Christmas Day...

-Started off with french toast breakfast
-Little Dude's amazement from what Santa brought him ( Elmo, of course, and a play shopping cart- among his favorites:))
-Opening gifts and loving them
-Christmas tree fell down ( ornaments and all) it was in the shopping cart's way :) Most of the ornaments were salvageable- the tree sadly was not.  ( We are glad we made it almost a whole month without any other Christmas tree casualties from the little dude- quite impressive in our book).
-Went to church- I wish all Christmas days were on Sunday. It was the best treat of the day.
- Came home, little dude napped, we cleaned up the tree:)
-Skyped with Elder and Sister Thomason
-Ate too many godies and a delicious dinner
-Opened more presents- Little Dude definitely had an Elmo Christmas:)
-Talked with family via phone
-Went to bed early

....Perfect Day!

Christmas Eve Day...

-Smells of fresh gingerbread baking in the oven
-Delivering goodies to loved ones
-Taking naps
-Reading Christmas books
-Decorating gingerbread cookies
-Lots of goodies to munch on
-Reading Luke's account of the 1st Christmas
-Opening new pajamas
-Opening an ornament
- Seeing our little guy's face full of delight when he opened up some Elmo slippers and Truck/ Car Pajamas
-After a full day- going to bed early

This Christmas...

...seems to be a little sweeter than others in the past. Maybe it's because for the past 6 months Bryan and I and my family, have had to come to grips and focus on what really matters most: God, Jesus Christ, and each other. When my sister was first diagnosed with Leukemia, it changed a lot of things and changed them drastically. In my family, everyone will more than likely be getting the gifts they wanted from the stores this year, but I have to say that one of the best gifts is knowing that more than likely, no one will be in the hospital and that everyone will be home.
Home to enjoy homemade food, not takeout. Home to enjoy conversation, not telephone calls. Home to enjoy movies- together, not separately. Home where the only pain that will be felt is that from laughing so hard your sides hurt. HOME. I am grateful for the peace the word "Home" brings. I am so grateful for my family: my loving and kind husband, our fun and active little boy, my parents and sisters, and all of my inlaws. They make up what I call HOME everyday.
Regardless of the miles, states, and walls that may separate us. This year we will truly be "Home for Christmas."

Oh the weather outside is...

...60 degrees! Jack Frost where are you? We always at least have the low 40's by now. I know that there are probably some of ya'll out there who would love this weather, but there is just something about cold weather that brings in Christmas. We are used to not having snow around this time ( usually). We usually just get a lot of rain. But I mean think about all of the Christmas songs that mention it being cold:) Oh well, I'll enjoy it while it lasts. It does however mean that we ( the little dude and I ) can gratefully go outside and play longer, without having to bundle up as marshmallows.

A feeling of accomplishment...

Most of my days include starting a lot of things and not finishing all of them:) I guess that is life with a toddler:) But today I feel a sense of accomplishment. It's really simple things that I was able to do better and earlier than last year. Maybe, I am growing into motherhood:) I only use checklists to make sure I accomplish tasks that need to be done, the non-realistic things never make it on the list:)

But for my own sake, so that I can see it print:
Christmas cards all addressed and mailed- DONE
Christmas presents all wrapped, mailed or under tree- DONE
House is actually somewhat clean- DONE
All laundry is washed- DONE

Now it's time to bring on the week of making Christmas goodies:)!!!!
( Not a need but definitely something fun!)

Bible Videos...

Our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced some amazing Bible videos on the life of Jesus Christ, that can be used by anyone for free.  We thought it was the perfect season to share them with all of our dear family, friends, and fellow bloggers:). You will find them here.

Here is a little bit about them as taken from the website: The story of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest ever told. The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos will provide you and your family a new and meaningful way to learn about Jesus Christ. The mobile app offers an engaging and interactive way to watch and read key accounts from the New Testament.

These videos are faithful to the biblical account, with scripts based on the King James Version of the Bible. The text also accompanies each video scene.

Watch for new videos to be added monthly as we assemble one of the finest collections of Bible videos in the world.

These free Bible videos are a gift from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They may be used freely by individuals, families, and groups without acknowledgement as long as the terms of use are observed. They are made available to the public solely for the purpose of helping more people understand and appreciate the matchless life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Follow the footsteps of the Savior through the stony paths of Galilee or the narrow streets of Jerusalem, or watch the tragic scenes in Gethsemane, in Pilate’s courtyard, and on the hilltop of Calvary. We hope that you will feel free to share these videos with family and friends the world over."

Christmas Videos...

As  you may notice below that there are several short videos. These videos were made by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for anyone's enjoyment. Regardless of your  religious Christian denomination, we hope that these videos bring smiles to your faces and hearts as you enjoy this Christmas season, as they have to our family.
                           Merry Christmas!!!

The Greatest Gift

What Shall We Give?

Look to the Light

A Light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

Christmas Spirit

Kids and Christmas

Wise Men Still Seek Him

'Tis the season....

... I love the Christmas holiday. It has come to mean so much more than it did to me even as a child, especially since it provides me with a specific time to reflect on the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I like that the world as a society sets apart this season for this special and sacred holiday, although I may not like what they choose to always do with the time of this season.  I am so very grateful to have a Savior, even Jesus Christ. I know He lives. For those who may wonder more as to what we believe about Jesus Christ and what makes our family's Christmas season so special, click here and here.  We do believe as the Bible teaches that Jesus was born of Mary. And you might be surprised how much alike us "Mormons" are to you.
From our Family to yours:
We wish you a Very Merry  and Joyous Christmas!

The Coat: A Story of Charity

Hello dear blog!

... I know it has been a while. Life has happened and the internet was not on the priority list.
But:
* The food at Thanksgiving was delish!
*The Christmas Tree and decor are up
* Christmas Shopping/ Present making is almost complete
* Christmas Cards/ Presents are going out next week
* The house has somehow remained clean
* Our liitle dude has adjusted to nursery wonderfully
* Bryan's last final for the semester was tonight!
* It has snowed twice here ( amazing considering we are lucky if it snows once in January yearly)
* We have enjoyed out little family

We Can Live with God Again