Christmas

I have been thinking about Christmas alot the past few weeks. I LOVE Christmas and I always have. My mom always did the best job of making the holiday magical. One of the Christmases I remember was when I must have been about 9. My cousins, Dolores and Marie, were at the house and we all got up on Christmas mornings to bikes and dolls. The bikes were lined up in the room from largest to smalels and I still have a vivid picture in my mind of those bikes and dolls. Another Christmas, my mom had been working on making skirts for us and had bought sweaters to match them. My older sister, Kathy, and I had gone to our dad's store on Thanksgiving day to get something, and we went searching for those outfits. We found them and were so excited, and even then, that didn't take away from the magic of waking up and finding them on Christmas morning. My mom always did such a great job, but I know at times it was really, really stressful for her. I loved to go with her an shop for my other siblings and I can remember her telling me that sometime I needed to stay home so that I got some gifts. Such wonderful memories!! Today, I still love going and picking out the gifts and then seeing the person open the gift. If it is a good fit then his/her eyes light up and I know I have done a good job. This is especially true with my kids. Sometimes I fail, but many times I know I have hit a home run. They open something they weren't expecting and I see the joy and excitement in their face and they don't even have to say thanks or anything, because I have already seen it.

Night time with just the Christmas tree lights lit up is one of the most beautiful sights I have seen. I love to turn off all the other lights and turn on Christmas music and just enjoy the season. Everything about it is magical and special to me. I have a collection of Nativity sets that I love to put out each year. I have one from Uruguay that I got in Panama. It is special because of the memories I have of where I got it. Another one from Panama is one I made. It is a large ceramic set I made, but never put a gloss on. It has red finger prints from my older two when they were little. Matt loved/s candy canes and he would eat candy canes and play with the Nativity set. I could not bring myself to gloss over those red prints. I also did a smaller ceramic set when we moved to California. It is special, because in the firing of the gloss, one of the donkeys' ear broke and fired broken. We always used to say that it was the special donkey that was loved, because it wasn't perfect. I also have a wooden set I got when Jess was little. I got it intentionally for her to play with and I have those memories when I put it out. I have several others that I have collected over the years and this year I have one more to add. I bought myself and all of my kids a Nativity set when I visited with Matt and Vanessa in Texas last year. The Nativity sets themselves are special because they remind me of the reason for the season, but the memories that go with them make them that much more special. I also have a small ornament I set out each year that is my idea of what Christmas is about. There is always discussion of commercializing Christmas, which is so true and happens too often, but this little ornament brings it all back around. It is a Santa kneeling over the baby Jesus in a manger and to me that is Christmas. Christmas is about love and giving. My heart is always so full of love and wanting to do during the Holiday season. At the school I teach at, I have children who don't know the joy of Christmas and sometimes it almost makes me too sad. I want to bring the joy I feel to them and to let them know what Christmas is really about. I always over do the gifts with my own kids, but it is the love and joy of giving that makes me want to do it every year.

I also love Christmas music. Growing up we listened to Bing Crosby and Andy Williams and I still think they are my favorites. I have found others over the years I enjoy too, but none as much as Bing and Andy. One primary song I love is "When Joseph Went to Bethlehem", because it tells the story of Christ's birth from Joseph's perspective. Most times we think of Mary and Baby Jesus, but this song reminds us that Joseph was there too and must have loved Mary and Baby Jesus more than we can know. Now that I have grandsons, I want to share my love of the holidays with them. I want to carry on the traditions I had with my kids. It is hard, because they are so far away, but I am going to do my best. We are going to bake cookies when we can; sing Christmas Carols as often as we can; look at Christmas lights every chance we get; feel the love and joy of the season as much as possible.

Our Savior was born to die for us. To celebrate his birth is to celebrate his life and death. He loved us enough to be born and loved us enough to die for our sins and for that I am so grateful.