So Blessed

I don't feel like I have had the best attitude this week. I am not great at being the one who needs taken care of. That being said, I am so grateful that Jeff was able to spend the week with us. He played with the kids, took care of meals, picked up the medicines I needed, and even did part of laundry. :-) He never once complained! I wish I could say the same about me, but I will admit I was pretty bummed. It was not the way I envisioned Christmas break. After complaining on facebook, enough of my friends reminded me what Christmas is about, and I quickly saw their point.

I have my family- a husband who treats me with complete respect and love and is a wonderful father. 2 boys and a sweet little girl who all make me smile every day.
I live in a neighborhood where people take care of each other. We had phone calls each day asking what we need. We were brought dinner one night and breakfast for Christmas morning. We were brought many treats to keep our tummies full and happy. (even though no one wanted treats from us!)
We were all together!

Some of my favorite December moments:
Picking out the Christmas tree on a cold Saturday morning.

Emily performing in a dance clinic.
Christmas parade.
2 beautiful concerts by amazing and talented friends, Sarah, and Karen. They really brought the Spirit of Christmas to me. One of the concerts was held at Festival of the Nativities and Ranell was kind enough to drive with me and all the kids!

Lunch with women from my neighborhood.

Building a gingerbread house with Jeff.
Cookie party with friends.

Visiting Dallin's class for the ice cream party.Nutcracker with Emily and lots of good friends and their daughters!

Kid Party at my house!
Emily's preschool Christmas party.

Dallin's first piano recital.

Emily's first Choir performance.
So, I am especially grateful that we celebrated early in the month, so when I got sick we didn't miss out on too much. :-)

The Reason for the Season

I am not feeling the Christmas spirit very much as I am laying in bed with the flu, but I am getting the feeling that there is something I need to learn this season...

SLOW DOWN and enjoy life for what it is. These last few weeks have taught me to focus on the most important things- my relationships. When it comes down to it, that is what really matters. My relationships with my immediate family, my extended family, my friends, and even relationships with strangers. How we treat people determines how happy we will be, and these are the memories that will matter the most in the end.

One of my good friends, Kellie, lost her sweet 6 year old girl to a tragic accident. I wrote down these thoughts:

Life is too short...


...to worry about all the things we are NOT doing.
... to let petty differences get in the way of a relationship.
... to hold onto hurt feelings.
... to focus on our own weaknesses instead of our good qualities.
... to compare ourselves to others.
... to judge people because they are different from us.
... to NOT enjoy the time with our precious children. They are truly gifts from God.
... to NOT find the beauty that is all around us.


So, especially this season, I hope all of us can turn to the Savior and let him heal us. Help us turn our hearts to each other and especially to our children. Help us see things from their eyes. I hope we can forget our differences and be there for one another. I hope we can be patient with one another and ourselves as we all travel different paths. I hope we can be quick to forgive and quick to admit our mistakes- to ourselves, each other, and our children. I hope we can remember how much Heavenly Father and the Savior love each of us and want us to help each other return Home. I hope we can admit when we need help and be quick to help each other. I hope that we can enjoy the good moments and lean on each other during the hard times. I am grateful to know of the Plan of Salvation and that we will be together again. As for now, I it is my hope that we can all find the good in each other.

I love all of you and feel that each person I have met has touched my life in a special way. Thanks for being forgiving of my mistakes and helping me through the tough times.

I will now do some catch up on earlier dates.