Christmas Day

The girls slept until around 8 AM. They were allowed to look in their stockings, but nothing else until everyone was up. But within about 10 minutes, everyone was up and ready to open gifts.

Aunt Suzy had spent the night at our house and was able to participate in our gift opening and spend the day with us. We were so glad she was part of the festivities.

There were several things that were really for both Michelle and Ella to share or for all 3 girls. They were especially excited to get Just Dance Disney. Ella was thrilled to get boots with heels. She has been asking for them for months. They also got clothing, several books, Bible puzzle books, Ella got a webkinz, and they got lots of earrings from Aunt Suzy. Gabby got a couple of Barbie movies which she loves.

I gave Suzy a pretty watch and a pillow I'd made at Super Saturday. She gave me Elder Holland's new book For Times of Trouble. I've just started reading it, but I can tell it will be wonderful.
For Alfredo, I bought a new comforter for our bed. He really likes to change comforters regularly, and he has been asking for a new one for a couple of months. We have about 5, and every couple of months we put the current one away in the attic and pull out one we haven't used for awhile. This one is brown. I also bought him a cordless speaker that works with his Ipad or Ipod. We can use it outside for barbecues in the summer as well as around the house. He's really enjoyed it so far.

Alfredo bought me two pairs of pants and a Blendtec blender. Because my sister works for Blendtec, we were able to get a discount. I got my blender about 3 weeks ago and I asked Alfredo if I should save it for Christmas or open it right away. He said to open it and so I did. I've used it 18 times already, and I love it!!! I've made lots of smoothies and whole juices and a milkshake and a sorbet and a soup. The soup wasn't a big hit but we've loved everything else. I love it and can't wait to try even more things. In the summer, my kids are very excited that I can use it to make snow cones. :)

After all of the gifts were opened, Michelle said, "We haven't gotten our gifts from Santa yet. But they are down by the fire place. I already saw them." She had remembered that Santa put their gifts by the fireplace downstairs last year, so she had gone there first before she woke us up. So we headed downstairs to see what they got. They were all thrilled... Michelle and Ella had new bikes and Gabby had a Barbie Mermaid set that has 3 mermaids, a dolphin and a swing and slide set. They are all for the bathroom, and the mermaids' hair changes color.

We had a nice breakfast and the girls enjoyed their gifts for awhile. They played Just Dance. Then Michelle went for a short bike ride, despite the snow.

Around noon, we headed to my Aunt Elaine and Uncle Phil's house. We opened more gifts and visited with my grandpa, my Aunt Elaine and Uncle Phil, my Aunt Diane and Uncle Brent and their kids, as well as Phil's children and grandchildren. It was great to see so many family members. The girls got darling blankets that they have loved.

That afternoon, Suzy and I talked to our grandma on the phone. We also Skyped Rebecca and her family and talked to my mom and Mike. It was great to talk to all of them and to be able to see them even though we couldn't be with them. I felt so blessed to be able to see or talk to those that I love most. What a truly blessed Christmas this was!

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we went to dinner with my dad and sister. My dad took us all out to Chilis. We had a delicious dinner and a nice visit. It was wonderful to spend time together.

The girls opened their Christmas jammies.

We read Luke 2 and we did luminaries. It was very cold this year, so we only did 6...one for each of us, including my sister Suzy. I included photos of them in my post about our Christmas books.

Then we headed to Alfredo's aunt's house for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. We got there before most everyone else, so we watched a movie. I took a nap which was lovely. I haven't had enough sleep in weeks, so a nap was just what I needed. Then Alfredo's cousins arrived and we visited and the kids played and I napped a little bit more.

At midnight, we ate our annual Christmas Eve dinner. For Americans like me, this seems a little strange, but it is pretty customary in many hispanic countries to gather together on Christmas Eve, have dinner around midnight and open gifts after dinner. Most/all of the celebration is on Christmas Eve. And it has worked nicely for us, because we are able to spend Christmas Eve with Alfredo's family and Christmas Day together and then with my extended family.

Alfredo's cousin Irene has a darling little girl, Ileen. The girls loved holding her and playing with her.

After dinner, it was time to open gifts. By this time, it was one in the morning, but don't let that fool you. No one is tired when there are presents to open!

Look at this cute little guy, Elias. He kept falling over on top of presents and he liked the foam from one box as much as the gifts.

The girls got robes, pajamas, slippers and sweatshirts. They were thrilled. They had asked for slippers, and I'd only bought one of them slippers, so now they all have darling slippers.

Alfredo's family has always been so kind and welcoming. His cousin Patty has two girls that are the same ages as Michelle and Ella (in fact, Michelle and Daya were born two days apart.) She also has a 1 1/2 year old son, Elias. So the girls love seeing Patty and her family.

The women always kiss me on the cheek when we come and when we leave, and it is something that seemed very foreign to me at first, but that I have become accustomed to now. Usually I shake hands with Nelson, Miguel and Oswaldo, but this year I hugged each of them and felt such tenderness for each of them. They are not religious like I am, but they are good men and they have been kind to me and to my family. I felt truly grateful that we were able to spend the evening with both my dad and sister and with Alfredo's family.

We arrived home around 2:30 A.M. and the kids went straight to bed. I had a few things left to get ready, so it was nearly an hour before I made it to bed. Good thing Santa knows not to visit our house until the wee hours of the morning!

Christmas Blessings

I feel a deep desire to give thanks this Christmas Day. My heart has been so full of love and joy this past week. I have so much to be thankful for.

As we celebrated our Christmas festivities last night and today, I felt so glad to be surrounded by so many people I love and that love my family. All of the activities leading up to Christmas cause me stress at times, and there has been plenty of that this year. But as I reflect now on the activities of the past month, it would be hard for me to choose to eliminate any of them. Each of them allows me to connect with friends, neighbors, family, coworkers and other loved ones and I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life and in the lives of my husband and children.

I am thankful for Christmas stories. I've been reading Christmas stories to my children each night. I've also read a few on my own. They are fun and many help refocus my mind on the true reason for the season. I have felt my testimony strengthened as I've read and reread of the Savior's birth. I have been studying the New Testament for the past few weeks and I am so grateful for the Savior's birth, life and teachings. I have felt His love more this Christmas season than perhaps at any other Christmas season.

I am thankful for our abundance. We have sufficient food, clothing, shelter, plus much more. Because we have been so richly blessed, we were able to do a few things to help others this year. Today those who may be spending this day alone or far from home or who may be in dire circumstances or who may be grieving for a loved one have been on my mind. So many people face such difficult challenges, and my heart goes out to them and my prayers have lifted up to our Father for them to be comforted.

I am thankful for Christmas songs. I love Christmas music. I love the spirit they bring. Some of my favorites include Mary, Did You Know, Breath of Heaven, O Holy Night, Reason for the Season, and Carol of the Bells. But there are many other songs that I love as well.

I am thankful for my husband and children. I was listening to Breath of Heaven earlier, and was struck by these words:
"Holy Father, You have come
And chosen me now to carry Your Son
I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now, be with me now"

What a tremendous blessing and responsibility it was for Mary to be the mother of the Son of God! And what a tremendous blessing and responsibility it is for me to be a mother to my children. They are not the Savior, but they are still children of God and He loves them. He has entrusted them to me. What a great responsibility that is! I am trying hard to be a good mother, to teach them, to pray with them, to play with them, to comfort them. I am grateful that I know that I do not walk the path alone, that my Father and Savior are there with me to help me. They are turning into 3 beautiful young girls. I can't believe how big they are or how beautiful they are becoming, inside and out.

I feel grateful for Christmas decorations. For our Christmas tree, our lights, our candles, our wreath, and other decorations. My house feels more beautiful to me at Christmas than any other time of year. And tonight as I looked at the lights in our window, it caused me to reflect on the Light of the World, our Savior Jesus Christ. There is plenty of darkness in this world, plenty of sadness and strife. Yet there is so much beauty and goodness as well. And no matter what happens in the world, if we turn to our Savior, He will lighten our load, help us bear our burdens and guide us. I am so grateful for His birth...and even more for His life, His death and His resurrection. I have felt His love for me.

Isaiah 9:6. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Alma 7:10-12 "And behold, he shall be born of Mary at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which sanity he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

I am so blessed!

Christmas Books--Part 2

Little Porcupine's Christmas by Joseph Slate Little Porcupine really wants to be part of the Christmas play, but he can't be a shepherd or a wise man or an angel...his spines will poke the sheep or punch holes in the gift. He can only work behind the scenes. His mother always calls him "the light of my life". And at the end, Porcupine gets a very special role in the play.

I loved the warm relationship between porcupine and his mom. And I am glad that he found a role that was perfect for him. This would go well with a discussion about how we are all different and have different talents and gifts, but how each of us can let our own light shine.

**This might be a fun one to read on Christmas Eve right before we do our luminaries. We take paper bags, cut shapes in them and then place candles in them. We line our driveway and sidewalk with the bags with candles.
This year it snowed a lot on Christmas Eve, so we just did one bag each...only six luminaries. It was just too cold and windy to be outside for long. Here they are:

Ten Christmas Wishes by Claire Freedman Ten animals make Christmas wishes. Written in poetic form and counting up from 1 to 10. Cute illustrations of animals and them receiving their Christmas wish.

**This would be a perfect book to read when making a paper chain to count down the days until Christmas. On the fifth wish, the animals have a paper chain hanging up. My 9 year old made her own paper chain a few days ago, just for fun. She and her sisters would have loved to make a paper chain again this year to count down the days until Christmas.

Star of Wonder by Leena Lane and Elena Baboni This is a retelling of the Christmas story. Each page tells about one part of the story such as the shepherds tending their flocks, the angels singing hosannas, etc. It is a bit long and needed to be read over two days not one. The illustrations are a little strange, in our opinion. The people all have strange expressions and they just weren't my favorite. I had checked this out from the library, and it probably won't be one we reread or check out again.

Come and See: A Christmas Story by Monica Mayper A beautiful story of the Nativity. Great illustrations.
**I would let kids act out the nativity with a nativity set after reading this book.

The Legend of the Poinsettia retold by Tomie de Paola Lucida and her mother were making a blanket for the Christmas procession, but her mother fell ill and Lucida couldn't finish it on her own. On Christmas Eve, she feels sad because she has no gift to give the Baby Jesus. She hides and then an old woman talks to her and says her mother will be fine and her father will come home from the hospital soon. She should go to the church to celebrate. The old woman shares some wise words telling her that any gift will be good enough as long as it comes from the heart.

Contains a nice author's note about the history of this Mexican legend and some background about the poinsettia plant.

** After reading this book, have your children make poinsettias out of paper.

Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas by Julia Rawlinson
I got my copy from Scholastic and it has been renamed Fox and the Snowflake Christmas. As far as I know that is the only change though I am not certain.

Fletcher the fox is afraid that Santa won't be able to find the rabbits' new home. So he and his friends make a trail of arrows pointing the way to the rabbits' new home. But it snows on Christmas Eve and the trail is covered. Will Santa find the rabbits?

I thought this was a sweet story of friendship. Fletcher and the other animals care deeply about their friends the rabbits. They each bring gifts for the rabbits in case Santa was unable to find them. It is a story of unselfishness, caring, and love. This would be a good lead in to a discussion of how your children can show kindness to others at Christmastime (and all year long). Perhaps you could do a Secret Santa or a 12 Days of Christmas for someone who is lonely. You could participate in an Angel Tree or Sub for Santa or other such activity. Your children could help you prepare and deliver gifts to neighbors as well.

The illustrations are really beautiful as well. As I read it, I wanted to grab paints and paint a winter scene. I can imagine painting a wintery tree like the one on this illustration:

Or you could paint a blue background with big, beautiful snowflakes like on this amazing illustration:

Or of course, you could make paper snowflakes.

School Ski Trip

On Friday, December 14, Michelle was able to go on a school ski trip. She was so excited. She had never skied before. Neither Alfredo or I were able to go, but her school counselor took pictures and emailed them to me.

Michelle really liked her helper and really enjoyed the opportunity to ski. She really wants us to go as a family sometime. Since Alfredo and I aren't skiers, I don't know that this will happen. But I'm so glad that she went and had such a good time.

Book Club

I have belonged to a book club for 5 years now. Currently, I am the book club president. We meet monthly, rotating to each house. I guard my time with my children pretty closely since I work full time, but I really look forward to book club. I enjoy discussing the books we read and getting the opportunity to read books that I might not read otherwise. I enjoy seeing what many of them are reading on Goodreads and adding their favorites to my "to read" shelf. But most importantly, I have become friends with these wonderful ladies. We've laughed together and prayed for one another and learned from one another.

Last Thursday was book club. I arrived a little late, because it was the same night as my daughters' piano recital. We had it at Hires and Becky was hosting. We'd read a series of books and she planned games to go along with them. We dressed in costumes...either what we had worn in high school or dressed like one of the characters in the book. We laughed and talked and ate and gave thanks. You see, in November, we discovered that one of the members of our book club has breast cancer. But they caught it early. She had a mastectomy at the beginning of last week. Her lymph nodes were clear. It appears she is cancer free and she may not even need radiation. Such wonderful news! Prayers were answered.

It was such a fun evening, and I am thankful that I have such good friends.

Tragedy at Sandy Hook

Friday tragedy struck an elementary school in Connecticut. A troubled young adult murdered his mother and then drove to Sandy Hook, Elementary and killed 20 children and 6 adults. Teachers bravely did all they could to protect their students, and some were able to save children's lives.

This tragedy, of course, raises many questions and brings a great deal of sorrow. No one ever wants to hear about the brutal murder of so many, especially of young ones. No one wants to feel like their children are unsafe at school. It is hard to comprehend how someone, anyone, could be so troubled that they would slay innocent young children. My heart grieves for those who lost loved ones and for those who witnessed or were in any way part of this terrible event and for the anguish they must be feeling. I feel blessed to have the knowledge of the gospel to comfort me and to know that those children are in a better place. I hope they too can be comforted and know that they will see their loved ones again.

There is danger in this world and we are never completely safe...harm could come from anywhere. And yet, this world is also filled with beauty and love and goodness. I love a quote from Mr. Rogers... "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."

There are so many helpers and so many caring people in this world. I truly believe that if we look for the good in the world and the good in others that in most cases we will see it. I also believe that we can't live in fear of what may happen. We must go forward with faith, trusting the Lord that whatever happens we will be given the strength to endure and overcome.

I saw on Facebook a quote about how much teachers care for their students. It won't let me copy and it may be copyrighted so I won't quote it directly. But essentially it said that we appreciate parents loaning their children to us each day. We love them. We educate and discipline and laugh with and cry with your children. We are driven crazy by your children and have hope for your children. We would take a bullet for your children. It isn't in the handbook and it isn't part of our job description, but we love them that much. So today, hug your kids tight and tell them that you love them. Then on Monday, hug your child's teacher and tell them thank you. I believe this to be true for most teachers. I know it is true for me. I can tell it is true for my childrens' teachers. I am so thankful for the dedication they show and the hard work they put into educating my children. The actual quote is found here.


So send your children to school and trust that they will be okay. We will do everything in our power to protect them. Pray for us and pray for them and then trust us to keep them safe and to do our best to educate them.