Love

I love it when my siblings send an ornament with a story or scripture.  As I pull out my ornament and hang it up I get to have a little spiritual moment.  My kids are getting old enough I can pause and teach them the meaning of some of these ornaments.  

This ornament,  I'm sure not made by my sister but given by her is one such ornament. 

As I look at my tree, as I said before,  I am filled with love and joy for my family. But as this ornament reminds me, that the tree represents the love of God. He offers the fruit of His tree so that we can be filled with His love and joy. 

Christmas in a Nutshell

I had a dream the other night that I went on another date with a past boyfriend that I haven't seen since we broke up. I wanted things to work out so bad but at the same time I had sooo many red flags telling me that I was not going to be happy with  him. Anyway, in this dream I forgave him and went to something that felt like a ward party but it was McDonald's  (which was supposed to be novelty). During our dinner two flighty girls who lived by him came up and sat at the table and they had a flirty-ditzy annoying conversation.  After a few minutes I got up had a few awesome parting words and I woke up. I woke up so thankful for my awesome husband.  The night before the dream, I had sat admiring him as he held our sweet babe in the light of the Christmas tree. It was one of those moments that your heart swells with gratitude, joy and with a prayer that it will last.

The beautiful thing is that even though things do change and there are difficulties in life we do get to hang on forever. The beauty of the season is in our Savior. That He lived. He died. AND lives again. And we can be together with Him and our families as we covenant to live like him.

Christmas in a Nutshell

(From brother#2 it's Christ in a walnut shell. Cute.)

O Christmas tree!

I'm sitting here listening to Christmas music, admiring my Christmas tree. I love my Christmas tree.

My tree is filled with ornaments have been made/given by my siblings. Every year at least a few of us have exchanged ornaments. Some of these ornaments have stories or reasons why I love them. I know that I have to be realistic and admit that with three little ones some of these ornaments may not get to last forever. So I thought I should document these ornaments so I can always remember them and continue to feel joy in my family and in Christmas.
So over the next few weeks I may be posting a few of my favorites.

Today's ornament was one of the first exchanged. It brings me so much joy everytime I look at it.

Isn't he so cute? My brother sent this. I think it came as a great surprise to me to that my brother was so crafty. It was during his divorce, so I knew it came 100% from him. I just feel like there is so much love in this ornament.  It's the happiest elf I have ever seen.