Merry Christmas!

I love this time of year! It has always been my favorite. The best memory I have of Christmas is when I was in 4th grade and I was so excited for Christmas morning. I had gone to sleep quickly on Christmas Eve and was totally ready to wake up early in the morning. Well, morning came and I woke up with excitement and was surprised to find that I was up before my younger brother and sister. I was wide awake and walked out of my room and down the hall towards the living room and almost tripped over a streak of something running in front of my feet. I was shocked to realize it was a little kitten! I knew it was for me because I was the one who really loved cats. I bet my parents were just as shocked as I was to see me come walking in the living room because it was only one in the morning! They had just finished putting the presents under the tree and were sitting there talking. They let me stay in there with them for a while and sit and talk with them. I named my new cat Sherbet, like the ice cream, because he was orange and white.

As for this Christmas... it's been a rather crazy year for us. We are trying to sell our house and are planning on moving near the first of January. What I love about John and I though, is that we have learned how to keep our stress levels really low and stay focused on the most important things for us. So in spite of the "big" changes we have looming over our heads, we have been able to enjoy a peaceful holiday season and have been filled with the love of our Savior. Our favorite Christmas tradition is going to see The Forgotten Carols. We went last Thursday and it was marvelous! Neither one of us ever gets sick of the story... and we especially love the music. That has been a special tradition we've had ever since we've been married and one I hope continues for as long as Michael McLean does the carols!

Another thing I love about Christmas this year is our tree. It is so beautiful. And every time I come in the office I love to just sit and look at it. Last year I wanted to do something special in order to decorate my tree. So I went shopping and picked out special ornaments that I could use to depict the symbols of Christmas. Our tree last year was HUGE and although we had a fun time decorating it with the ornaments I had picked out, the huge tree seemed to swallow them up. This year however, our tree is the perfect size. And I think it is so beautiful with all of the symbolic ornaments I have on it. So I want to share this little bit of my Christmas with you. Here are pictures from my tree of the special ornaments and what each symbol represents.

The wreath symbolizes eternal love. It has no beginning and no end.
Love always comes full circle.

The candle represents the light of Christ and our own inner light in our hearts.

Our gifts to each other represent the importance of giving, sharing, and thinking of others.
Gifts also remind me of the greatest gift our Heavenly Father has given us:
the gift of His Beloved Son.

Bows are a symbol of our hearts knit together in the bonds of brotherly love.

The bell rings to bring lost sheep back home.
It also reminds me that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, is always beckoning me
to come unto Him.

The tree is the evergreen of everlasting life and always points heavenward.


The candy cane is a symbol for the shepherd's crook that they used
to bring lambs back to the fold.




The color red is a symbol of the Savior's sacrifice for all.

Angels are a symbol of the angel who appeared to the shepherds in the field and the heavenly host of angels who were singing praises on the night of His birth.


The star is the symbol of the Bethlehem star, a sign of prophecy and the light of the world.

And Santa Claus is a symbol of the spirit of Christmas, of giving and receiving love, caring, sharing, kindness, cheerfulness, happiness, peace, good will to all, and Christlike living.

I want everyone to know of my love for my Savior. I am filled with gratitude for his love and the sacrifice he made for me. I am grateful for all that he taught about loving others and doing good to all, even those who may hurt us. His example of love is one that I strive to emulate at all times. I hope you all know how much I love you. Merry Christmas!!!