CHRISTMAS 2015

 We had such a wonderful Christmas. This year has been an overbooked, overstressful, over everything pretty much haha so Christmas was such a wonderful time to relax and just breathe. Having my mom here has been such a help. She made the girls matching Christmas nightgowns. Bella was so excited to have the same dress as her hermana. We made cookies for the tree (a tradition we did when we were kids), watched Elf, made gingerbreadhouses, and all the other fun Christmas stuff. Isabella is so old she understands so so much more than last year. She would run around the house singing "Santa Claus is coming to town!" She also would smile so big and say "Mewy Christmas!"

I pondered alot how to center Christmas around Christ with all the hoopla of gifts,movies, and activities. I am so into ginerbread houses, Santa Clause, all the cool movies, stockings, lots and lots of good food, family and gifts. They make Christmas so much fun, But I felt gentle reminders all month to make sure to focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas: Christ. As Christmas approached I felt prompted that our family should dedicate Christmas Eve (so the 24th) as a day to ponder on the birth of our Savior and give him gifts through our actions that day. Then on the 25th we could open presents eat a lot and just let the kids enjoy the stuff they got and watch movies. I wasn't sure how we were going to make this work but when I woke up on the 24th the plan was clear as day. All morning we made tons of cookies packed them up in cute packages and wrote some cards. Stephen and Isabella put their elf hats on and we headed off to the homes of the people we visit teach and home teach (we have alot of families we visit, I have 4, stephen 2) and one of Isabella's best friends, Kali. We put Christmas music on as we drove and talked. Isabella kept saying "another casa! another casa!" and proudly delivered all the cookies. We had a particular special experience in one home. Two single moms live together and I visit teach one of them. One of the little boys fractured his foot and the doctors said it would have to wait to heal. He was in alot of pain. Stephen was able to give him a blessing since they have no priesthood holders in the home. I felt the spirit so strongly as we left. As we drove back home I realized that one of the biggest gifts I can give my children is the gift of giving to others.

Christmas morning was a blast. Santa Clause came at 2 in the morning ate his cookies and left the girls some awesome legos. Stephen and I have decided we don't want to buy a bunch of gifts for our kids, we would rather keep it simple. BUT we have no problem with grandparents spoiling them soooo the girls still had a TON of presents. That's what happens when there are barely any kids in each family. Olivia was just happy to watch her big sis play.

Now we have to wait a whole year for Christmas to come again! It is most definitely the most wonderful time of the year.