and kicking involved. It was a duzie. Check it out!