EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS....

The past week has been crazy, what with finishing [I mean starting....] Christmas shopping, having a few of the grandkids over to spend time with Grandma doing some baking and decorating, attending Christmas cantatas, and FAMILY gatherings (which are the BEST!). To begin this busy month, Kloyie and Skyla came over and decorated my Christmas tree - can I tell you what a treat it is to have someone else do that? If they don't do it, it probably wouldn't get done! Because I'm working this year, I wasn't able to get to any of the grandkids school programs; but then again, I wasn't told of any either! Maybe they just weren't involved in any...maybe the schools are being prejudiced by political agendas that would like to see all mention of CHRISTmas out of the school protocol. Taylor and Laila spent the night and I took them to see the Christmas lights at Layton City Park; then we decorated Christmas cookies for them to take home to their Mom. When my kids were little this was a huge endeavor for us to do at Christmas and Valentines Day - cutting out cookies, baking and decorating for the neighbors. The 3rd weekend, I had Weston come over to build and decorate a Christmas train engine. I mentioned that maybe we should get Uncle Curt involved on the engineering end of it - the results were AWESOME! As we were finishing up the engine, Matt, Alysa and Sloane showed up and it quickly went from the 'little engine that could' to the whole train, and a village. A large piece of cardboard was found and covered with foil - and then Mike and Connor showed up.....their contributions were of a more "natural" essence with trees, a bonfire, deer, and lotsa poop! Droppings by the outhouse and around the lone pine tree. I was thrilled to see that my adult man children were having as much (or MORE) fun than the little kids doing this. In fact, we've decided that next year it will be a family project - where we will put the finished masterpiece is unknown. I know Weston took this one home and it's sitting downstairs in Heather's family room on their ping-pong table. Merry Christmas, Santa - looks like you'll have hot chocolate and your choice of cookies, candy, and deer droppings! We all were invited into the Campbell home for their annual Christmas Family gathering. Such a spread of delicious food, warm feelings of love, interrupted only once by the crashing of a broken village piece upon the tile floor, and the Christmas program, carefully orchestrated by our 'in-house' producer, director, and most times STAR, Teri. This is a tradition that DiAnne started when her children were small; then when my kids and both of our grandkids started coming up thru the ranks, all were utilized in some way into the Nativity story. Interesting that little Seth was the Baby Jesus last year, and this year he is a toddler. How time flies! And Sloane's famous response to Santa ~ I WANT A DIAMOND! I train them young, don't I? Perfect advertising for Morgan Jewelers!

It is now a very quiet Sunday - outside is a blanket of new fallen snow! Guess I commented too soon about getting used to having a balmy Christmas with snow in the mountains and grass in the valley!

For Unto You...

What the Birth of Christ has done for our World, technology cannot change! Everything in perspective, people.....

Wishing you a very Merry CHRISTmas, and a stunning New Year!

The Reason for the Season

YOU CAN'T STEAL
MY CHRISTMAS


Christmas begins with CHRIST.

I don't know who THEY are --
Saying I can't greet the crowd
The way that I want to
Can't say CHRISTMAS out loud.

I walk into a business place
See things that I'd rather not see
But dare I not say CHRISTMAS
And ask for a "holiday" tree?

What happened to freedom of speech
And living in the land of the free?
How can they take my CHRISTMAS money
But can't say MERRY CHRISTMAS to me?

Men and women have given their lives
So we could still go free.
I wonder how they would feel
At saying "HOLIDAY" TREE?

Come on AMERICA let's wake up!
Don't let our freedom escape
If they get by with doing this,
What else will they take?

This is starting to get out of hand,
And I've begun to keep track --
Well I've just about had enough,
I'M TAKING CHRISTMAS BACK!
If we all stand united and take freedom back
'Twill be our best CHRISTMAS YET!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY ~ JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe?

Mistletoe was said to be the sacred plant of Frigga, the goddess of love. When her son, Balder, dreamed of his death, Frigga rushed about seeking promises that her son would not die. Unfortunately, Balder’s enemy, Loki, tipped an arrow with Mistletoe and gave it to Hoder, the blind god of winter who killed Balder with it. He was brought back to life by his mother when she shed tears that turned into Mistletoe berries, so Frigga kissed everyone who passed under the tree on which it grew. From that time on, anyone who stood under the mistletoe would receive only a kiss; no harm could come to him.

An Anglo-Saxon legend of Freya, goddess of love, said men must kiss any young girl who stood under a sprig of Mistletoe hung from the ceiling. Another custom required all the Mistletoe in the house to be burned on Twelfth Night, or the couples who kissed under it will never marry!

GEESH! I think we could all make up some kind of story as to a reason to Kiss Under the Mistletoe - let's just say it's FUN!

Eight is GREAT!

On Novemeber 21, 2010, Taylor turned EIGHT!
We had the priviledge of attending and sharing the experience of her baptism last Saturday.

As You Are Baptized

You have chosen to be baptized
To start your life anew,
Following in Christ*s footsteps
For you know the Gospel*s true,

When our lives are clean and spotless,
The Holy Ghost can guide;
A companion and a prompter
He*ll stay always at your side.

For your reflections of today,
I give a gift to you
Symbolic of these sacred vows,
and of the Gospel true.
So clean and white, this hanky-
Like you*ve become today;
When you vowed to follow Jesus
and your sins were washed away.

To follow in Christ*s footsteps
The commandments to obey,
To remember His atonement
and for repentance, pray.

Remember God is near you
His love for you is great
Stay near the Straight and Narrow Path
Where lasting blessing wait. By Kathy Carrico Himle

CONGRATULATIONs Taylor, on your decision to be baptized. We love you so much, and know that you will try hard to live as your Heavenly Father would want you to.